I’m not kidding here: Doug Lamborn, freshman incumbent, is facing off against Jeff Crank, whom he defeated in the 2006 primary in this safe R district to replace retiring Joel Hefley. He’s also facing off against 2006 primary candidate ex-AF Maj. Gen. Bentley Rayburn. (Lamborn won in 2006 by consolidating the wingnut vote, helped along by the Club for Growth.) An internal poll gives the lay of the land in this race:
David Hill Research (R)/Wilson Research Stragies (R) (5/27-29, likely voters):
Doug Lamborn (R-inc.): 51
Jeff Crank (R): 27
Bentley Rayburn (R): 13
Undecided: 9
(MoE: ±4.3%)
Now I know what you’re thinking: boy, if those two ‘mainstream’ candidates could somehow combine their votes, they’d be pretty competitive with Lamborn. Turns out that Crank and Rayburn were thinking that, too. The poll was commissioned by both camps as part of their rather unusual gentleman’s agreement on who would get to go the distance against Lamborn:
Republican 5th Congressional District candidates retired Maj. Gen. Bentley Rayburn and Jeff Crank signed a do-or-die agreement last month setting the conditions under which the weaker of the two candidates would drop out of the primary race against Congressman Doug Lamborn….
They agreed to stand by the results of a poll of 400 respondents scheduled to start May 27.
They’ve run into a minor hitch, though: Rayburn is refusing to abide by the poll’s results, as the two campaigns have devolved into a battle royale over methodological minutia and paying for the poll. Even if Rayburn does fall by the wayside, this can’t be helping Crank’s chances.
The Colorado primary is Aug. 12.
Though I don’t think the primary will take him out I hope he has to sweat a bit both here and in the general. I wanna say we can take it but if we take this seat well were gonna have a pretty big majority.
even if you are one.
I also just googled Jeff Crank and checked out his website. If you have 2 minutes, and enjoy some unintentional humor, I urge you to enjoy the rantings of a Crank.
Also, how fantastic would it be to be a reporter getting to write about this race?
“Crank angered by Rayburn’s refusal to drop out.”
“Crank: Lamborn not a ‘true conservative.'”
“Crank demands Lamborn debate him.”
Sounds like a sore loser. How are you down 27-13 and blame it on methodological minutia. That would have to be some major ass error to make a difference.
Just goes to show ya, never trust a Republican.