The Colorado Republican Party made it official Tuesday: Shane Sandridge, a Colorado Springs investment consultant and former police officer, won a vacancy election to fill the term of former state Rep. Dan Nordberg, the Colorado Springs Republican who announced last month he was stepping down to take a job as regional administrator of the Small Business Administration with the Trump administration.

GOP officials had delayed certifying Sandridge’s election for more than three weeks following a challenge by a member of the House District 14 vacancy committee alleging proper procedures hadn’t been followed. A state party panel voted unanimously Friday to dismiss the complaint filed by Kanda Calef, a precinct officer, and give the all-clear to Sandridge, who is expected to be sworn in to the General Assembly early next week.

The 45-member vacancy committee voted on Dec. 21 to appoint Sandridge to the seat through the remainder of Nordberg’s term, which expires next January. He prevailed 23-20 in the second round of voting over Anita Miller. Aaron Novy received two votes.

The Republicans delayed releasing the decision until Tuesday, a spokesman said, in order to give Sandridge, Calef and others a “substantial written decision explaining our reasoning, not only the bottom-line conclusion.”

According to a detailed, eight-page report, the state party’s executive committee found the vacancy committee operated as it should have, including allowing the proper members to vote and delivering notice about the meeting  as required by law – two objections Calef raised after the election.

Calef said she plans to drop any further appeals but maintained in a statement that “party leadership would rather certify a corrupt election than admit wrongdoing and make it right.”

She added that she didn’t want to cost “unwitting GOP donors” more money spent on legal fees or delay the vacancy appointment past early February, which would give Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, the chance to name Nordberg’s replacement.

Sandridge didn’t respond to a request for comment.

When he won the vacancy election, Sandridge described himself as a constitutional conservative who believes in keeping government small while encouraging the free market. A former Kansas City, Missouri, police officer and clinical psychotherapist for children with criminal tendencies, Sandridge said he intends to bring a tough-on-crime approach to lawmaking and work to prevent crime and suicide.