AURORA | Democrat Tom Sullivan, who is up against Republican incumbent Cole Wist in the HD37 race, gained an endorsement from the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police this week.
“I am proud to be endorsed by the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police. When my family and I needed law enforcement officers most on that terrible night in 2012, they were there for us,” Sullivan said in a released statement.
Sullivan’s son Alex was killed in the Aurora theater shooting in 2012.
“While my opponent claims to support our community’s law enforcement officers, his record speaks otherwise,” Sullivan said. “I will always stand up for their safety, the wages and benefits they deserve, and the services they need to perform their jobs safely and effectively.”
Gun legislation has been a key point in the HD37 race, as some top Second Amendment advocates have abandoned Wist after he sponsored state “red flag” legislation.
Earlier this year Rocky Mountain Gun Owners said in flyers and online Wist has been “voting like a gun-grabbing Democrat.”
Sullivan said in a survey the Sentinel sent to state candidates that he also supports “red flag” legislation.
The Colorado Fraternal Order of Police calls itself the “voice of Colorado law enforcement,” and has endorsed other state candidates, such as Arapahoe County district attorney George Brauchler, who is running for attorney general.
“Mr. Sullivan’s history of commitment to public safety, fairness, and public service has earned him this highly sought endorsement,” Stephen Schulz, President of the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police said in a statement. “We believe he is the best candidate for this office to support Colorado’s law enforcement officers in their quest to keep our communities safe and to lead Colorado into a new era.”
— KARA MASON, Staff Writer