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In order to run, candidates depend on John Hancocks

Lamm, Rubenstein work to petition way onto 7th District ballot

Chris Barge, Rocky Mountain News

Published May 25, 2006 at midnight

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Wearing a bright-orange blazer and holding a clipboard and a pen, Democrat Peggy Lamm made one final push to petition her way onto the 7th Congressional District ballot in front of a Commerce City King Soopers on Wednesday morning before filing 3,315 signatures with the Colorado secretary of state.

On the west side of the district, in Arvada, Democrat Herb Rubenstein worked the shoppers going in and out of a Kmart. He said he plans to submit more than 2,500 signatures today, the deadline for candidates to file their petitions.

Both candidates said that well more than the required 1,000 of their signatures will be found valid. They each expressed confidence that the secretary of state will certify their names by June 9 to appear on the Aug. 8 Democratic primary ballot below Ed Perlmutter's.

Perlmutter, a former state senator, was nominated at his party's district assembly earlier this month.

If enough signatures are found valid, the Democratic primary would officially become a three-way race to see who challenges sole Republican contender Rick O'Donnell for the seat left vacant by Republican Bob Beauprez, who is running for governor.

The district, which spans Denver's western, northern and eastern suburbs, will be one of Colorado's most contested seats this November. It is home to roughly equal parts Republican, Democratic and unaffiliated voters.

Lamm, an ex-state representative, said she personally collected 900 signatures during the past couple of months - and got the job done with the help of 13 paid staffers and 20 volunteers at a cost of about $7,000, which was under budget.

"I like looking people in the eye and saying, 'I'd like your vote in the primary,' " she said Wednesday. "I think that's the way it should be."

Perlmutter spokeswoman Danielle Radovich Piper said her staff will review the signatures before deciding whether to issue a challenge.

Rubenstein, a lawyer and adjunct professor who moved to Colorado a little more than a year ago from Washington, D.C., was the least-known candidate heading into the race.

He has also come across as the most liberal of the Democrats, vocalizing clear opposition to the war in Iraq. "He's just not a factor I ever was worried about," Piper said Wednesday. "Now, I don't know."

Rubenstein said Wednesday he'd earned his place on the ballot at hardly any financial cost by working harder than his opponents and by mobilizing a force of 127 active volunteers.

"It's going to be very tough for me to win, but I like uphill battles," he said. "I've been in them all my life."

Republican pollster Katy Atkinson, who has endorsed O'Donnell, said that Rubenstein would bring an interesting dimension to the primary.

"He's a lot more liberal and has no intention of trying to appear more mainstream," she said. "He has the potential to really start pushing both Peggy and Ed to the left, which is not where they want to be for the general election. In the meantime, Rick can be happily occupying the center-right territory while he watches the Democrats move farther to the left."

or 303-892-5059

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