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Douglas County voters filed a lawsuit Wednesday to block the Colorado Secretary of State from placing Democrat Trisha Calvarese’s name on the special election ballot to fill the unexpired term of former Republican Rep. Ken Buck. woke up.
Castle Rock resident James Glasser said in a lawsuit he filed in Denver District Court that Calbarese is under a statutory law that requires candidates for Congress to register as Democrats in Colorado for at least 12 months before being nominated. and claimed that it did not meet the requirements of the party constitution.
The state Democratic Party and Calvarese say they are confident she meets the requirements. A spokeswoman for Calvarese said her candidate plans to contest the allegations in her lawsuit in court.
A spokeswoman for Colorado Secretary of State Jenna Griswold said in an email to Colorado Politics Thursday afternoon that the department had not yet received the lawsuit and had no comment.
The suit asks the court to order Mr. Griswold, Colorado’s top elections official, from certifying Mr. Calvarese as the Democratic candidate on the ballot. Under state law, the Secretary of State must certify ballots by April 29th.
Mr. Calvarese won the Democratic Party’s nomination at an online convention on April 4 to run in the June 25 special election triggered by Mr. Buck’s resignation from Congress last month.
A week earlier, Republicans nominated former Parker Mayor and two-time gubernatorial candidate Greg Lopez to run in a special election to fill the vacant U.S. House seat.
The special election, the second in state history, will be held at the same time as the state’s primary election for major party candidates who will complete their terms in November to represent the 4th Congressional District, which covers Douglas County and eastern Colorado. is selected. Plains.
Culverrace, who grew up in Colorado, moved to Highlands Ranch from Virginia last fall to care for her ailing parents. She registered to vote in Colorado in December.
“I am complying with the law,” Calbarese told Colorado Politics in a text message. “I’ve been a registered Democrat since college. I’m running for the people because they want someone with values like truth, election integrity, and the democratic process. Because you need it and you deserve it.”
Glasser’s lawsuit, filed by attorney John S. Zakem, alleges that the party’s candidates “have been members of the party for at least 12 consecutive months prior to the start of the convention, as shown in the statewide voter registration system.” “Must be affiliated with the state,” the state law states. ”
The lawsuit points out that state law allows political parties to override certain legal requirements, including the party’s bylaws that require candidates to be members of the Colorado Democratic Party for at least 12 months before the convention. Pointed out.
Glasser did not return calls seeking comment.
After filing the lawsuit, Zakem told Colorado Politics that he was “shocked that Democrats didn’t grasp this.”
Colorado Democratic Party Chairman Shad Murib told Colorado Politics that the party is not missing anything.
“CDP rules are clear that candidates must be Democrats for at least 12 months immediately preceding the party convention,” Murib said in a text message.
“Mr. Calvarese says she meets this requirement. There are no Congressional residency requirements that would prevent her from being a candidate.”
Josh Trupin, chairman of the state Democratic Rules Committee, said the party rules cited by Mr. Calvarese’s critics do not apply to the situation surrounding special elections.
“CDP Rule 4.9, Vacancies in Offices, applies only to Democratic Party-held positions in Colorado,” Trupin said in a text message, adding, “The process for nominating candidates for special elections is legal. It is independent and unique (CRS 1-).” 12-202). The CDP has not had a parliamentary vacancy since 1983, so there are no special rules regarding parliamentary vacancies, but the residency requirement in Article 4.9 does not apply. ”
Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams told Colorado Politics that he expects all candidates to meet legal requirements and urged the court to quickly resolve the issue.
“I hope that all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, meet all legal requirements regarding access to the ballot, and that this issue will be quickly resolved by the courts so that voters can receive six votes,” Williams said in a text message. We hope to have confidence in the special election by January,” he said in a text message. .
“Regardless of the outcome, Greg Lopez will be elected to fill the remainder of Ken Buck’s term,” Williams added.
Calvarese is one of three Democrats seeking the party’s nomination to the 4CD primary ballot, along with John Padra and Karen Breslin, in an online meeting scheduled for Thursday night.
Ike McCorkle, the party’s 2020 and 2022 candidate, qualified for the primary through a petition Wednesday. After learning that he had produced a ballot, he said he would be absent from Congress.
Lopez, the Republican candidate for the special election, is not running in the primary. Mr. Lopez referred to himself as an “alternative candidate,” and he said he would only serve until the end of the year as he let primary voters choose Mr. Buck’s successor.
Up to eight candidates could qualify for the Republican primary in the district.
Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, who moved to the district earlier this year from a competitive seat she had represented for two terms, qualified by petition last month and will be running for the Republican district on April 5th. He won a top-line nomination in Congress.
Republican candidates who have qualified for the primary through petitions include former U.S. Senate candidate Deborah Flora and state Reps. Richard Holtorf and Mike Lynch. Four additional potential petitioners are awaiting rulings from the Secretary of State’s Office on signatures they submitted by last month’s deadline.
Editor’s note: This developing story will be updated.
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