The race for Colorado’s open U.S. Senate seat appears to have officially started.
Former U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis has filed a “statement of candidacy,” which allows him to begin raising money for his campaign even though he hasn’t publicly announced he’s running.
McInnis, a Republican who represented the 3rd Congressional District from 1993 to 2005, has nearly $1 million left over from his House account that can be transferred to his Senate campaign.
McInnis declined to comment and referred questions to a spokeswoman.
“Scott has formed an exploratory committee. He’s going to continue talking to people around the state … and doesn’t anticipate a formal announcement until later this year,” said Susan Smith.
U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard is retiring next year after serving two terms.
McInnis may face GOP opposition from former Congressman Bob Schaffer, who said Monday that he has not made a decision on whether he will run. However, he said, he has had discussions with McInnis about the race and what would be in the best interests of the party.
Whoever emerges as the Republican nominee is expected to face Democratic Rep. Mark Udall, who has said repeatedly he will run for the seat but has not officially announced his candidacy. Udall, who has represented the 2nd Congressional District since 1998, still intends to run, his spokesman, Lawrence Pacheco, said Monday. At the end of last year, he reported $1.3 million in his House account. That can be transferred to his Senate campaign if he chooses to run.
It’s still early in the process, but no other Democrat has shown an interest publicly in running against Udall.
Staff writer Karen Crummy can be reached at 303-954-1594 or at kcrummy@denverpost.com.
