State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer qualified for the Republican primary for Colorado governor on Wednesday, cementing the two major parties’ primary ballots for the state’s top offices.
Kirkmeyer, of Brighton, will face off against state Rep. Scott Bottoms and political newcomer Victor Marx in the June 30 Republican primary. Bottoms and Marx, both pastors who live in Colorado Springs, qualified for the ballot through the GOP state assembly on Saturday.
Bottoms, who led a wide assembly field and won support from 45% of attendees, will get the top spot in the race.
Kirkmeyer took the petition route to the ballot. She submitted more than 15,000 valid signatures, including more than 1,500 from each of Colorado’s eight congressional districts, according to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office, which certified the signatures.
“This campaign has been built by thousands of real people, in real communities, all across Colorado,” Kirkmeyer said in a statement about her ballot qualification. “I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who took the time to sign our petition, share our message, and be part of something bigger. This is your campaign.”
The Democratic slate was mostly set at the end of March with that party’s state assembly. Attorney General Phil Weiser, who won support from more than 90% of that eventap voting members, will face U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who petitioned onto the primary ballot.
Also on Wednesday, the Secretary of State’s office certified University of Colorado Regent Wanda James’s spot in a primary challenge to incumbent U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Denver Democrat. Melat Kiros, a Denver lawyer who stunned DeGette by outpolling her during the county assembly in March, has also qualified for that primary race. Republicans have nominated Christy Peterson, who is unopposed.
Earlier in the week, the Secretary of State’s Office certified Hetal Doshi and Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty for the Democratic primary ballot for attorney general. They will face Secretary of State Jena Griswold and attorney David Seligman in that party’s nominating contest.
Democratic and Republican primary ballots
Here are the candidates who qualified for the major-party ballots in the June 30 primary in statewide races. Voters affiliated with a party will receive its ballot in the mail in June. Unaffiliated voters can participate in primaries and will receive both parties’ ballots in the mail, but they can return only one of them.
The four state offices are all open races this year, with the incumbents term-limited.
Governor
- Democratic primary: U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, Attorney General Phil Weiser
- Republican primary: state Rep. Scott Bottoms, state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, Victor Marx
Attorney general
- Republican primary: El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen, David Willson
- Democratic primary: Hetal Doshi, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty, Secretary of State Jena Griswold, David Seligman
Secretary of state
- Democratic primary: state Sen. Jessie Danielson, Jefferson County Clerk Amanda Gonzalez
- Republican primary: James Wiley (a former Colorado Libertarian Party official), unopposed
Treasurer
- Republican primary: Fremont County Commissioner Kevin Grantham, unopposed
- Democratic primary: state Sen. Jeff Bridges, unopposed
U.S. Senate
- Democratic primary: state Sen. Julie Gonzales, U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper (incumbent)
- Republican primary: state Sen. Mark Baisley, unopposed
