Dore

Lewis

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Voters eligible to participate in this year's Republican primary should have already received their ballots, and many of those ballots have been submitted to the county for tally, but that has not stopped a series of late endorsements for candidates in the race for Colorado's District 64 House seat.

Possibly one of the biggest late calls for support came from Colorado's 4th District Congressman Ken Buck, who endorsed Kimmi Lewis' challenge to incumbent Rep. Tim Dore on June 10.

In a letter to voters, Buck praised Lewis for her constitutional conservativism, describing her as a grassroots conservative who will have a strong voice for Colorado values in the State House.

“Ordinarily, most congressmen would not weigh in on a state House Republican primary, but Kimmi Lewis is not your ordinary candidate,” wrote Buck. “Never wanting to run for office herself, Kimmi Lewis has spent her adult life raising a family, running her cattle ranch, and volunteering her time to maintain our way of life in Eastern Colorado.”

In another late endorsement, Chuck Sylvester, retired general manager of the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo, also endorsed Lewis.

Lewis has not previously held public office, but has been active in local issues including as founder and past president of the Colorado Independent CattleGrowers Association, a past president of the Arkansas Valley Cattlewomen, and the National Private Property Rights Chair for R-CALF USA for three years.

Lewis was also instrumental in achieving a funding ban that stopped the Department of Defense's eminent domain expansion of the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site.

Dore is not without his own list of heavy hitters standing with him in the June primary. According to the Dore campaign, Congressmen Bob Beauprez, Scott Tipton and Mike Coffman are just a few supporting Dore's bid to hold on to his seat.

Dore was also recently endorsed by the Colorado Cattlemen's Association on June 17 following the Red, White, and Beef convention.

“Colorado's beef industry is a significant part of Colorado's economy, heritage, and future. Rep. Dore's support of our industry is appreciated and has not gone unnoticed,” the CCA statement read.

“I think for people who live in House District 64, the agricultural industry, especially the cattle business, are very vibrant and varied,” said Rachel Spencer, spokesperson for Dore. “To me, the endorsements by the Colorado Farm Bureau and the Colorado Cattlemen's Association carry a lot of weight.”

Dore won election in 2012 and ran unopposed in 2014's primary and general election. He is currently serving his second term as House District 64 representative and is working on bipartisan legislation with Rep. Dominick Moreno, a Commerce City Democrat. “The Primary Participation Act” if passed would bring presidential primaries back to Colorado.

Dore currently sits on the Agriculture, Livestock, & Natural Resources Committee, the Appropriations Committee, and Legal Services Committee.