Colorado's 7th Congressional District

Congressman Ed Perlmutter

Congressman Ed Perlmutter

About Ed Perlmutter 

Previously a State Senator, which means he’s almost served as a representative of the people of Colorado for as long as Congresswoman Diana Degette (first Congressional district), Congressman Ed Perlmutter has been representing Colorado’s seventh congressional district since 2007. A Denver native, Perlmutter loves the state so much that he did both his undergraduate degree and law degree in Colorado. 

Successful in politics at even a young age, Pelmutter was elected as class president twice while in law school. When he was elected as a state Senator in 1995, he was the first democrat to win the district in three decades. 

As a U.S. Congressional representative, Perlmutter has earned a reputation—as well as ranking on Georgetown University’s Bipartisan Index—as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress. Proud of his ability to work across the aisle, Perlmutter has advocated for good jobs for those in his district, affordable healthcare for all—a top priority to Perlmutter as the father of a daughter with epilepsy— and quality education and low student loan interest rates. 

When it comes to some of the most pressing issues of today, Congressman Perlmutter is working hard to keep communities safe in the wake of COVID 19 while also considering the economic needs of people and businesses during this challenging time. He believes in protecting public lands, an approach to energy that focuses on developing renewables while also maximizing traditional oil and gas resources, and is proud of the fact that the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is housed within the seventh district.


Get to Know Colorado's 7th District

Get to Know Colorado's 7th District


About Colorado’s 7th Congressional District 

Science-policy-society work and topics in the seventh district 

As a lifelong Colorado resident, there are probably few who understand the seventh district and the needs of people within that district better than Ed Perlmutter. As part of the Denver metropolitan area, the seventh district includes parts of Jefferson County, which houses the cities of Golden and Lakewood; Adams County, in which part of Arvada and part of Westminter are located (the other parts of these two cities are also in Jefferson County); and Arapaho County.

Golden is the seat of Jefferson County. While small— the home of fewer than 20,000 people—it’s a hub of education, innovation, and business. To be sure, the headquarters of NREL are located within Golden, Coors Brewing Company can be found here, in addition to the well-known  Colorado School of Mines,  which specializes in programs in engineering and science. Golden is also a great place for hiking and outdoor recreation, and is the perfect spot for those who want to be close to both Denver and Boulder but want to enjoy a quieter lifestyle and a comparatively lower cost of living. The desire to protect and enjoy the outdoors can be experienced in other parts of the seventh district, too. For example, the city of Westminster owns more than 3,000 of open space and maintains an extensive trail system—something that residents can get pretty emotional about, we’re told. 

Data courtesy of  Census.gov 

In terms of energy, sustainability, climate, and environment goals, Golden’s are ambitious. The city has pledged to 100 percent renewable energy for electricity by 2030, and 100 percent renewable energy for heating just two decades after that. Energy efficiency is also a top priority: the city hopes to reduce consumption of both electricity and natural gas by 15 percent by 2030. Of course, the city hasn’t forgotten about the transportation sector, which is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. By 2050, the city hopes to have a 100 percent fossil fuel-free transportation sector. The city has also outlined goals for waste and water, too. The latter is especially important in Golden and the seventh district;  drought has worsened in all Colorado counties except for Boulder  (how is it that Boulderites always seem to come out on top?). The city is trying to  reduce per capita water use  by at least 15 percent by 2030. 

The city of Westminster also has ambitious sustainability goals. The city’s website touts itself as “one of the most sustainable cities in America.” And to back up its claim, the city has partnered with Solar United Nations to provide inexpensive, clean energy to residents, and is pretty protective of its water, too. Unlike most other places throughout Colorado that charge for water on a flat-rate system, the city of Westminster relies on what’s called an “increasing block” rate system, where users are  charged more based on the quantity of water  they use. For example, the lowest water rates in Westminster are for those who use fewer than 6,000 gallons per month; the highest rates are for those who use more than 20,000 gallons per month and commercial water customers. 

Turning to Lakewood, the largest city in Jefferson County, one won’t find much at all. Head here if you love bagels, as Einstein Bros. Bagels is based here, or head to Casa Bonita for a night of “eatertainment.” We’re not sure what you’ll remember more—the cliff divers or the time you’ll be spending enfeebled after all-you-can-eat sopapillas. 

In between Arvada and Westminster you’ll find the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge. Before it was a refuge, the site was the home of a manufacturing complex that produced nuclear weapons. In 1959, barrels of radioactive waste were found leaking into an open field on the site; the plant also had a number of  fires which led to plutonium being released into the environment.  Now, over six decades later, one part of the former site has been converted into a “safe” refuge for wildlife and is open to the public; the other is still off-limits to the public as a Superfund site. (This is one of two well-known Superfund sites in the district; the other is the Rocky Mountain Arsenal.)

The Candelas development near Rocky Flats. Photo credit:  CBS. 

But the potential radioactivity doesn’t seem to bother nearby residents; there’s even a new development being built right up against the edge of where the disaster happened—it literally shares a property line with the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons manufacturing site. And while it is typically low-income communities that get relegated to the most polluted neighborhoods, this development features over-sized homes on big lots with names like “Tuscan” and “Prairie,” and homes range in price from around $300,000 to $1 million—no small chunk of change. The demand for housing in the Rocky Flats’ area, which has been referred to as “toxic suburbia,” highlights another problem within the district: rising home prices and the lack of affordable housing; even living next to a former waste site is expensive! (And in case you’re thinking, “No way! That’s been cleaned up and is now A-OK,” plutonium levels in soil samples near Rocky Flats were more than five times higher than the cleanup standard established, as reported by a 2019 article in  The Denver Post .) While the increase in home values is certainly a boon for those who already own their homes, for those who are hoping to buy a home, settle down, and start a family (which rings true for a majority of people in the more suburban parts of the district), the home prices can be intimidating. 

But that doesn’t mean that people necessarily want more development—at least, not in protected open space, that is. 

As time goes on, the drought worsens, the area’s population grows, and things like a water shortage and extreme heat events become more common, the district will surely be turning to leaders like Representative Perlmutter for answers and support.


Tour the 7th

Map key: Blue border lines reflect the seventh district's boundaries; light green polygons indicate Superfund sites.



Congressman Ed Perlmutter

Data courtesy of  Census.gov 

The Candelas development near Rocky Flats. Photo credit:  CBS.