The independent candidate hoping to run for the Colorado House District 18 seat has turned in petitions with 237 more signatures than needed to qualify for the November general election ballot.

Maile Foster, one of five candidates backed by Unite Colorado and Unite America, nonprofits formally known as the Centrist Project, submitted 637 signatures, said Andrew Short, a consultant for Foster. To qualify for the ballot she needed to submit 400 signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office by Thursday.

Candidates seeking to petition on to the ballot typically collect more signatures than required so that they have some leeway if some signatures are later determined to be invalid. Once 400 signatures are certified the candidates are officially added to the ballot.

The House District 18 seat, which covers central Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs, is being vacated by Rep. Pete Lee, D-Colorado Springs, who is running for the Colorado Senate District 11 seat left empty by retiring Democrat Mike Merrifield.

Foster is a financial advisor and former president of the Rotary Club of Colorado Springs. Mary Lou Makepeace, the first and only woman elected mayor of Colorado Springs, endorsed her in May.

While Foster is one step closer to clinching a place on the ballot, local Republicans are scrambling to fill their spot for the election, which was left vacant when nominee Jillian Likness withdrew from the race Friday citing health issues.

Precinct leaders have 15 days to fill Likness’ spot, but that clock hasn’t started yet, said Cassandra Sebastian, executive director of El Paso County’s Republican Party. The countdown begins with a formal withdrawal.

“For her formal notice, you have to file with the secretary of state,” Sebastian said. “Most people do it on the same day (as informally announcing their withdrawal) but I think Jillian was just unaware that it needed to be done.”

To fill the spot, the district’s Republican leadership must form a selection committee and announce a meeting where anyone interested in running for the seat can submit their name, said GOP District Chairman Andy Colon. He declined to say who might be on that committee or who might enter the race, saying it’s too early to release that information.

But in the coming days, that committee meeting will be announced, Colon said.

Local Republican leaders want to fill the spot as soon as possible to give their candidate the best chance possible, Sebastian said.

The GOP nominee will face Democrat Marc Snyder, former mayor of Manitou Springs, and, possibly, Foster, if sufficient signatures are certified.

“Whoever becomes our next candidate is going to have an uphill battle because time is against us,” Sebastian said. “They will only have about 12 weeks before the election, so they’ll be working twice as hard as any candidate and volunteers will have to work twice as hard for them.”

conrad.swanson@gazettedev.gazette.com @conrad_swanson