CO-6: Rep. Lamborn Disqualified

In a developing story, the Colorado state Supreme Court late yesterday ruled that six-term Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado Springs) has been disqualified from the 2018 election ballot.  Apparently the consulting firm Mr. Lamborn contracted with, Kennedy Enterprises, employed non-Colorado residents as circulators.  Under Colorado election law, such circulators must be state residents.  If not, all signatures gathered by individual non-resident circulators are void.  Since the high court rejected all such ineligible petitions, Rep. Lamborn fell below the 1,000 minimum valid signature threshold to qualify for the ballot.  Mr. Lamborn quickly responded by filing a lawsuit in federal court seeking to overturn the state Supreme Court’s decision.  Other similar cases have been successful in federal court. 
 
Both state Sen. Owen Hill (R-Colorado Springs), and El Paso County Commissioner and former US Senate nominee Darryl Glenn (R) were already challenging Lamborn in the Republican primary.  Regardless of how the Lamborn situation ultimately unfolds, the seat will remain in Republican hands.

--Jim Ellis