DENVER – The Colorado Republican primary for U.S. Senate spun into chaos, as two candidates fought for a position on the June ballot.
A Denver District Court clarified Thursday morning that Colorado Springs businessman Robert Blaha garnered enough petition signatures to appear on the June 28 primary ballot.
Later in the day, former Aurora Councilman Ryan Frazier was granted a position on the ballot, but the votes he would receive may not count.
The Denver District Court ruled Wednesday that Frazier did not have enough signatures to make the ballot. But because he is appealing that decision to the Colorado Supreme Court, the lower court allowed for his name to appear on the ballot.
The court allowed for Frazier’s name to appear so that the secretary of state’s office could start printing ballots.
The votes, however, would not be counted if the Supreme Court determines Frazier should not have been on the ballot in the first place.
Both candidates protested in Denver District Court an earlier decision by the secretary of state’s office that kept them off the ballot because petitions were deemed invalid.
The turmoil in the race intensified Wednesday evening when a spokeswoman for the secretary of state’s office first said Blaha made the ballot following an appeal.
It started with a tweet from spokeswoman Lynn Bartels at 6:11 p.m.: “So, @BlahaCO is on the ballot.”
Then at 6:58 p.m.: “URGENT: Turns out @BlahaCO might not have made the ballot.”
Similar confusion swirled around Frazier.
After tallying the signatures that were deemed valid following the court ruling, both Blaha and Frazier were told they still were not on the ballot.
The Blaha campaign filed a motion asking the judge to clarify the order, which confirmed his place on the ballot Thursday.
“I’m thrilled to be on the ballot after a very long week,” Blaha said in a statement.
A statement from the Frazier campaign Wednesday read: “We believe they made administrative interpretations that could be unconstitutional and disenfranchising.”
While things were up in the air for Blaha, he called for the resignation of Secretary of State Wayne Williams, stating: “If you’re incompetent, there should be a price.”
Ironically, Judge Elizabeth A. Starrs wrote that “there was no evidence presented that the SOS failed to follow the Election Rules in any way.”
Blaha added on Thursday: “I spoke out so strongly regarding the secretary of state because this process is a perfect example of bureaucracy run amuck.”
Williams, a fellow Republican, fired back: “Mr. Blaha seeks to blame others for his own campaign’s incompetence.”
To qualify via the petition route, candidates need 1,500 valid signatures from Republican voters in each of the state’s seven congressional districts.
At issue was a signature gatherer who failed to list a proper address, thereby making him ineligible to circulate petitions.
Former state Rep. Jon Keyser had better luck in court after the secretary of state’s office also initially disqualified him for a lack of valid signatures. He won his lawsuit to appear on the ballot.
Former Colorado State University athletic director Jack Graham qualified for the ballot in April by collecting enough signatures, and his campaign’s effort was not challenged.
El Paso County Commissioner Darryl Glenn made the ballot at the April 9 state convention, shocking observers by knocking out several other candidates in a crowded Republican field.
Glenn’s name will appear at the top of the ballot – since he won at the convention – followed by Frazier, Blaha, Graham and Keyser.
The candidates each would like to be the one who challenges Democratic incumbent Michael Bennet, who has more than $7.6 million in the bank. The challenges and delays could greatly complicate the fight to take on Bennet.
pmarcus@durangoherald.com
