Republican Jan Kulmann, the mayor of Thornton, on Friday became the first candidate to qualify for the primary ballot in Colorado’s newly created 8th Congressional District after election officials determined she submitted a sufficient number of valid signatures on nominating petitions.

Kulmann, an oil and gas engineer, is one of five Republicans seeking the nomination in the battleground district that stretches north of the metro area into portions of Adams, Weld and Larimer counties. Four Democrats are also running for the seat, though none has yet qualified for the primary.

According to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office, Kulmann submitted 2,063 valid signatures – well over the 1,500 required for Colorado congressional candidates to make the ballot. Her campaign said she submitted more than 3,200 signatures, including plenty from unaffiliated voters who insisted on signing because, a spokesman said, they are itching to vote out the Democrats.

“I am very thankful to all of the Republican supporters who put their trust in me,” Kulmann said in a statement. “The radical Biden-Pelosi agenda is hurting working Coloradans and career politicians have let them down. I won’t. I will work to earn every single vote; and, as an engineer, when I see a problem, I find a solution. I am going to bring common sense conservative solutions to Congress.”

Petitioners have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to submit signatures to the secretary of state’s office, which processes petitions in the order they’re received.

Candidates who turn in completed petitions ahead of their primary rivals have an advantage because a voter can only sign one petition for the same office. Once a voter’s signature has been ruled valid for one candidate, the same voter can’t be counted on a petition submitted later by a potential primary opponent.

With one exception, the other Republicans running in the 8th CD are also circulating petitions.

First-time candidate Tyler Allcorn, an Army Special Forces veteran, turned his petitions in on Monday, while state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer and businesswoman Giulianna “Jewels” Gray have yet to submit theirs. Weld County Commissioner Lori Saine, a former state lawmaker, is hoping to get on the ballot at next month’s district assembly, a process her primary opponents can also pursue.

The Democrats running in the 8th CD are state Rep. Yadira Caraveo, Adams County Commissioner Charles “Chaz” Tedesco, nonprofit consultant Johnny Humphrey and former Commerce City Councilman Steve Douglas. All four are circulating petitions.

In order to win a spot on Colorado’s June 28 primary ballot, major party congressional candidates must collect 1,500 signatures from fellow party members who live in their district or receive votes from at least 30% of delegates to the party’s district assembly.

Candidates can also take both routes, which can be strategically advantageous, depending on the field of potential opponents. Candidates who qualify by petition only need 10% support from delegates to make the ballot.

A spokesman for Kulmann told Colorado Politics on Friday that the candidate hasn’t decided whether she’ll also go through assembly now that she’s assured of a berth in the primary.

“She is competing for every vote and going to keep her options open,” Zack Roday said in a text message.

While a record number of Colorado candidates are circulating petitions this year, only a relative handful had submitted their signatures by close of business Friday, according to election officials.

U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, a Colorado Springs Republican seeking his ninth term in the 5th Congressional District, was the first candidate to qualify for the primary ballot by petition, the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office said a week ago. On Friday, Democrat Alex Walker, who is hoping to challenge U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert in the 3rd Congressional District, also made the primary by petition, officials said.

In addition to Allcorn, candidates awaiting word on their petitions include Republicans Erik Aadland, Tim Reichert and Carl Anderson in the 7th Congressional District; Democrat Adam Frisch in the 3rd Congressional District; Republican secretary of state candidate Pam Anderson; Republican House Minority Leader Hugh McKean in state House District 51; and, Democrat Katie March in state House District 6.

March’s potential primary rival, Denver Democrat Elisabeth Epps, is challenging a ruling by the secretary of state that she came up 17 signatures short of the 1,000 she needs in the legislative. Earlier this week, Epps sued in Denver District Court, asking a judge to rule that she collected enough signatures.