TREASURER HUNT … There are six Republicans running for state treasurer, and if current trends continue, primary voters could have nearly that many to choose from in June. Two of the candidates – Denver businessman Brian Watson and state Rep. Polly Lawrence of Roxborough Park – have turned in petitions, which are awaiting verification but were both gathered with the assistance of top-notch firms, so chances are decent they’ll both make the ballot.

That leaves the hopefuls going the assembly route: state Sen. Kevin Lundberg of Berthoud, state Rep. Justin Everett of Littleton, Routt County Treasurer Brita Horn and Brett Barkey, the district attorney of Grand, Moffat and Routt counties. There’s scant data about delegate preference in the race – just a few counties have conducted down-ballot straw polls and released the results – so it’s likely to come down to the vote on April 14 at the Coors Event Center in Boulder before we know which of the four advance to June. But the early indications point to a crowded race without a clear favorite.

So far, four large counties have made their straw poll results in the GOP treasurer’s race available, and three of the candidates have notched wins – Everett, Lundberg and Barkey each topping one of the unofficial polls, with Everett trailing “undecided” in the fourth. It’s not a wide enough sample to draw seeping conclusions, but it’s an early indication with just over three weeks to go until the showdown in the big arena.

Theoretically, three candidates can emerge from assembly, where it takes 30 percent support from delates to get on the June 26 ballot, although two or even a single advancing candidate is more likely. Whoever gets the most votes at assembly also wins top-line on the ballot, followed by anyone else who makes it out of assembly, in order of votes, and then anyone who qualifies by petition, in the order their petitions were ruled sufficient.

Unlike the Democrats, who conduct an official preference poll, typically for the top-of-the-ticket race, at precinct caucuses as part of delegate designation, Republicans for some time have not. But party rules allow individual counties – along with legislative districts and precincts – to hold straw polls in order to gauge candidate support, and several candidates did so this year, including a handful who polled the state treasurer’s race. The results aren’t binding, and the polls can be conducted differently from county to county – some include a list of names, some are fill-in-the-blank, for instance – so consume with grains of salt.

Here’s how the Republican treasurer candidates have stacked up so far:

? Everett won the Pueblo County straw poll with about 40 percent, ahead of Lundberg at 18 percent, followed by Horn at 16 percent, Lawrence at 12 percent, Barkey at 9 percent and Watson at 5 percent. (The numbers might not add up to 100 because Trail Mix rounded them up or down.)

? Lundberg won Adams County with 40 percent, followed by Everett with 23 percent, then Barkey with 19 percent, Horn with 10 percent, Lawrence and “no vote” tied at 3 percent, and Watson at 2 percent. (Adams County also conducted an online poll of county voters, but since it didn’t reflect caucus-goers preferences, Trail Mix isn’t listing it here – although the order of finish and share of the vote was nearly identical.)

? “Undecided” was the top vote-getter in Jefferson County with 33 percent, ahead of Everett’s 26 percent, with Lundberg in third at 16 percent, then Barkey with 12 percent, 6 percent for Horn, 5 percent for Lawrence, and 4 percent for Watson.

? Barkey scored a win with 33 percent of the vote in a poll conducted at the Denver GOP assembly on Saturday – possibly a better indication of the candidates’ support at assembly – followed by Everett with 26 percent, then Horn at 17 percent, Lundberg at 17 percent, Lawrence at 4 percent and Watson at 3 percent.

ENDORSEMENT WATCH … The endorsements are coming fast and furious these days. Here are some of the ones lodged since we last rounded them up:

? Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike Johnston, the former Denver state senator who is racking up plenty of out-of-state tech supporters. Another one, Aneesh Chopra, the former U.S. chief technology officer under President Barack Obama, endorsed Johnston’s innovation agenda, calling it “exactly what Colorado’s economy needs to ensure it works for everyone, especially in preparing families for the jobs and industries of the future.”

? U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter endorsed Kris Teegardin, one of two Democrats running in a primary for the open House District 24 seat.

? Denver Pipefitters Local 208 and Support Jeffco Kids! both threw their support behind Monica Duran, the other Democrat running in House District 24.

? The Sierra Club Colorado chapter endorsed Jason Crow, one of five Democrats running in the 6th Congressional District.

? Let America Vote endorsed Democrat Jena Griswold in the race for Colorado secretary of state.

? Postal Workers Union Local 229 endorsed Democrat Karen McCormick, one of several candidates running in the 4th Congressional District.

? Unite Colorado, the group that used to be called the Centrist Project, announced its as supporting Palisade Town Trustee Thea Chase in her unaffiliated run in Mesa County’s open House District 54.

? The Democratic Socialists of America Denver chapter endorsed Bernard Douthit, one of three Democrats running for state treasurer. He also announced the support of several community leaders: State Board of Education member Val Flores, Colorado Latino Forum Denver chapter co-chair Lisa Calderon, documentarian and health care expert TR Reid, Denver mayoral candidate Kayvan Khalatbari and former Denver Public Schools Board candidate Tay Anderson.

? Former U.S. Rep. Betsey Markey endorsed Ashley Wheeland, one of the Democrats challenging state Rep. Paul Rosenthal in a House District 9 primary.

NOT QUITE AN ENDORSEMENT … Rosenthal included what looked for all the world like an endorsement from former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in a recent newsletter to supporters, except it lacked the crucial phrasing to pull it across that line. There’s a reason for that – Salazar wholeheartedly endorsed Wheeland, one of Rosenthal’s primary challengers, just a week or so earlier.

Here’s how Rosenthal put it, alongside a photo of the distinctively be-hatted Salazar: “In other breaking news, former US Senator and Secretary of Interior, Ken Salazar, wanted me to let you know his thoughts about my career in community activism, Democratic Party leadership, and elected public service: ‘I’ve known Paul since he helped on my campaign for US Senate. I’ve seen him grow as a leader in the community and at the legislature, and I commend him on his practical and progressive work on behalf of the people of Colorado.'”