The Denver Post reports that Colorado Republican gubernatorial nominee Dan Maes is expected to announce his running mate today, the latest sign that the Tea Party-backed candidate plans to stay in the race, despite unfavorable polling and a chilly relationship with the party establishment.
He’s also scored the endorsements of former Sens. Hank Brown and Wayne Allard, which he welcomed despite their ties to the party establishment.
“It’s the character of the individual not their perceived roles in the establishment,” Maes’ spokesperson Nate Strauch told the Post.
Meanwhile, three business leaders with prior ties to the Republican party announced their support for Democrat John Hickenlooper. Among them is Greg Maffei, former chairman of John McCain’s presidential campaign in Colorado. The group has agreed to host a “bipartisan” fundraiser for Hickenlooper in Denver on Sept. 22, according to the Post.
The TPM Poll Average for the race shows Hickenlooper (44.8%) leading big in a three-way race with Maes (26.3%) and Tom Tancredo (22%), who is running as a third-party candidate after calling for Maes to drop out of the race.
