October 11, 2013 01:46 PM UTC

Republican Amy Stephens Will Run for Senate

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• by: Colorado Pols

It was just a few weeks ago that Democrats locally praised state Rep. Amy Stephens for her help in creating the state's piece of the Affordable Care Act, while Republicans in Washington D.C. were busy drawing silly lines in the sand over defunding Obamacare. Given those very different storylines, and with the entry of Weld County D.A. Ken Buck in the race for Senate, it was beginning to look like Stephens had decided against running for Senate despite being courted to take the leap in June (as Pols first reported). But now, according to The Denver Post, the former House Majority Leader has decided to jump in the race for Senate after all:

Stephens will formally announce her candidacy Saturday to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Udall in 2014 — a move that increases the GOP primary field to four candidates vying to unseat an incumbent who, for now, many political observers view as relatively safe.

"Coloradans are exceptional people and we deserve a federal government that reflects our values by upholding the Constitution, exercising fiscal discipline and respecting the privacy of law-abiding citizens," Stephens said in a statement to The Denver Post.

Stephens, alongside former Republican U.S. Sen. Hank Brown, will make her announcement at the Classical Academy in Colorado Springs, before embarking on a four-stop tour along the Front Range this weekend to meet with voters.

The fact that Stephens is being backed by former U.S. Senator Hank Brown, one of the most respected Republicans in Colorado, says a lot to us about Republican concerns over the current field of candidates (Buck, state Sen. Owen Hill, and The Mustache). In fact, we wouldn't be surprised if the Q3 fundraising reports for Buck and state Sen. Owen Hill turn out to be unimpressive, an impetus for Stephens to enter the field with confidence that she can secure the GOP nomination.