Here are the Republican candidates for statewide office who will compete in the June 28 party primary that determines who will take on the Democrats in Colorado’s November General Election.
Candidates made the ballot by capturing 30% of the 3,749 delegates assembled at the GOP state assembly on Saturday in Colorado Springs.
Or, through petition by collecting 12,000 signatures statewide — that’s 1,500 from each of the eight congressional districts.
Governor
- Heidi Ganahl: 16,513 signatures collected, petition has been certified. Plus, she needed 10% at the assembly and captured 33%.
- Greg Lopez: 34% of the delegates voting at assembly
U.S. Senate
- Joe O’Dea: 16,088 signatures collected, petition has been certified
- Ron Hanks: 39% of the delegates voting at assembly
Michael Bennet and I are polar opposites. My story is built around hard work. Michael Bennet came from privilege and has used that privilege to help the Democratic Party, not the people of Colorado. #COpolitics pic.twitter.com/lmocVWM3xL
— Joe O’Dea (@ODeaForColorado) April 11, 2022
Secretary of State
- Pam Anderson: 12,317 signatures collected, petition has been certified
- Mike O’Donnell 39% of the delegates voting at assembly
- Tina Peters: 61% of the delegates voting at assembly
Attorney General
- John Kellner: 57% of the delegates voting at assembly
- (Stanley Thorne was also nominated with 42% of delegate vote, but was later invalidated by the party as he is not a registered Republican.)
Treasurer
Lang Sias: 100% of the delegates voting at assembly
Democrat incumbents skated through their state party assembly, which was held virtual because they apparently don’t trust each other to wash their hands and cover their faces at all times.
Democrat Disaster: Colorado Democrats Hide in Basement for their Convention #copolitics https://t.co/kK1X0y9x9s
— Campfire Colorado (@CampfireColo) April 11, 2022
The Colorado media was so consumed with mocking the Republican assembly, they barely bothered reporting on the Democrats and failed to note that incumbent U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet actually drew a challenger.
Karen Breslin, a political science professor at CU Denver, received 20% of the delegate vote but not enough to make the ballot.
So Democrat incumbents controlling our state got a pass from their party and go straight to the November election without having to burn through financial resources like Republicans will have to weather.
So unless Republicans get their act together and elect someone in the primary who can win a statewide race, these Democratic candidates will continue to hold these offices for the next four years:
- Governor: Jared Polis
- U.S. Senate: Michael Bennet
- Secretary of State: Jena Griswold
- Attorney General: Phil Weiser
- Treasurer: Dave Young