Joel Hefley

U.S. Rep. Doug LambornThe final 5th Congressional District Republican primary debate, scheduled for this week, was canceled by the organizing group's national office after receiving a call from U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn's congressional chief of staff, according to the group's ex-president.

The national executive director of the group, though, called the allegations a "a flat-out lie" and said neither Lamborn nor anyone connected with him had lobbied to cancel the debate.

Lamborn had canceled attending the debate, scheduled for Friday by the Colorado Springs chapter of Coalition for a Conservative Majority, said Kyle Fisk, who resigned this week as chapter president over the issue. Primary opponents Jeff Crank and Bentley Rayburn had agreed to attend.

But under pressure from Lamborn Chief of Staff Robert McCreary, the national CCM office told the local chapter to cancel the debate on the grounds that holding a debate without Lamborn would be inappropriate, as it would indicate CCM's support for the other two candidates, Fisk said.

Asked whether McCreary had contacted Perkins about canceling the debate, Lamborn spokesperson Christine Mortensen would only release a statement stating that "Congressman Lamborn has consistently questioned the value of debating opponents who agree with him and his voting record on all the major issues. He remains skeptical."

Former U.S. Rep. Joel Hefley: Getty ImagesJeff Crank, Republican candidate for Congress in Colorado's 5th Congressional District, today announced the endorsement of former Congressman Joel Hefley.

"The Republican Party has lost its way," Hefley said in the statement. "It's crucial we get our own Republican Party's house in order, on ethics and spending, by electing principled leaders. Congressional Republicans have too often put politics before principle and winning before ethics...I know it can be difficult to stand up for what's right when colleagues make bad decisions. Jeff and I did just that for eight years. I know Jeff can make a difference in restoring and renewing our party in Congress. That's why I am endorsing him."

Former Douglas County Republican Party Chair Mark Scheffel was the only one of four candidates to make the ballot from Friday's SD-4 GOP assembly.

Scheffel, a Parker attorney, won 65 percent of the assembly delegate votes.

Precinct 131 Committeeman Ed Brewer of Castle Rock won 25 percent of the vote, but since he did not submit petitions to the Colorado Secretary of State's office by the May 29 deadline, he's out of the race.

Castle Rock Mayor Randy Reed and computer consultant Mark Vanderbilt of Castle Rock are out of the race after receiving 7 percent and 2 percent of the votes, respectively.

Meanwhile, retired Air Force Colonel Bob Denny of Glen Eagle has submitted petitions to the Colorado Secretary of State's office. Two other SD-4 candidates who had planned to petition, Precinct 58 Committeeman Roger Partridge of Castle Rock, and SD-4 GOP Chair John Peterson of Castle Rock, did not turn in petitions by the May 29 deadline.