DENVER – In another shock to the Colorado Republican primary for U.S. Senate, Jon Keyser on Monday fell short of the signatures needed to make the June ballot.
Keyser, a former state representative from Morrison, was once considered the party’s best chance at unseating Democrat Michael Bennet, who has a war chest of more than $7.6 million.
The 34-year-old combat veteran, who lived in Durango and Bayfield as a child, came up 86 signatures short in the 3rd Congressional District, which includes La Plata County.
Keyser needed 1,500 valid signatures from Republican voters in each of the state’s seven congressional districts.
The Keyser campaign said Monday it will protest the decision announced Monday by the secretary of state’s office.
“We are confident that we secured the necessary number of signatures to appear on the ballot, and we will be pursuing legal action to ensure thousands of Coloradans are not disenfranchised,” said Matt Connelly, a spokesman for the campaign.
Of the 16,067 total signatures submitted by Keyser, 4,631 were deemed invalid.
In the 3rd district, Keyser submitted 2,018 signatures; 604 were deemed invalid.
Republicans outnumber Democrats in the district 174,460 to 148,636, adding to the shock that Keyser failed to receive enough Republican support.
His effort was complicated by the fact that former Colorado State University athletic director Jack Graham qualified for the ballot last week by collecting enough signatures.
A voter can offer a signature for only one candidate, which means that signatures used by Graham couldn’t be used by Keyser. Graham had an advantage by submitting first.
The 3rd is a huge district, including most of the Western Slope and southern portions of the Eastern Plains.
The campaign has five days to protest the decision.
In addition to Graham, only one other candidate has qualified for the June 28 primary ballot – El Paso County Commissioner Darryl Glenn.
Glenn made the ballot by taking the caucus route, in what was the first major surprise of the primary contest. Glenn received 70 percent of the delegate vote at the April 9 state convention, knocking out several other candidates in a crowded Republican field.
Candidates needed to receive at least 30 percent of delegates to make the ballot.
Political observers expected state Sen. Tim Neville of Littleton to qualify for the primary ballot at the convention. But after a fiery speech by Glenn, delegates overwhelmingly offered him their support.
Signatures are still being counted for Colorado Springs businessman Robert Blaha and former Aurora Councilman Ryan Frazier.
Results are expected this week.
pmarcus@durangoherald.com
