DENVER | Jack Graham, the former athletic director at Colorado State University and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, submitted his petitioned signatures to the Colorado Secretary of State’s office Monday, March 28, making him the first candidate to move toward securing a spot on the June primary ballot.
Graham, who declared his candidacy Feb. 16, joins more than a dozen other Republicans vying to dethrone incumbent Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet this November.
“I am grateful for the support that thousands of Republicans from across Colorado showed for my candidacy for the U.S. Senate,” Graham said in a statement. “I am particularly thankful to all of the volunteers who stepped forward to circulate petitions on my behalf — the grassroots support is very encouraging to us.”
Candidates for U.S. Senate aiming to earn a spot on the June 28 primary ballot by petition are required to collect signatures from 1,500 registered Republicans in each of the state’s seven congressional districts. The Secretary of State’s submission deadline for petitions is April 4.
Candidates Robert Blaha, Jon Keyser, Donald Rosier and Ryan Frazier have also had their petition formats approved and have been collecting signatures since the petition period began Feb. 1, according to a blog post on the Secretary of State’s website.
Other than collecting signatures, the only other way a candidate can earn a spot on the primary ballot is by receiving at least 30 percent of the delegate votes cast at a party assembly. The Colorado Republican Committee convention is slated to take place April 9 in Colorado Springs.