Weld County Commissioner Lori Saine secured the top spot on the Republican primary ballot in Colorado’s newly created 8th Congressional District by winning the delegate vote at Saturday’s GOP district assembly in Thornton.

Saine’s 72.5% share of the vote was enough to prevent her only competitor at the assembly, business owner Giulianna “Jewels” Gray, from surpassing the 30% threshold required to advance to the primary, though Gray can still make the ballot if petitions she submitted last month turn out to have enough valid signatures.

Saine, a former state lawmaker, joins three Republicans who have already qualified for the June 28 primary by submitting at least 1,500 signatures from fellow Republicans on their petitions: Thornton Mayor Jan Kulmann, first-time candidate Tyler Allcorn and state Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer.

In Colorado, candidates can qualify for the primary ballot by turning in a sufficient number of petition signatures, by receiving at least 30% support at nominating assemblies, or by taking both routes. The candidate who receives the most delegate votes at assembly wins top-line designation on the primary ballot.

Democrats state Rep. Yadira Caraveo, a Thornton pediatrician, and Adams County Commissioner Charles “Chaz” Tedesco, a former union president, are vying for their party’s nomination in the battleground district, which covers portions of Adams, Larimer and Weld counties north of the Denver metro area.

Citing “unified support from conservatives across the district,” Saine told Colorado Politics that her big win at the assembly demonstrates that her campaign “is in a strong position to win a massive victory on June 28 and (go) on to demolishing whichever Marxist the Democrats nominate.”

Added Saine: “Colorado voters will have a clear choice this November with me as the nominee on issues like inflation, crime, pro-life, guns, border security and wokeness. My strong conservative record was what propelled me to victory, and it’s what will deliver victory in the primary and again in November.”

Saine hasn’t pulled any punches with her rhetoric.

“I didn’t run for office to make friends,” she said in a campaign video, adding that she “ran to expose, stop and destroy the anti-family, anti-America, anti-God agenda” endorsed by her Democratic opponents and “weak, whiney moderates” from her own party.

Gray call Saturday’s results “not at all that surprising” in a text message to Colorado Politics and added that she’s confident she’ll qualify by petition.

“It is unfortunate that I was not able to meet the threshold, but now I understand why my other three opponents went the petition route,” she said. “The caucus system is not about who the best candidate may be, it’s about how many if your friends you can get to sign up and become delegates.”

Kulmann, the first Republican to qualify for the primary, offered her congratulations to Saine and Gray, who she said “impressed many” at the assembly.

“My personal view is, the more choices the better,” she said in a text message. “Let’s have a debate and a campaign and let voters decide. I’m ready for the challenge ahead. Game on!”

Kirkmeyer campaign consultant Alan Philp said his candidate was ready for the primary.

“Barb is the conservative fighter who wins,” Philp said. “Barb is prepared to put her record of actual conservative accomplishments up against Lori’s lack thereof any day of the week.”