Supporters of latecomer congressional candidate Shimon Blau said Thursday that they had managed to collect well over the required 1,500 signatures to enable Blau to join Colorado’s Congressional District 1 race and face off against Democratic primary winner Melat Kiros this fall.

That race is now drawing national attention, as Kiros’ win over 15-term veteran Diana DeGette last week draws comparisons to two other Democratic Socialists who have won major metropolitan races, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson.

48-hour blitz

Dr. Blau, who has a medical practice in pain management, had told The Denver Gazette that he fretted over Kiros’ surprise victory last weekend, then began researching the filing requirements. On Tuesday, he obtained the necessary forms from the Secretary of State and set out on a 48-hour blitz to gather the required signatures.

The Secretary of State’s office confirmed late Thursday that Blau had dropped off his petitions.

“I cannot speak to how many signatures Dr. Blau turned in, or whether his petition submission will ultimately be deemed sufficient or insufficient,” Jack Todd, communications director, wrote The Denver Gazette.

A source close to Blau said the office filled the candidate in on what happens next: The Secretary of State does an early review to determine that the minimum number of signatures was obtained, then “scrutinizes every single signature” for authenticity and residential requirements in a process that could take weeks.

According to Todd, the office has a July 30 deadline within which to complete its review.

Supporters have confirmed that Blau was well over the 1,500 minimum to make the bid. Campaign workers, they said, steer for at least 30% more than a required number of signatures when submitting petitions for ballot.

Driving a wedge

Blau is registered as an independent, but sources among registered Democrats confirmed that Kiros’ identification as a socialist, as well as positions she has taken condemning Israel, were driving a wedge into the party and stirring support for a wider race.

Kiros had doubled down on the positions with respect to Israel in an interview with Colorado Public Radio on Wednesday, in which she used the words genocide and apartheid in describing Israel’s policies with respect to Palestinians following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel by Hamas.

A supporter close to the new campaign who asked not to be identified said that those involved in the effort were feeling upbeat following the effort.

“We are cautiously optimistic that we’ll have an independent candidate on the ballot in November,” the individual said.

Whether or not Blau crosses the finish line, that District 1 ballot will also include not just Kiros, but her Republican opponent Christy Peterson, who ran unopposed. Candidates from the Libertarian Party and from a Unity Party could also appear.

According to data from the Secretary of State, Denver County shows 40% of voters registered as Democrats, 9% as Republicans and 51% as unaffiliated.