The Republican race for U.S. Senate in Colorado is intensifying as the candidates near the one-month mark before the primary.
State Sen. Tim Neville, , is expected to endorse rival Robert Blaha on Thursday, days after his son joined as campaign manager.
Jack Graham, a first-time candidate and former Colorado State University athletic director, launched a statewide television ad to tout his business background — and pledged to spend what is likely to top $1 million to remain on the air through the June 28 primary.
And Darryl Glenn, buoyed by the of the prominent Senate Conservatives Fund, continued to spit fire at his challengers in a Colorado Public Television debate Wednesday in which he suggested only qualified for the ballot because of “judicial activism.”
The action unfolded as Ryan Frazier to secure a spot on the ballot a minute before the debate started. A Denver judge issued a ruling that allowed the state to count signatures on Frazier’s petitions from voters who didn’t update their registration, saying it met the “substantial compliance” standard in law.
Blaha and Jon Keyser needed judicial orders to qualify for the race after their petitions contained mistakes that prompted the state to initially reject them. Glenn, who won his slot in the race at the state Republican Party convention, suggested the judge went too far.
“The court should only look and determine whether or not the secretary of state did its job,” said Glenn, an El Paso County Commissioner running a bare-bones campaign. “This whole substantial compliance standard needs to be thrown out.”
He didn’t appear to know that state law the court to use the “substantial compliance” standard.
In an interview after the debate, Frazier suggested Glenn is misinformed. “I think thatap a lack of understanding of the intention of the law,” Frazier said. “The law wasn’t intended to disenfranchise voters.”
Elsewhere in the debate — which will air on CPT12 at 9 p.m. June 10 — Glenn tussled with Keyser, who suggested his military service stands above his rivals because he served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“It takes an entire sphere to be able to support the war-fighting effort,” Glenn retorted. “This shows a level of immaturity from Mr. Keyser.”
And Glenn took a shot at the debate moderator, who asked how he would work across party lines to find consensus and compromise in a divided Washington.
“I think your question exemplifies whatap wrong with America and the frustration out there. You don’t get it,” he said. “Itap not about reaching across the aisle. … You need a leader to stand up there and represent the values of this country.”
Blaha and Graham — two businessmen who are competing for the outsider title and into the race — continued to tussle about their records. Blaha accused Graham of not telling the truth about his tenure at the university, citing questions raised in a performance review made public.
Graham suggested Blaha is being hypocritical after keeping quiet about his campaign’s personnel issues regarding the resignation of his campaign manager and status of his top political strategist.
Blaha called the situation “apples and oranges” and announced he hired Joe Neville to run the campaign. Neville ran his father’s earlier this year and previously served as a lobbyist for the influential Rocky Mountain Gun Owners Association.
For his part, Graham called transparency “critical” and defended his tenure. “I stand by record at Colorado State University,” he said.
