1-minute voter guide: Republicans battle for chance to take a Democratic district

In the wake of U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter's decision to retire, Republicans see a moment to capture his district.

State of play: The rare open-seat race for Colorado's competitive 7th Congressional District could be a tossup, given the political winds of the midterm elections.

• Three Republicans with varying visions are competing to challenge a well-known Democratic state lawmaker with deep pockets.

Meet the candidates:

Erik Aadland is an Army veteran and a former oil and gas executive who lives in Pine. He withdrew from the U.S. Senate primary in December to run in the congressional race.

• His contributions total about $340,000, according to the Federal Election Commission. He's campaigned on protecting Second Amendment rights and cracking down on illegal immigration.

Laurel Imer, a Golden native and high school dropout, served as Jefferson County chair for the Donald Trump campaign in 2016, and maintains that Trump won the 2020 presidential election. She now works as an administrative assistant for a local financial firm.

• A clear underdog in the race, Imer has drawn less than $90,000 in contributions, and has largely piggybacked on Trump-era "America First" policies.

Tim Reichert, an economist who lives in Golden, is founder and CEO of the consulting firm Economics Partners. He launched his campaign with a half-million dollars of his own money, and raised about the same from others.

• He is focusing on strengthening the middle class by cutting regulations and overhauling federal monetary policy. He also wants parents to have a greater say in what their children are taught in school.

What's next: The winner of the primary will face Democratic nominee Brittany Pettersen in November. She's a Lakewood state senator who has campaigned on addressing income inequality and the climate crisis.