Three legislative candidates learned Friday that they had gathered enough signatures to qualify for Colorado’s June primary ballot, the secretary of state’s office announced – although one of them only made it by a whisker.

The candidates whose petitions were deemed sufficient are Denver Democrats Julie Gonzales, running in Senate District 34, and Ed Britt, running in House District 4, both open seats; and Watkins Republican Rod Bockenfeld, a former Arapahoe County commissioner, who’s mounting a primary challenge against first-term state Rep. Phil Covarrubias, R-Brighton, in House District 56.

Each needed to gather 1,000 valid signatures from fellow party members who live within their district.

Gonzales, one of three Democrats running for the seat held by term-limited Senate Assistant Minority Leader Lucia Guzman, D-Denver,  cut it closest, with just three signatures to spare. She submitted petitions with 1,279, but election officials threw out 276 of them, leaving 1,003 deemed valid.

Britt turned in 1,584 and had 1,203 valid signatures after 381 were rejected. He’s one of five Democrats running for the seat held by term-limited state Rep. Dan Pabon, D-Denver.

Bockenfeld turned in the fewest signatures of the three petitioners but also had the fewest rejections. Out of the 1,284 he submitted, 156 got thrown out, leaving him with 1,128.

Gonzales is the first candidate so far this year to take advantage of the chance to “cure” certain problems identified by officials, including issues involving circulator paperwork and signatures that didn’t appear to match those on file with the secretary of state’s office from mail ballots. (Other candidates whose petitions have been reviewed, including the two approved Friday, had enough signatures approved without having to cure any signatures.)

In all, 45 candidates for state-level office – including six for governor – turned in petitions, which were due Tuesday. The secretary of state has until April 27 to process them all.