Former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo on Tuesday endorsed Gino Campana in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Michael Bennet.

“If you want a real, conservative patriot fighting for you in Washington, D.C., then you have to join me in supporting Gino Campana,” Tancredo said in a statement. “There is simply no other choice.”

Tancredo, who represented the 6th Congressional District for five terms and mounted three unsuccessful campaigns for governor, championed a hardline approach to immigration in Congress and during a 2008 presidential campaign that routinely drew harsh criticism from Democrats and some Republicans.

Campana, the son of Italian immigrants and one of eight GOP candidates hoping to challenge Bennet, said he values Tancredo’s counsel on immigration policies.

“I appreciate Tom’s support in this race,” Campana said in a written statement. “Tom and I have talked about the immigration crisis at our southern border, and we both have the same commitment to end the Biden Border Crisis. This grassroots campaign is growing stronger every day, and I’m fired up to win this race and beat Michael Bennet in November.”

A campaign spokesman said Campana will “shut down Michael Bennet and Joe Biden’s disastrous open border policies, secure our border, build the wall and fight every day to stop the flow of illegal immigrants pouring across our southern border.”

In October, Tancredo endorsed former oil and gas executive Erik Aadland in the Senate primary, but Aadland withdrew from the race in late December and joined the Republican primary for the open 7th Congressional District seat.

Other Republicans running for the Senate nomination include state Rep. Ron Hanks, R-Cañon City, 2008 Olympian and Air Force veteran Eli Bremer, construction company owner Joe O’Dea, former talk radio host and actress Deborah Flora, former congressional candidate Peter Yu and Colorado Christian University political science professor Gregory Moore.

Campana is going through caucuses and assemblies to secure a spot on the June 28 primary ballot. That kicks off in the first week of March, when Republicans hold precinct caucuses and begin the delegate selection process.