"Deus Ex Rando" Saves Ganahl From Another Unforced Error

14 Comments

by: Colorado Pols

Heidi Ganahl.

As the Colorado Sun’s Sandra Fish reports, a convenient short-lived primary challenge from a candidate no one has ever heard of has provided Republican gubernatorial candidate Heidi Ganahl the chance to undo an odd and inexplicable error she made early in her campaign (among so very, very many), accepting campaign spending limits prescribed by Amendment 27 in order to increase her per-donor contribution maximum:

As the Colorado Sun reported earlier, the spending-limit pledge is rarely used, and candidates often agree to it only in error. But Ganahl and Pam Anderson, a GOP candidate for secretary of state, both agreed to the limits at the start of their campaigns — on purpose.

By agreeing to a $3.4 million limit spending, Ganahl was able to accept individual campaign donations that were double the traditional $1,250 limit.

There’s an out, however, and Ganahl decided to use it Monday. When another candidate files to enter a contest but doesn’t accept the voluntary spending limits, those who are already in the race and have accepted the limits have the option of backing out of their pledge.

And that’s exactly what happened when someone named Bradley Wynn of Denver filed to run for governor as a Republican on January 18, only to formally withdraw from the race ten days later rather than file the required personal financial disclosure. We don’t know anything about Bradley Wynn, with no political donation history in Colorado we can find, and Wynn claims he doesn’t know Ganahl. But it looks like the pretext Wynn gave Ganahl to back out of the campaign spending limit pledge will be his lifetime contribution to Colorado politics.

As for Ganahl personally, the decision to accept binding spending limits against a self-funding candidate with limitless resources was a silly and amateurish mistake from a campaign typified by such mistakes–one she needed to undo before the general election cycle began. If it comes out that Ganahl colluded with Bradley Wynn to arrange for Ganahl’s window to walk back the campaign spending limit, obviously, that’s a huge problem–and the timing is awfully suspicious.

Absent anything nefarious, Wynn’s brief time in the race was a stroke of luck for a beleaguered candidate who needs all the luck she can get. None of this was necessary, and none of it makes Ganahl look like a frontrunner.

14 thoughts on ““Deus Ex Rando” Saves Ganahl From Another Unforced Error”

bullshit! says:

February 7, 2022 at 3:18 pm

It does seem a little too convenient.

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Diogenesdemar says:

February 7, 2022 at 4:07 pm

All the donations in this world ain't gonna' save Hiedi.

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Air Slash says:

February 7, 2022 at 4:43 pm

Let's face it, this came as a surprise to nobody. Also, the timing of that Bradley Wynn guy coming out of nowhere is kinda convenient but that's probably some rabbit hole I don't want get in.

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RepealAndReplace says:

February 7, 2022 at 4:59 pm

And all we will have come November is boring ~~Hiedi~~ Heidi …

Republican Candidate for Governor Stan Pulliam Acknowledges He and His Wife “Explored Mutual Relationships With Other Couples” (wweek.com)

…. while the good people of the Beaver State may get the opportunity to vote for a frisky conservative like Stan Pulliam.

It’s not fair!

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1. unnamed says:
  
  February 7, 2022 at 5:53 pm
  
  And this falls under the umbrella of family values how?
  
  Hey, he'll go down in flames, but at least you'll want popcorn and a large soda while you watch it happen.
  
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  1. RepealAndReplace says:
    
    February 7, 2022 at 7:07 pm
    
    Mayor Stan reminds me of this guy ….
    
    Jack Ryan (politician) – Wikipedia
    
    … who was the ex-husband of Star Trek Voyager star Jeri Ryan (a/k/a Seven of Nine) and Obama's original opponent in Illinois Senate race in 2004.
    
    Once the court file in his divorce case from Seven of Nine became public, he dropped out and cleared the way for Alan Keyes to take up the cause for the Party of Family Values.
    
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  2. Meiner49er says:
    
    February 8, 2022 at 6:24 am
    
    Clearly, unnamed, the Pulliam's value families, and not just their own!
    
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2Jung2Die says:

February 7, 2022 at 7:21 pm

Have we ever seen Bradley Wynn and Daniel Hendricks in a room together?

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JohnInDenver says:

February 7, 2022 at 7:34 pm

Now that Ms. Granahl is freed of the commitment, does she have to refund excess donations to the givers? Or does the "well, it was legal at the time" argument kick in and thus she doesn't have to give any money away?

If it is the second option, the appearance of another candidate doesn't seem especially strategically times. Wouldn't it make more sense to have a candidate appear at the last moment in order to maximize opportunities for donations?

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Meiner49er says:

February 8, 2022 at 6:25 am

Nice pic of ~~Hiedi~~ Heidi by the way. Straight out of central casting for the Witcher!

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1. RepealAndReplace says:
  
  February 8, 2022 at 10:10 am
  
  Those psycho eyes remind me of Michelle Bachman.
  
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  1. NOV GOP meltdown says:
    
    February 8, 2022 at 10:48 am
    
    Somebody here pointed out that she looks like Martin Landau from the nose down. Can't get it out of my mind because it's so damn accurate.
    
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    1. RepealAndReplace says:
      
      February 8, 2022 at 12:58 pm
      
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      1. NOV GOP meltdown says:
        
        February 8, 2022 at 1:33 pm
        
        Was that you Repeal?
        
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