Congressional candidate Ike McCorkle, one of three Democrats running for the U.S. House seat formerly held by Republican Ken Buck, has qualified for Colorado’s primary ballot by submitting a sufficient number of petition signatures, state election officials said Wednesday.

After learning he made the ballot, McCorkle announced that he was dropping plans to go through the party’s 4th Congressional District assembly on Thursday, where two other Democrats – Trisha Calvarese and John Padora – are set to vie for spots in the June 25 primary.

Candidates can participate in Colorado’s primary by gathering petition signatures, winning support from at least 30% of the delegates to their party’s district assembly or pursuing both methods.

As many as eight GOP candidates are competing for their party’s nomination in the sprawling, heavily Republican district, which covers Douglas County, parts of Larimer and Weld counties and Colorado’s Eastern Plains.

Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, who moved into the district at the beginning of the year from the more competitive Western Slope-based seat she’s represented for two terms, won top-line designation on the GOP primary ballot at last week’s district assembly after already having qualified by petition.

Other Republicans qualified for the 4th CD primary are former radio talker Deborah Flora and state Rep. Richard Holtorf, who made it by petition. Five other Republicans are awaiting word on whether petitions they submitted by last month’s deadline are sufficient.

The primary election will take place on the same ballot as a special election to fill the remainder of Buck’s term through the end of the year following the five-term lawmaker’s resignation last month.

Earlier this month, Calvarese won the Democratic nomination for the special election, where she’ll face GOP nominee Greg Lopez, a former Parker mayor and two-time gubernatorial candidate.

According to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office, 1,783 of the 2,179 signatures submitted by McCorkle were valid, surpassing the 1,500 signatures from fellow party members required for Colorado congressional candidates to make the primary.

“I could not be more proud of our team and amazing volunteers whose hard work has resulted in our placement on the primary ballot,” McCorkle said in a statement. “As the only campaign to meet the signature threshold by petition, we look forward to allowing the voters to decide their Democratic nominee in the election on June 25th.”

McCorkle, a Marine veteran who lost to Buck in the last two elections, said his decision to skip the assembly was an easy one.

“In addition to our petition, complaints filed with the Colorado Democratic Party by three of the four congressional campaigns also influenced our decision to withdraw,” he said, citing a joint complaint submitted by McCorkle, Padora and Karen Breslin, a candidate who has since dropped out of the race.

“Those complaints pointed out concerns regarding inaccurately tallied ballots, numerous technical errors, and violations of CDP rules that occurred at caucuses, assemblies, and the special convention, creating a lack of confidence in the upcoming assembly,” McCorkle said.

“Given the multiple controversies regarding the caucus and assembly processes, we have chosen to bypass them altogether and embrace the will of the voters – not a handful of party insiders – in selecting their Democratic nominee for Congress.”

A spokeswoman for the Colorado Democratic Party declined to comment on McCorkle’s allegations.

Padora told Colorado Politics his plans remain unchanged.

 “My campaign team and I remain on our same trajectory – to receive enough delegates to get on the primary ballot in June 2024,” Padora said in an emailed statement. “We are only focused on a fair delegate assembly process and later a fair election, regardless of who our opponent is.”

A spokeswoman for Calvarese’s campaign extended a backhanded compliment to McCorkle for making the ballot. 

“Good for him,” said Val Nosler Beck, in a text message. “We thought his third-place finish in the special convention would have made him realize sooner how little support he has within the Democratic Party.”