Hefley won't try to regain seat in 5th

Dick Foster, Rocky Mountain News

Published August 30, 2006 at midnight

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COLORADO SPRINGS - Retiring 5th Congressional District Rep. Joel Hefley said Tuesday that he won't try to regain his seat to block Republican nominee state Sen. Doug Lamborn from winning it.

Hints of a possible write-in Hefley campaign revealed what could be rifts in the Republican Party growing out of a divisive primary election captured by Lamborn, described as the most conservative of the six-candidate primary field.

Republicans from national, state and local levels had approached Hefley to mount a campaign to oppose Lamborn in November, said Hefley's press secretary Jenny Walberg. Hefley was "flattered" but decided it would be better for the party if he did not, Walberg said.

Republicans have never lost the 5th Congressional District seat since its creation in 1972, but the bitter primary battle may cool support for Lamborn.

Some Republicans were upset by ads from two independent organizations, the Club for Growth and the Christian Coalition of Colorado, that Lamborn's opponents said distorted their positions on taxes and gay issues. Meanwhile, 13 Republicans have endorsed Democratic candidate Jay Fawcett, a retired Air Force officer and combat pilot, for the seat.

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