Penry, Josh_2The rumor started trickling out several days ago. ColoradoPols, citing “credible GOP sources,” wrote that state Senator Josh Penry would soon be running for lieutenant governor alongside former congressman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis.

The rumor, the blog claims, “is based on ongoing negotiations that have, among other things, delayed resolution of the field for Penry’s state senate seat.”

The Colorado Independent also chimes in, writing that Penry continues to attack Democratic Governor Bill Ritter because Penry, who had launched a campaign for governor and then pulled out to help McInnis, “is still a candidate—or will be soon.”

But hold on just a minute. Penry’s hometown newspaper, the Grand Junction Sentinel, reports that the rumor is not true. McInnis has “no list of any kind” for lieutenant-governor candidates, according to his campaign spokesman, Sean Duffy. And Penry says he’s simply “focused on helping Scott do what needs to be done to beat Bill Ritter and make sure we elect a lot of Republicans to the House and Senate in 2010.”

Meanwhile, the GOP is hopeful about winning a few key legislative seats locally in 2010, reports The Denver Post, which points out that “securing just one victory in terms of statehouse control would give Republicans a crucial toehold when lawmakers in 2011 redraw Colorado’s political districts, allowing them to block Democratic plans.”