The losing candidate in one of Colorado's most contentious Democratic primaries for a U.S. House seat has yet to endorse the winner.
In Colorado's 6th Congressional District, generally considered to be the only truly competitive district in the state, attorney Jason Crow easily defeated Levi Tillemann 65 to 35 percent, but not before accusations that national and state Democratic leaders had put their thumb on the scale erupted in a minor scandal big enough to force House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to weigh in.
Shortly after the primary concluded in late June, Tillemann told the Washington Free Beacon that he was open to endorsing Crow for the general, but only with the condition that the two have a sit-down conversation to iron out lingering issues. A source close to both campaigns says in the intervening weeks, there has been no communication between the pair.
Tillemann, a former federal energy official during the Obama administration, rocked the boat in the middle of the primary fight in April when he released a secret recording of a conversation between him and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland.
Hoyer made plain in the recording that party leaders were hoping Crow would win.
Accusations that Democratic leadership was picking winners before the grassroots could even vote were made all the more explosive at the time in the wake of the book release by former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile in which she claimed she "had found … proof" of a rigged process to ensure Hillary Clinton would be the party's presidential nominee in 2016—a claim Brazile later walked back.
Incumbent Republican representative Mike Coffman won reelection in the past two cycles by 31,000 and 25,000 votes, against challengers with distinguished political pedigrees and excellent name recognition. Democrats outnumber Republicans in the 6th, but still may need every one of the 25,000 votes Tillemann garnered if they hope to win the district back from Coffman, a former Marine and state treasurer, who has assiduously cultivated his relationship with minority communities in what may be the most ethnically diverse area of Colorado.
"This is from my heart," Colorado Chinese News president Wendy Chao told NPR. "I will say Congressman Michael Coffman is the only one who really care—our Asian community, minority community, you know?"
Coffman often appears on local Spanish talk radio and keeps close ties to a large Ethiopian immigrant community solidly in his district.
"Quite honestly there has not been anyone, any elected official, that has worked as hard for the Ethiopian community as Congressman Mike Coffman," one immigrant told NPR. "I mean, that's just the truth."
Also of interest as the general election draws closer: Crow, who has repeatedly touted himself as an adviser to President Obama, failed to garner an endorsement from the former president, even though Obama backed 13 other Colorado Democrats in his first round of endorsements.
Tillemann took aim at Crow's claims of having been an adviser to Obama during the primary, suggesting Crow was inflating his resumé.
Tillemann is also continuing to message to his supporters through his campaign's social media channels, and in a July post on Facebook challenged Crow to define the differences between him and Coffman on possible impeachment charges against President Trump.
"With all due respect , [sic] the upcoming election is critical to the survival of the republic!" one observer shot back. "Not the time for Dems to be taking shots at each other. Despite our differences, coming together to retake the Congress is literally a matter of life and death!"
The Crow campaign did not return a request for comment.
Further up the ticket, the Democrats' posture of unity also looked less than ideal at a "unity rally" just days after the primary concluded when the party's nominee for governor, Rep. Jared Polis, was not joined on the west steps of the state capitol by those who had challenged him.
"When Colorado Democrats held their 'unity' rally for @jaredpolis today, they knew we'd point out that his primary opponents weren't there, right?" asked a local TV news anchor, who added in the hashtag #unityainteasy.