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Senate Hopeful Blaha Makes GOP Senate Ballot

DENVER (AP) — Businessman Robert Blaha has qualified for the Colorado GOP's U.S. Senate primary after a judge ordered the secretary of state to accept contested petition signatures.

Secretary of State Wayne Williams confirmed Thursday that Blaha made the primary. The judge noted there was no evidence that Williams' office didn't follow the rules.

No fewer than three would-be GOP challengers to Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet have gone to court to contest rulings that their campaigns failed to collect enough voter signatures to qualify.

Blaha and former state Rep. Jon Keyser emerged from court with spots on the June 28 ballot.

Still in court is Aurora businessman Ryan Frazier. Denver District Court Judge Elizabeth Anne Starrs on Thursday ordered that Frazier's name be placed on the ballot while Frazier plans an appeal of his own too-few-signatures case to the state Supreme Court.

The ruling allows Williams to complete the primary ballot and send it to overseas voters. The judge said any votes for Frazier won't count if an appeal fails.

Fort Collins businessman Jack Graham petitioned his way to the primary without incident. El Paso County Commissioner Daryl Glenn was overwhelmingly voted to the primary at the state GOP convention in March.

Bennet is unopposed in his party.

By James Anderson, AP Writer

(© Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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