May 05, 2012 07:45 PM UTC

Politico: Blaha Challenge "Jeopardizes" Lamborn's Career?

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• by: Colorado Pols

Politico puts the name of Rep. Doug Lamborn’s 2012 primary challenger up in lights:

Aside from several incumbent versus incumbent races in which one member is certain to lose, over the next eight weeks there are at least five House members facing serious primary challenges that jeopardize their careers…

[Rep. Doug] Lamborn is a veteran of tough primary races after surviving nomination fights against Republican rival Jeff Crank in 2006 and 2008.

To win a fourth term, the central Colorado Republican will need to sidestep a spirited primary challenge from Robert Blaha, a wealthy banker who has poured $375,000 of his own funds into the race – outspending Lamborn by more than 2-to-1.

The challenger has blasted Lamborn as a ineffective career politician who has been unable to pass bills that he has sponsored. All the while, Blaha has promoted himself as a true conservative with the business experience and problem-solving skills needed to serve in Congress. Blaha has already aired a flight of crisply produced TV ads bolstering his message…

It’s true that we haven’t been very optimistic about the chances for Robert Blaha, Lamborn’s latest primary challenger, but it will be interesting to see if Blaha’s “ineffective leadership” attack is able to stick with restless GOP primary voters in CD-5. Lamborn’s persistent weakness and frequent embarrassments make him vulnerable year after year. There are a substantial number of Republicans, and even some Democrats fully mindful that he would be replaced by another conservative Republican, who would throw in $50 to see Lamborn go.

So for Blaha, like Jeff Crank before him, the time is always ripe to try.