Colorado gubernatorial candidate, Tom Tancredo, is quoted in the Grand Junction Sentinel as saying (apparently on 850 KHOW) that Republican candidate, Dan Maes, is the third party candidate and should consider quitting. This would let a GOP vacancy committee select another Republican to run against Tancredo and Obama Democrat John Hickenlooper. Or it would let Tancredo and Hickenlooper fight it out in a two-way race. Maes is not expected to quit even though very few Republicans are rallying to support him, according to the Denver Post. In an editorial, the Post reiterated its opinion that Maes is unfit to be governor.

GOP state chairman Dick Wadhams told the Sentinel that the 19,000, or 4.8% of the 407,000 Republicans who voted in the Senate primary but not in the gubernatorial primary was “a significant” undervote. Tancredo agreed and told the Sentinel:

“Four hundred thousand people were asking themselves, ‘Who’s the worst one?’” Tancredo said with a hearty laugh. “I’ve never seen a race like this in my life. I wonder how many people were holding their nose and voting. The 20,000 were holding it, but still the smell came through, and the stink was so bad they thought, ‘I can’t do it.’ “

LINKs: 

GOP voter desertion fuels Tancredo. By Charles Ashby.

GOP faces historic upset. By Joe Hanel.

Maes treated to silence from GOP after gubernatorial primary win. By Karen E. Crummy and Christopher N. Osher.

Maes, Buck victories raise questions about GOP unity. By Tom Roeder.

Maes seeks Republican solidarity. By Patrick Malone.

Despite win, Maes not a worthy pick. While Democrats rejected an insurgency in Senate primary, Republicans inexplicably chose Dan Maes in the governor’s race. Denver Post editorial.

Former Arapahoe GOP chair, Nathan Chambrs: Dan Maes unqualified to be governor, in over his head. The Business Word, 8.11.10.

Primary results; voters mostly opt for moderation, good sense. Editorial, The Durango Herald.

What the primary results mean. By Aaron Harber.