Robert Blaha to become 7th GOP candidate in Colorado’s U.S. Senate race

Niklas Morberg

A crowded crop of Republican primary candidates hoping to challenge Democrat Michael Bennett for the U.S. Senate looks like it will get even more crowded.

Robert Blaha, who could occupy the wealthy outsider lane of the packed primary, has bought TV ad time to air after the Jan. 17 Denver Broncos playoff game, The Denver Post reports.

Blaha unsuccessfully ran against Republican Congressman Doug Lamborn in 2012, and runs Human Capital Associates in Colorado Springs.

In the fall, Blaha was getting national ink by the likes of National Journal when he expressed interest in gunning for Bennet after the Democratic senator supported the Iran nuclear arms deal.

The news of his likely entrance into the race comes two days after state Sen. Tim Neville’s campaign kickoff in Denver.

Last month, buzz was all about the prospect of state Rep. Jon Kesyer, a combat veteran with “107 successful capture-kills” potentially parachuting into a field that already includes former Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier, Jefferson County commissioner Donald Rosier, El Paso County commissioner Darryl Glenn, Colorado’s former director of the Small Business Administration, Greg Lopez, and retired military computer programmer Charles Ehler.

Current GOP Congressman Mike Coffman and Arapahoe District Attorney George Brauchler decided to take a pass on the upcoming presidential-year election for U.S. Senate in November.

[Photo credit: Niklas Morberg on Flickr]