Third Democratic candidate makes ballot in contest for Tipton’s seat

Arn Menconi’s petition validated
Menconi

Two congressional candidates made the June ballot Monday when the Secretary of State’s Office verified the signatures on their petitions.

Former Eagle County Commissioner Arn Menconi will be in the June primary in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, in hopes of taking on Republican incumbent Scott Tipton of Cortez.

Menconi turned in 1,492, and 1,024 were deemed valid.

Glenwood Springs lawyer Karl Hanlon is still waiting to have his petitions verified in the 3rd Congressional District race, but he’s on the ballot, either way.

Last weekend, he and former state Rep. Diane Mitsch Bush of Steamboat Springs got more than 30 percent of the delegates at the district assembly to qualify.

Mitsch Bush, who resigned from the House to focus on the race, won the coveted top line on the ballot with 56.5 percent of the vote. Hanlon got 41.4 percent.

Tipton is unopposed for the Republican nomination.

Root Routledge of Durango failed to make the Democratic ballot in the 3rd Congressional District, getting only 2 percent at the assembly.

Retired Texas judge Bill Rhea of Colorado Springs will join a crowded Republican primary ballot to take on incumbent Doug Lamborn of Colorado Springs in the state’s 5th Congressional District.

To get on the ballot, candidates can either gather signatures of 1,000 registered voters from their district or get at least 30 percent at their respective party and district nominating assemblies.

Lamborn and El Paso County Commissioner Darryl Glenn already have gotten on the ballot via petition, and state Sen. Owen Hill of Colorado Springs made the ballot at assembly.

Green Mountain Falls civic leader Tyler Stevens is waiting on his petition to be approved for the GOP District 5 primary ballot.

Democrat Stephany Rose Spaulding qualified for the ballot both in petitions and in Friday’s District 5 nominating assembly in Broomfield. She got 71.9 percent of the vote in the District 5 assembly, while local activist Betty Field received 28.1 percent.

Rhea submitted 2,068 signatures, and 1,366 were found to be valid.