Norton Going Petition Route: Bennet Made Me Do It!

by: Colorado Pols

Tue Apr 13, 2010 at 10:33:33 AM MDT

In the wake of a decision by appointed Senator Michael Bennet to begin gathering petitions to secure his place on the Democrat primary ballot, US Senate candidate Jane Norton will turn her focus to meeting with party activists and disaffected voters from across the political spectrum as her campaign begins a grassroots petition drive.

Uh, what in the hell does Bennet collecting petitions have to do with Norton collecting petitions? As we said below, there's nothing wrong with collecting petitions (if you have the resources to do it), because it helps you develop a bigger list of potential supporters.

But there is a major difference here. Norton is bypassing the Convention process altogether now, while Bennet is not; he's just doing both.

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As The Colorado Statesman reports:

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Buck may find it a little lonely at his party's state assembly on May 22. Former state Sen. Tom Wiens from Castle Rock, one of the three major candidates in the race, announced at the end of March that he'll bypass the more traditional caucus-assembly route for ballot access and instead petition on.

Now comes word that Jane Norton, who tied with Buck with roughly 37 percent in a straw poll taken March 16 at GOP precinct caucuses, may follow suit and use the petition method herself.

The Norton campaign did not respond to requests for comment from The Colorado Statesman. But a source from a company that collects signatures for candidates in Colorado says the Norton campaign was presented with a proposal not too long ago and appeared receptive to the idea...

...To gain access through the petition route, a candidate needs 1,500 verifiable signatures from each of Colorado's seven congressional districts. The deadline is May 27. If Norton wants to hire petition circulators, she certainly has the money. Norton reported collecting more than $800,000 in the first quarter of this year.

UPDATE: Reporting Wednesday confirms that following Republican caucus rules, Norton cannot simultaneously gather petitions for the August primary ballot and participate in the caucus process. We don't remember when the last time this was an issue, probably during the Holtzman vs Beauprez primary in 2006, but it's liable to matter quite a bit more this time. We've stricken a sentence below, as this rule does make Norton's decision more consequential.

The key question here is whether Norton would bypass the assembly process entirely and not participate, because if she's going to do both then this isn't a huge deal. We've always believed that Party insiders on both sides make too much out of a candidate's decision to petition onto the ballot; frankly, it makes a lot of sense for a campaign to gather petitions, whether they need them for ballot access or not, because it allows you to build a nice list of potential supporters for the August primary and beyond.

If true, this story says more about the growing strength of Ken Buck than it does about Norton, though the big question for Buck is still all about money. None of this will matter much unless Buck can raise enough money to have a solid presence on television.

In the wake of a decision by appointed Senator Michael Bennet to begin gathering petitions to secure his place on the Democrat primary ballot, US Senate candidate Jane Norton will turn her focus to meeting with party activists and disaffected voters from across the political spectrum as her campaign begins a grassroots petition drive.

"Every election is different, and this one is certainly different. We're living in unique, historical times. Business as usual will not do as a way to conduct this campaign. This election for me has always been about focusing on the issues and unseating Michael Bennet," commented Norton. "After much careful deliberation, I have decided we cannot afford to give the appointed Senator a two-month head start.  Our freedom is under attack, and that is why I need to take the fight as soon as possible to the Democrats, Michael Bennet, and Barack Obama to take back Colorado's senate seat for the people of Colorado and help take back our government for the American people.

"This is not a decision I have made lightly. I have participated in our precinct and convention process my whole life, and I remain respectful of these institutions. I admire the enthusiasm of the many party leaders who devote their efforts to promoting participation, including the 9,622 grassroots Republicans who honored me with their support in the caucus straw poll. The convention remains a vital part of Colorado's political process, but the next six weeks are far too important to spend campaigning solely to a small bloc of voters.

"So I will begin campaigning full-time for the primary today. I am blessed with a strong grassroots campaign organization in all 64 Colorado counties, and we will use that network to collect petition signatures, recruit new volunteers, expand our organization, and continue to bring our message of limited government to all corners of the state.

"The appointed Senator's decision to gather petitions will give him an opportunity to campaign on a broad public stage over the next six weeks, and that's an advantage I will not cede to him. I will spend the next six weeks campaigning on the issues to the several hundred thousand Coloradans who will vote in the Republican primary, not to mention thousands of other unaffiliated and Democrat voters who are sick and tired of business as usual in Washington.

"I'm Jane Norton, the daughter of a Marine who fought in one of the toughest battles of World War II.  I learned from him that freedom is worth fighting for. I cannot wait another day while the special interests in Washington and mysterious donors attack me with millions of dollars flooding Colorado's airwaves. We have to stand up and begin the fight now to take Colorado's senate seat back from Washington insiders and lifelong public office holders.

"I can't wait to mix it up with Harry Reid and the Good Ol' Boys in Washington. And I can't wait to engage in the primary contest. But the primary is a means to an end, and the ultimate end is to beat Michael Bennet and restore common sense, responsible fiscal leadership, and conservative values to the Senate. And that's exactly what we will do."

Numerous Colorado Conservative leaders responded to the announcement:

"Jane Norton was there with me at the state convention in 2002, 2004, and 2006 and I have every confidence she would perform admirably at the state convention this year. But each election is different, and clearly Michael Bennet's decision to petition on has changed the game. This is a smart move that gives Republicans the best shot at victory in November." - Governor Bill Owens

"Jane Norton is the right candidate in this race. She's had my full support from the beginning, and that support continues today and on into November." - Senator Hank Brown

"As a proud Tea Partier I have three words: Go Jane, Go! I'm excited to begin collecting signatures for Jane to prepare for the August primary and the next step in unseating Governor Ritter's appointed Senator." - Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland

"Jane Norton will make a terrific United States Senator.  People have responded to her principles, integrity and passion with tremendous grassroots support.  She has the resources to win in November, and this step puts her closer to that goal." - Former state treasurer Mark Hillman