The majority of Republican lawmakers at the Capitol are joining the party’s chairman in calling for GOP gubernatorial candidate Marc Holtzman to drop out of the race against Rep. Bob Beauprez.
In a letter delivered to the Holtzman campaign this morning, 31 senators and representatives and nine Republican candidates asked Holtzman to forgo the opportunity to submit petitions to place his name on the Republican primary ballot for governor.
“You have clearly worked hard to communicate with Republican activists throughout the state, and we appreciate your sincere interest in moving Colorado forward,” the letter read. “However, the grassroots of our party have made their decision, and now is the time for the Republican Party to come together under one candidate for Governor. The stakes are simply too high for anything less.”
The letter cited the “coronation” of Democratic candidate Bill Ritter last weekend, at the party’s state convention.
At the Republican state convention, Beauprez won 72 percent of the vote.
“We simply cannot afford to have a divided party through August, the letter read.
On Monday, GOP chairman Bob Martinez asked Holtzman to “live with the results” of the convention and step aside.
Otherwise, he said, the race could “turn into character assassinations” that might hurt the party in the general election against Democrat Bill Ritter.
Holtzman, who failed to win the 30 percent necessary to make the Republican primary ballot, called Martinez “very partisan” and accused the GOP of trying to intentionally keep him off the ballot.
“I will not allow a small group of 3,000 insiders and benefits of patronage of the system to stand in the way,” he said of the GOP delegates.
Holtzman intends to petition onto the Aug. 8 ballot. He said he already has the necessary 10,500 signatures, which are due at the secretary of state’s office by Thursday.
“I have the vision to lead Colorado,” he said. “I’m about issues and ideas, not strategies and tactics.”
Republican elected leaders and candidates who signed the letter calling on Holtzman to step aside.
Senator Andy McElhany
Senate Minority Leader
SD 12 – Colorado Springs
Representative Mike May
House Minority Leader
HD 44 – Parker
Representative Ted Harvey
Assistant House Minority Leader
HD 43 – Highlands Ranch
Candidate for SD 30
Senator Greg Brophy
SD 1 – Wray
Senator Lewis Entz
SD 5 – Hooper
Senator Ed Jones
SD 11 – Colorado Springs
Senator Dave Owen
SD 13 – Greeley
Candidate for HD 50
Senator Nancy Spence
SD 27 – Centennial
Senator Ron Teck
SD 7 – Grand Junction
Senator Tom Wiens
SD 4 – Sedalia
Representative David Balmer
HD 39 – Centennial
Representative Bill Berens
HD 33 – Broomfield
Representative Lauri Clapp
HD 37 – Centennial
Representative Cory Gardner
HD 63 – Yuma
Representative Dale Hall
HD 48 – Greeley
Candidate for SD 13
Representative Lynn Hefley
HD 20 – North El Paso County
Representative Diane Hoppe
HD 65 – Sterling
Representative Jim Kerr
HD 28 – Littleton
Representative Keith King
HD 21 – Colorado Springs
Representative Matt Knoedler
HD 22 – Lakewood
Candidate for SD 21
Representative Mark Larson
HD 59 – Cortez
Representative Larry Liston
HD 16 – Colorado Springs
Representative Tom Massey
HD 60 – Poncha Springs
Representative Bob McCluskey
HD 52 – Fort Collins
Representative Josh Penry
HD 54 – Grand Junction
Candidate for SD 7
Representative Ray Rose
HD 58 – Montrose
Representative Dave Schultheis
HD 14 – Colorado Springs
Candidate for SD 9
Representative Debbie Stafford
HD 40 – Aurora
Representative Jim Sullivan
HD 45 – Larkspur
Representative Al White
HD 57 – Winter Park
Representative Rob Witwer
HD 25 – Genesee
Affie Ellis
Candidate HD 29 – Arvada
Bob Gardner
Candidate HD 21 – Colorado Springs
Frank McNulty
Candidate HD 43 – Highlands Ranch
Glenn Rhoades
Candidate HD 26 – Lakewood
Clyde Robinson
Candidate HD 41 – Aurora
Jerry Sonnenberg
Candidate HD 65 – Sterling
Amy Stephens
Candidate for HD 20 – North El Paso County
Glenn Vaad
Weld County Commissioner
Candidate HD 48 – Mead
Bruce Wilcox
Candidate HD 30 – Aurora
Denver Post staff writer Karen Crummy contributed to this report.
