Spunt drops out of race
Throws support behind other candidatesBy Mike Potter
Staff Writer
Bailey resident Ron Spunt has unofficially withdrawn from the race for District 2 Park County commissioner, a position he was seeking as a write-in candidate.
On July 14 Spunt sent an e-mail to a number of Park County Republicans and The Flume, announcing that he was withdrawing from the race.
“After careful consideration, I have made the firm decision to withdraw from the race for commissioner for District 2 in Park County,” the e-mail said. “From my position I see a fractured party and a broken county. I pray someone works to fix the problems.”
In the e-mail, he said he was supporting District 3 commissioner candidate Lillian Wissel, District 2 candidate Lynda James, and District 1 candidate Doug Tamminga.
Spunt told The Flume that he was dropping out of the race because he was tired of “playing games.”
He said he left a typed letter at the office of Park County Clerk and Recorder Debra Green, asking her to reply in writing informing him what name would have to be written on the general election ballot for it to count as a vote for him.
Green told The Flume on June 7 that any written name close to Spunt’s would be counted as a vote for him.
Spunt said he believes Green responded to him via the newspaper rather than by sending him a letter.
“She still has not replied to me. I’m tired of the games," he said.
Green said she had sent a letter late last week responding to Spunt’s question.
Spunt dropped out of the race briefly on May 15, citing health concerns, before rescinding his withdrawal and reentering the race on May 16.
Since then, Spunt has had a tumultuous candidacy, working to get on the primary ballot by way of a petition on which he needed 210 valid Republican signatures. When his petition came up nine valid signatures short, he sought an official recount in Park County Combined Court. He still came up short on signatures.
He settled on running as a write-in candidate in the general election, having filled out his candidate affidavit on July 7.
Green said that Spunt had not filed anything with the Clerk’s Office making his withdrawal official, but he would need to do that in order to drop out of the race.
“I will need something in writing for tracking purposes,” Green said.
Spunt said he would turn something in to officially withdraw only if he was going to be in Fairplay.
He said he plans to continue with the complaint he filed against Green with the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office.
“Other than that, I’m going back to my quiet life,” he said.