The GOP won't try and replace the winner of its gubernatorial primary if Republican Tom Tancredo decides to run as the American Constituion Party's candidate for governor, Republican sources said Friday.

No respectable or formidable candidate would get in the race as a replacement knowing that Tancredo will likely split the GOP vote and hand a win to Democrat John Hickenlooper, they said.

"That's right," Tancredo said Friday in an interview. "That's why it's my suggestion that they do the right thing by Monday."

Tancredo, a former GOP Congressman, issued an ultimatum Thursday to Republicans Scott McInnis and Dan Maes: commit by noon Monday to get out of the race the day after the primary if polling shows that the winner is trailing Hickenlooper. A vacancy committee could then appoint a new Republican candidate. If not, he will jump in as a third party candidate.

McInnis and Maes have faced plagiarism allegations and and fined for campaign violations, respectively. Their political problems have led top Republican leaders to discuss pushing out the winner of the primary to get an unscathed replacement.

While either candidate is expected to be resistent, GOP sources said that early supporters of the candidates will make clear that campaign donations will completely dry up, giving them little choice but to get out.

McInnis and Maes have both said they intend to remain in the race.

"This is an arrogant and absurd position for Tom to take but it is certainly his right to do so. I will not step down from this race at anytime, period," Maes said Friday.


As a result, Tancredo is expected to announce Monday that he will seek the nomination of the Constitution Party. The current gubernatorial candidate Ben Goss has agreed to step aside, said party chair Clyde Harkins. Goss did not return calls from The Post.

Harkins said Tancredo must change his party registration and sign a statement pledging to adhere to the party's platform.

"He has name recognition, which as a small political party is good for us," Harkin said.

Dick Wadhams, chair of the Republican party, said if Tancredo really wanted to assure the GOP had a good candidate, he would wait until after the primary to decide to run as a third party candidate.

"He is driven by personal ambition and the national press attention," Wadhams said. "He's going to make outrageous statements like 'impeach Obama' and 'bomb Mecca' which will hurt our Republican candidates running in November."

Tancredo says that President Obama should be impeached for trying to "fundamentally transform America." In 2005, he said he would respond to Islamic terrorism attacks on the U.S. by bombing Mecca.

The former congressman said he cannot wait until after the primary because he has to "wage a campaign and raise a lot of money." Once he gets in, he added, he will not get out.

Republicans may not like the idea of Tom Tancredo running for governor on a third-party ticket, but it doesn't appear they can do anything to stop it.

The bylaws of the American Constitution Party allow its executive committee to waive eligibility requirements "unless required by state statute."

But there is no state statute that specifically addresses the issue, said Ryan Call, the legal counsel for the state GOP.

A decade ago, the secretary of state kicked an American Constitution Party candidate off the ballot, saying that former state Sen. Charlie Duke hadn't been a party member long enough to run on its ticket.

At the time, the party's bylaws said candidates had to be party members or unaffiliated voters 60 days prior to the party convention.

The bylaws were changed in 2004, said Clyde Harkins, the party chairman.