Maes says Tancredo’s threat to run just ‘Tom being Tom’

Republican candidates for governor Scott McInnis and Dan Maes today called former Congressman Tom Tancredo’s bluff.

Tancredo announced Thursday that he would enter the race as a third-party candidate if McInnis and Maes don’t announce that they will both drop out after the primary next month.

Tancredo gave the candidates until high noon Monday to agree to get out of the race.

Maes said he is not getting out of the race, and said he is not at all sure that Tancredo will follow through and join the fray as a candidate for the American Constitution Party.

“Tom certainly has the free will to do what he wants, but his statement was arrogant and absurd. I’m not convinced he is really committed to doing this. I think it might have just been Tom being Tom. I think the grassroots conservatives in this state will let him know that getting in the race would not be a wise decision,” Maes said.

McInnis told the Colorado Independent today via email, “It’s time for the people to vote, and I’m out there working to earn every vote.”

Not exactly a definitive statement, but not a capitulation either.