A fourth Republican is now vying to unseat in the 5th Congressional District.
, a retired elected Texas judge who just moved into the district and Colorado Springs in August 2015, announced his campaign this week.
Rhea bills himself as a centrist Republican — “I’m not going to appeal to hard-core Republicans” — and has been working to get himself caught up with issues in the Pikes Peak region. He said he hopes to attract unaffiliated voters to back him in the primary.
Rhea came to Colorado Springs, he says, after serving as a missionary in Cambodia.
Rhea joins and El Paso County Commissioner and in trying to best Lamborn in the GOP primary. Colorado Springs City — who voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election — is also planning to join the contest, though Federal Election Commission filings showed Friday he has yet to formally jump in.
Two Democrats, Stephany Rose Spaulding and Betty Ann Field, also have filed to run for the seat.
Lamborn has beaten off a number of challenges over his time in Congress.