Colorado’s March 5 presidential primaries — the state’s first formal foray into the 2024 election — are firming up, and the competition isn’t as simple as incumbent-versus-challenger.
As it stood Friday, voters who mark Democratic ballots will have their pick of eight candidates and a no-preference option. The Republican ballot will have at least six listed candidates — and likely seven — plus a write-in option.
But it’s a more fluid situation than in elections past, thanks to the recent uncertainty surrounding former President Donald Trump.
The undisputed Republican frontrunner was barred by the Colorado Supreme Court from appearing on the ballot in its 4-3 ruling on Dec. 19 — the first time a state found him ineligible because of his conduct surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. (Maine’s secretary of state followed suit this week.)
But in Colorado’s case, the court put a stay in place pending any appeals filed with the U.S. Supreme Court. The state Republican Party filed its petition to the higher court on Wednesday, and that will secure Trump a spot on the primary ballot unless the federal justices deny the case by Jan. 5, when the state certifies its primary ballots, or upholds the Colorado ruling.
To otherwise qualify for the primary ballot, candidates must receive party approval and submit either a $500 filing fee or a petition with 5,000 signatures. A couple write-in candidates also have filed paperwork; they only need to submit an affidavit of intent and submit the $500 filing fee.
There will be plenty of options for Democratic, Republican and unaffiliated voters to choose from on the primary ballots.
Here’s a breakdown, listed alphabetically, with some key dates ahead of the March 5 primaries.
Democratic candidates
- Joe Biden, the incumbent president
- Gabriel Cornejo, tech entrepreneur
- Frankie Lozada, president of an event logistics and management company
- Stephen P. Lyons, business owner and plumber
- Jason Michael Palmer, entrepreneur and philanthropist
- Armando “Mando” Perez-Serrato, educator
- Dean Phillips, U.S. representative for Minnesota
- Marianne Williamson, 2020 presidential candidate and self-help book author
- Noncommitted Delegate: An option provided by the Democratic Party for primary voters with no candidate preference. It’s a vote to send a non-committed delegate to the party’s national convention this summer.
Republican candidates
- Ryan Binkley, business consultant and pastor
- Chris Christie, former governor of New Jersey
- Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida
- Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
- Asa Hutchinson, former governor of Arkansas
- Vivek Ramaswamy, entrepreneur and founder of a biotech company
- Donald Trump, former president and business owner
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold must certify the names and party affiliations of the candidates by Jan. 5. Mail ballots for the primaries will go out to military and overseas voters by Jan. 20, and to the broader public beginning Feb. 12.
Voters affiliated with a party have until Feb. 12 to change or withdraw their affiliation to vote in a different party’s presidential primary. Otherwise, voters affiliated with a party that holds a primary will receive a ballot only for that party.
Unaffiliated voters will receive ballots for both major parties’ primaries, but they may vote in only one party’s contest.
Colorado’s votes will be tallied March 5, which is known as Super Tuesday because 16 states will hold their nominating contests that day. Eleven states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands will have their nominating contests before that, with the Iowa caucuses going first on Jan. 15.
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