People who still support Dan Maes have effectively withdrawn from meaningful participation in this election for governor. Whether Maes goes or stays, you can make a plausible case that voters currently dedicated to Dan Maes are irrelevant to the outcome of the race.
Let’s assume he stays, which seems the most likely case. If all those pledged to him remain loyal and vote for him, they won’t effect the outcome of the race for governor. That race will be decided completely by people who vote for Tancredo and Hickenlooper.
On the other hand, let’s assume Maes withdraws–the unlikely case. Some of his pledged voters will still vote for him, and won’t effect the outcome of the race. Some will choose not to vote at all, and won’t effect the outcome of the race. Some will vote for Tancredo on the principle of conservatism, while others will vote for Hickenlooper purely out of spite. Let’s face it, after all that’s gone wrong with Dan Maes, of the people remaining in his camp today who don’t end up in one of the nullifying outcomes, they’re as likely to go one way or the other (conservatism or spite), and those two camps will cancel each other out.
The bottom line is, whether Maes stays or goes, his voters have become irrelevant. The race is between those who relevantly declare for Tancredo and Hickenlooper, and Tancredo has about pulled even in that contest.