DENVER – Jon Keyser will be on the ballot for U.S. Senate, a Denver District Court judge ruled Friday.

Keyser challenged his disqualification Tuesday, hours after learning he failed to make the ballot because he was 86 signatures short in one congressional district, in part because a petition gatherer was deemed not to be a registered Republican. Keyser’s attorney presented evidence, including the testimony of the petition gatherer, proving that he is indeed a Republican. The signatures were deemed valid by Judge Elizabeth Starrs on Friday.

“It’s a shame for Sen. Michael Bennet that the best days of his campaign will be remembered as the few days he falsely dreamed Jon Keyser was blocked from the ballot,” said Matt Connelly, a spokesman for Keyser’s campaign. “Jon is a combat veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and nothing will prevent him from holding Sen. Michael Bennet accountable for his cowardice on matters of national security and economic security.”

Keyser is the third Republican to make the ballot. He joins El Paso County Commissioner Darryl Glenn, who got on the ballot through the caucus process, and Jack Graham, the former athletic director for Colorado State University. Graham was one of the last to enter the race but the first to turn in signatures to petition onto the ballot.

On Thursday, the Secretary of State’s Office ruled that Colorado Springs businessman Robert Blaha and former Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier had failed to make the ballot. Both had thousands of signatures invalidated because of issues with verifying party registration.

The candidates on Friday jointly filed and were granted an injunction asking a judge to prevent the secretary of state from setting the ballot until they have had time to review their cases and decide whether to challenge the decision keeping them off the ballot. Denver District Court Judge Michael Martinez issued an injunction just before 5 p.m. Friday telling the Secretary of State’s Office not to certify the ballot until 5 p.m. Wednesday unless both candidates elect before then not to challenge.

The Blaha campaign said Thursday that it is weighing options.

“After we have concluded a thorough evaluation, we will have further comment regarding our next steps in seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate,” the campaign said in a statement. “We believe that after our review, the final analysis will validate that we are in substantial compliance.”

The winner of the June 28 primary will go on to face Bennet, the incumbent Democrat who didn’t draw a challenger from his party.

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Contact Megan Schrader: 286-0644

Twitter @CapitolSchrader

Jon Keyser.

Jon Keyser will be on the ballot for U.S. Senate, according to a Denver District Court Judge who ruled Friday that Keyser turned in enough valid signatures to compete in the June Republican primary.