Coalition for a Conservative Majority

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."