January 10, 2024 12:39 PM UTC

Who's In, Who's Out in Race to Succeed Doug Lamborn in CO-05

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• by: Colorado Pols

Colorado Springs Republican Congressman Doug Lamborn announced last Friday that he would not be running for re-election in the fifth congressional district. If there was a mourning period for Republicans to mark his departure from Colorado politics, it was short; the field of candidates interested in CO-05 is growing rapidly.

Ernest Luning of the publication formerly known as the Colorado Statesman reports on the latest entrant into the quickly-growing field of contenders hoping to get paid to do whatever it is that Lamborn once did:

State Sen. Bob Gardner, a Colorado Springs Republican, told Colorado Politics late Tuesday that he is running for the seat held by retiring U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn.

“I made the decision today that I’m a candidate for the Republican nomination for the 5th Congressional District,” Gardner said in an exclusive interview. “We’re taking the steps to formally file a campaign in the next couple of days.”

The veteran state lawmaker said his legislative experience gives him an edge in what could be a crowded primary to replace Lamborn in the heavily Republican district, which coincides almost precisely with El Paso County.

Gardner, a former El Paso County GOP chairman, served four terms in the state House before his election in 2016 to the state Senate, where he’s term limited after this year’s session.

Gardner makes three Republican candidates who are DEFINITELY running as of this writing, a list that includes State Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams (who lost to Lamborn in a 2022 Republican Primary) and conservative radio host Jeff Crank (who lost to Lamborn in the epic 6-way 2006 Primary and again in a three-candidate race in 2008).

There are at least three other (somewhat) recognizable names still deciding: Former Secretary of State Wayne Williams; State Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen; and failed 2022 U.S. Senate candidate Eli Bremer. Luning reports that El Paso County Commissioners Stan VanderWerf and Longinos Gonzalez and former El Paso County GOP Vice Chairman Karl Schneider are also pondering campaigns of their own.

One name already out of the running is Assistant State House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, who has apparently made it known that she will not join the CO-05 sausage fest.

As we’ve noted in this space on multiple occasions, Lamborn won his lifetime seat in Congress in 2006 thanks to 15,000 voters in a Republican Primary Election. Because of the heavy Republican voter advantage in CO-05, this district’s next Representative will almost certainly be the person who captures the GOP nomination on June 25. The more candidates who enter the race, the lower the threshold for winning becomes.

We’ll keep you updated.