Despite calls for him to step aside, Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis said Thursday he is “in it to win it.”

But after a second day of meetings, phone calls and political maneuvering, some Colorado power brokers may have different ideas. One strategy was to see McInnis through the primary against opponent Dan Maes, who has trailed McInnis in the polls and failed to garner support from the GOP establishment.

If McInnis wins the primary, but looks like he won’t be a formidable threat against Democrat John Hickenlooper, then party leaders may try and squeeze him out, according to Republicans who took part in the conversations. A vacancy committee would appoint a new candidate.

State Sen. Greg Brophy, the assistant minority leader from Wray, said whoever wins the Aug. 10 GOP primary should step down or else Colorado may be one of the few states going blue in November.

“Let a vacancy committee appoint someone who can articulate the message for Republicans and not be distracted by plagiarism charges or campaign finance problems,” Brophy said, referencing two issues that have dogged McInnis and Maes respectively.

Maes agreed last week to pay $17,500 in fines for campaign finance violations.

Republicans being considered as possible replacements are University of Colorado President Bruce Benson, state senate minority leader Josh Penry, former Congressman Tom Tancredo and GOP senate candidates Ken Buck and Jane Norton.

McInnis faced allegations of plagiarism this week and then suffered self-inflicted political wounds trying to explain away the charges. McInnis blamed a Glenwood Springs engineer Rolly Fischer for plagiarizing passages in water essays from a Colorado Supreme Court Justice. McInnis turned in the essays as his own work while a fellow at The Hasan Foundatio which paid him $300,000.

Fischer, 82, told KMGH-Ch.7 Wednesday that McInnis was lying and accused his campaign of trying to force him to sign a statement accepting blame.

On Thursday, McInnis addressed speculation that he might drop out of the race on his Facebook page.

“I am in it to win it,” he wrote. “We will continue to fight for Colorado’s businesses and families and will not leave this race. Stay strong!”

Later in the day he told a Post reporter” ———————————————————————————————————————————

McInnis, who had a fund-raiser in Aspen Wednesday night attended by Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and others, cancelled a Thursday appearance at a rally supporting the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP), which calls for the construction of two new dams in northern Colorado to divert water from the Poudre River.

Maes said he wasn’t surprised McInnis was a no-show.

“That’s his MO (modus operandi),” Maes said, noting that his on-line contributions have gone up in the past 48 hours.

Maes then softened his comments, saying he respected “his decision not to be here. My heart goes out to him.”

Not all other Republicans, however, were as charitable, although they stopped short of calling on McInnis or Maes to get out.

“Scott has been a friend for many years,” said senate candidate Norton. “But it’s obvious he’s made a very serious mistake, and frankly Dan Maes has too. I have said it in my own race, character and integrity matter.”

Colorado Republicans have suffered big losses in the past three election cycles. This year the local and national winds are at their backs, but if the top of the ticket is weak, it could impact other races.

Republican consultant Katy Atkinson said McInnis and the GOP are probably in the field polling primary voters.

“They have to see how much attention people have been paying and how things are going over with voters, ” she said. “But in the end, the final decision will be Scott’s.”

— Lynn Bartels and Monte Whaley contributed to this report.

Karen Crummy: 303-954-1594 or kcrummy@denverpost.com