Fired-up Republicans are heading to Loveland today and Saturday to nominate candidates for an array of offices, including governor and the U.S. Senate.
The Senate race was expected to be the high point until last month, when former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton announced she planned to skip the assembly at the Budweiser Events Center and instead petition onto the ballot.
Her main Senate primary rival, Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck, is expected to easily win a chunk of delegate support. The question then becomes whether Norton supporters give a nod to retired businessman Cleve Tidwell with the minimum 30 percent support necessary to stay in the race.
In the governor’s race, delegates will choose between former U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis and businessman Dan Maes.
Pollster Floyd Ciruli said Maes is “doing better than one would assume for an unknown candidate with no money running against an individual that has all the establishment backing and a real track record.”
Douglas County businessman Joe Gschwendtner, who declared his candidacy this month and is trying to petition onto the ballot, said he too will be at the assembly. He plans to introduce himself to delegates and try to prevent Maes from making the ballot.
The mood at this year’s assembly is expected to be markedly different from in 2006 and 2008, when Republicans knew voters were upset with their party.
“This time we are confident and we are excited,” said Dick Wadhams, chairman of the Colorado Republican Party.
“We feel we are on the right side of the issues in this election, especially with swing voters, the unaffiliated voters, who appear to be rejecting the tax-and-spend, big-government agenda of Democrats at the state and federal level.”
Republicans today will nominate candidates running in 15 multicounty legislative races and five congressional races.
Lynn Bartels: 303-954-5327 or lbartels@denverpost.com
