Lamborn pulls ahead of Crank in 5th

Rocky Mountain News

Published August 9, 2006 at midnight

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COLORADO SPRINGS - State Sen. Doug Lamborn has conquered the lead in the Republican primary for Colorado's 5th Congressional District seat.

Lamborn, who had been trailing Jeff Crank in early election results all night, will face Democrat Jay Fawcett in the November general election.

A district that provided predictable, ho-hum races for the heavily favored Joel Hefley for the past 20 years suddenly turned into the biggest Republican horse race in the state with the incumbent’s retirement announcement.

El Paso County, which has 80 percent of the district’s voters, and five neighboring rural counties are deeply conservative. Large military, retiree and evangelical Christian populations comprise much of the district.

Hefley’s retirement set off a free-for-all for the seat held continuously by Republicans since its creation in 1972.

From one perspective, political observers predict the primary winner might have job security for another 20 years.

From another, a close race may turn 2006 into a dress rehearsal for another contentious GOP primary in 2008 if the newly elected congressman does not heal wounds opened by this campaign.

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