Myers will challenge Melton
State Rep. Jovan Melton, DAurora, is no longer running unopposed for his Colorado House seat.
Republicans have picked former Arapahoe County Commissioner Lynn Myers to challenge Melton, who faces calls from the leaders of his own party to resign after his past arrests on domestic violence charges were reported this week by The Denver Post.
“It was a very easy decision for me,” Myers said. “I have lived in these neighborhoods for over 40 years.”
Myers is the senior vice president of the Denver South Economic Development Partnership, and she’s also a past chairwoman of the Centennial Airport Board and the E470 Public Highway Authority Board. She told The Post Republicans have tried for years to recruit her for this race, but she never felt it was the right time.
“We are in a situation where people are looking for a person with leadership and ethics,” Myers said. “I knew I couldn’t be on the sidelines anymore.”
The state Democratic Party declined to comment Friday, but state and county Republicans said they’re fired up for this eleventhhour race. “You can be sure we’ll put significant resources into this campaign,” Colorado GOP chair Jeff Hays said. “Given the recent news, Rep. Melton deserves a serious challenge. We have a duty to offer the voters a viable alternative.”
It’s going to be an uphill battle for the newly minted Republican candidate. The district’s party registration heavily favors Democrats; Melton won reelection in 2016 by 20 points; and it’s past the deadline to get her name on the ballot. That means Dahlia Jean Weinstein, the Republican who withdrew from this race in September, will appear on the ballot as the Republican candidate for House District 41. Any vote cast for her will actually be counted for Myers, Secretary of State spokesperson Lynn Bartels said.
It’s too late for anyone to get on the ballot as an official writein candidate, which means people who want to vote for Myers should not write in her name. They have to vote for Weinstein if they want their vote to count, Bartels said.
The other question that has been raised as a result of the news that Melton pleaded guilty to a harassment charge stemming from a 1999 arrest is what would happen if he decided to resign. Melton has indicated he plans to remain his party’s nominee, but Democratic leaders in the Colorado House and the state party have called for his resignation.
“If Jovan Melton resigns anytime through Monday, then the (Democrats) can follow the regular vacancy process and choose someone. Votes counted for Melton will be attributed to the new person,” Bartels said. “If he resigns after Monday, then after the election, if he wins it, (Democrats) will field a vacancy and put a person in the office.”