There were a few surprises at the El Paso County GOP assembly Saturday, with two unexpected candidates getting nominated from the floor and landing their names on the June 28 primary ballot.

Republicans who were nominated to the county assembly at their local caucus meetings on March 1 gathered at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs for a day full of politicking and voting on who should get a shot at representing the Republican Party in November.

Rep. Lois Landgraf, R-Fountain, picked up a primary challenge when Stephen Elisha was nominated from the floor and received about 46 percent of the vote from the 61 delegates for House District 21.

Landgraf is running for her third term in the southern El Paso County district.

“I was very surprised, but people have the right to run,” Landgraf said. “Primaries, in general, I think are very unfortunate. I was looking forward to helping other candidates get through their general elections, but now we both have to raise money … a lot of time and effort will have to be spent.”

Landgraf isn’t the only incumbent facing a primary.

Rep. Janak Joshi, R-Colorado Springs, was the only nominee in House District 16, but he will still face a challenge from Larry Liston, a former state representative who got his name officially on the ballot on Friday by having enough valid signatures in his petition drive.

In Colorado, candidates can get on the ballot for state and county offices either by gaining at least 30 percent of the vote at the state or county assemblies or by collecting enough signatures from eligible registered voters in their district.

Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt, who is leaving his current seat to run for state Senate, got his name on the ballot by acclamation, after his challenger, former state Rep. Bob Gardner, declined a nomination. Gardner learned Friday the signatures he turned in were enough to get this name on the ballot through petition. Senate President Bill Cadman currently holds Senate District 12 but has reached his term limits.

The candidate running for the seat Klingenschmitt is vacating to run for Senate managed to avoid a primary.

Dave Williams, who has previously run unsuccessfully for the seat through the assembly, won 72 percent of the vote, enough to avoid facing Josh Hosler who also was nominated from the seat but failed to reach 30 percent.

Finally, there will also be a primary race in the contest for House District 18 and a chance to face incumbent Rep. Pete Lee, a Democrat, in November (Democrats set their ballot nominees earlier this month at an assembly).

Lindy Tidball, who had previously announced she would run, won a nomination for the seat along with Sonya Rose, who was unexpectedly nominated from the floor.

Daniel Cole, executive director of the El Paso County Republican Party, said that at the countywide assembly meeting there was an unofficial straw poll for president, as well as four questions about how the state should handle caucuses or primaries in the future. Delegates also were selected for the state assembly and for the 5th Congressional District assembly.

Cole said voters rejected proposals to maintain the current caucus system, but supported a move to a presidential preference primary or a second option of eliminating the caucus and assembly process altogether and instead going with a comprehensive primary.

“These delegates who are voting are the caucus system’s chosen few,” Cole said. “They are the people we would expect to be most in favor of the caucus system, and even the majority of them opposed it.”

Cole said that of 1,011 ballots cast, 71 percent supported presidential hopeful Ted Cruz, 18 percent supported businessman Donald Trump, and 11 percent supported John Kasich.

Other results:

House District 14: incumbent Rep. Dan Nordberg designated by acclamation.

House District 17: incumbent Rep. Kit Roupe designated by acclamation.

House District 19: incumbent Rep. Paul Lundeen designated by acclamation.

House District 20: incumbent Rep Terri Carver designated by acclamation.

Senate District 10: incumbent Sen. Owen Hill designated by acclamation.

County Commission District 4: Scott Turner and Longinos Gonzalez made the ballot, while Joan Lucia-Treese did not.

County Commission District 3: Stan VanderWerf was the only candidate to make the ballot. Three others fell short of reaching 30 percent: Rodney Gehrett, Jarred Rego and Javier Mazzetti.

County Commission District 2: Tim Geitner and Mark Waller made the ballot and Sherri Gibson did not.

Spectators cheer as Evelyn Stevens nears the UCI women’s hour record Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016, at the 7-Eleven Velodrome in Colorado Springs, Colo. The 2012 Olympian set the new record of 29.81 miles. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

CHRISTIAN MURDOCK, THE GAZETTE