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El Paso County Republican assembly sets June primary races

El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder’s made it onto the June 26 Republican primary ballot along with challenger Mike Angley at Saturday’s Republican County Assembly. Elder received 64 percent of the delegate vote, with Angley getting 36 percent, said Cassandra Sebastian, El Paso County Republican Party executive director.

To make it onto the ballot, candidates had to get at least 30 percent of the delegate vote. Candidates also had the option to petition onto the primary ballot by turning sufficient signatures last week.

Neither Elder nor Angley could be reached for comment afterward. With no Democrat in the race so far, whoever wins the Republican primary would be unopposed in November.

Sebastian said one of the surprises at the assembly was in House District 14, where Kanda Calef was nominated from the floor and received about 45 percent of the delegate vote. She’s up against incumbent Shane Sandridge, who received 55 percent of the delegate vote.

The Republican primary for District 1 El Paso County commissioner could be close, with two candidates each getting 40 percent of the delegate vote. Holly Williams, the wife of Secretary of State Wayne Williams, will face Calandra Vargas, who nearly got enough votes at a 2016 assembly to replace incumbent U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn as the Republican nominee in that year’s primary for the 5th Congressional District.

Former New Hampshire state legislator Ann Howe, who was running for the District 1 seat, failed to make the ballot with about 5 percent of the vote. Anita Miller, wife of former Colorado Springs City Councilman Joel Miller, was nominated from the floor and received about 15 percent of the delegate vote.

District 1 commissioner candidate Chris Whitney, the state’s brand commissioner, announced on Thursday that he was suspending his campaign because he did not have enough signatures to petition onto the ballot.

Only one Democrat – Kari Frederick, a candidate for District 5 – remains in the county races.

The Democratic County Assembly will be March 31.

Colorado Springs City Councilman Bill Murray has said he will also be petitioning his way onto the November ballot as an unaffiliated candidate for District 1. According to the Secretary of State’s Office, unaffiliated candidates cannot begin collecting signatures until mid-May.

Two candidates will be on the GOP primary ballot in the race for District 5 county commissioner: Vickie Tonkins, who ran unsuccessfully in 2015 for an at-large Colorado Springs City Council seat, and Cami Bremer, whose father, Duncan Bremer, represented that district from 1995 to 2003. Tonkins received 57 percent of the delegate votes to Bremer’s 43 percent.

In the primary for House District 21, incumbent Lois Landgraf, who received about 64 percent of the vote, will face Raymond Garcia, who got about 36 percent of the vote.

Julie Christopher drops off her primary election ballot at a 24 hour ballot drop box outside the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder's Office Wednesday, June 18, 2014. Michael Ciaglo, The Gazette (Michael Ciaglo, The Gazette)
Julie Christopher drops off her primary election ballot at a 24 hour ballot drop box outside the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Office Wednesday, June 18, 2014. Michael Ciaglo, The Gazette (Michael Ciaglo, The Gazette)


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