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Colorado Republican Party
ChairpersonDave Williams
Senate LeaderPaul Lundeen
House LeaderRose Pugliese
HeadquartersGreenwood Village, Colorado
Membership (2024)Increase 936,583[1]
IdeologyConservatism
Trumpism
Anti-LGBTIQA+[2][3]
Factions:
LGBTIQA+-affirming[4]
Political positionRight-wing to far-right[5][6]
National affiliationRepublican Party
ColorsRed
U.S. Senate
0 / 2
U.S. House
3 / 8
Statewide offices
0 / 5
Colorado Senate
12 / 35
Colorado House of Representatives
19 / 65
Colorado State Board of Education
3 / 9
University of Colorado Board of Regents
4 / 9
Election symbol
Website
www.cologop.org

The Colorado Republican Party is the state affiliate of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Colorado. The party's headquarters is located in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

The Republican Party was dominant in the state as recently as the mid-2000s, however it has declined over the subsequent decades. After the 2020 elections, Republicans held the smallest amount of political power in the state government since World War II. This decline has been attributed to various factors, including the party moving too far right for the state, changing demographics, mismanaged campaign money, internal party divisions, a better organized Democratic Party, and the unpopularity of Donald Trump in the state.[7]

The party fared even poorer in the 2022 elections, in which Democrats swept every statewide office by a double-digit margin, expanded their majority in the state's U.S. House delegation, and further expanded their supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature.[8] Since 2023, the party has faced further revenue loss and party infighting, with the party veering further towards the far-right after the election of Dave Williams as party chair, and an overall further decline of influence in the state.[9][10]

Recent history

[edit]

Since 2016, the Colorado GOP has shifted more rightward in their political positions and have subsequently embraced Trumpism and far-right ideologies.[11][12][13] Starting in the early 2010s, active voter registrations with the Colorado GOP has seen a decline and fell behind the Democratic Party in 2016.[14] In the 2018 elections, Republicans lost much power in the state, suffering significant losses in the aftermath of the election.[14] After the 2020 Colorado elections, Republicans lost even more influence within the state, holding the smallest amount of political power in the state government since World War II.[7]

Since Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, elements of the Colorado GOP and its voter base have espoused support for Trump's false claims of election fraud.[15][16][13] While top Colorado Republicans have defended Colorado's local elections, they have cast doubt on the validity of the election results in other states or stayed silent on Trump's allegations of fraud.[17] On December 7, 2020, a group of Republicans requested to the Speaker of the House KC Becker that a committee be formed on "election integrity" to conduct an audit of the Dominion Voting Systems used in Colorado in spite of no evidence of issues. The request was rejected, with Becker criticizing it as "a dangerous stunt" and a promotion of "debunked conspiracy theories."[18][19]

Also in December, Colorado congressional Republicans supported a lawsuit aimed to overturn the election results.[20] On January 6, 2021, congressional Republicans from Colorado objected to certification of the results, with Lauren Boebert and Doug Lamborn objecting to certification of the results.[21][22]

The party performed poorly in the 2022 elections; Democrats won every statewide office by double digits, expanded their numbers in the state's U.S. House delegation, and further expanded their majorities in both chambers of the legislature.[8] In the aftermath of the heavily lopsided results, Republican state representative Colin Larson lamented that "Colorado Republicans need to take this and learn the lesson that the party is dead. This was an extinction-level event."[8]

In 2023, former state representative Dave Williams was elected to chair the state's Republican Party; he has been noted for promoting false claims of election fraud.[6][23] Since 2023, the party has faced a significant loss of funding, an increase in infighting and party division, controversial leadership, the party veering further to the right, and a further decrease of influence within the state.[24][9][10][25]

In 2024, USA Today reported that Republicans in the state consistently voted against certifying local elections, often due to election denialism and false claims of fraud.[26]

2024 internal crisis

[edit]

In 2024, the Colorado Republican Party called on parents to remove their children from public schools in Colorado, arguing that the schools "turn more kids trans.”[27] At the beginning of Pride Month, the party referred to LGBT people as groomers, made reference to the infamous Westboro Baptist Church slogan "God hates fags", and called for the burning of all pride flags.

The mailer and social media posts provoked widespread bipartisan condemnation, and triggered a crisis within the Colorado GOP. Log Cabin Republican Valdamar Archuleta renounced the party's endorsement of him in the Colorado's 1st congressional district election as a result.[2] Aurora city counsellor Curtis Gardner renounced his affiliation with the Colorado GOP, saying that their rhetoric on LGBTQ issues demonstrated that "[the party] no longer stands for the issues that I care about - individual rights, fiscal responsibility, restraint of government, limited foreign intervention, and encouraging economic mobility."[28][29] The Jefferson County Republican Party, speaking on behalf of “numerous Colorado Republican County Chairs, other county party officers, members of the Colorado State Central Committee in all 64 Counties, and many Republican candidates” called for Dave Williams to resign immediately.[4]

The leadership of the Colorado GOP has so far stood by its actions. The state vice-chair responded to a request for an interview with the Colorado State GOP chairman with the following:

We make no apologies for standing against pride month as it's a destructive agenda that harms children and undermines parental authority and if certain weak Republicans like [Jefferson County GOP chairwoman] Nancy Pallozzi want to side with a movement that promotes transgender chemical castration and genital mutilation then we look forward to notifying their base membership of that disgraceful act.

— Colorado Republican Party vice-chair Hope Scheppelman, [30]

Dave Williams lost the primary election for Colorado's 5th congressional district to Republican Jeff Crank. This race was characterized as a "battle" for the "soul" of the GOP in Colorado,[31][32] with Williams representing the far-right, election-denying side of the party, and Crank representing the a more traditional conservative version of the party. On August 24, 2024, Williams was removed as Colorado Republican Party chairman during a meeting in Brighton, Colorado.[33] On September 26, 2024, El Paso County Judge Eric Bentley ruled that the August 24, 2024 meeting was illegitimate and the vote to remove Williams as chairman was voided. [34]

Current elected officials

[edit]

After the 2022 Colorado elections, the Colorado Republican Party controls none of the statewide offices and holds minorities in the Colorado Senate and House of Representatives. Republicans currently hold a 3-5 minority in the state's U.S. House delegation.

Members of Congress

[edit]

U.S. Senate

[edit]
  • None

Both of Colorado's U.S. Senate seats have been held by Democrats since 2021. Cory Gardner was the last Republican to represent Colorado in the U.S. Senate. First elected in 2014, Gardner lost his bid for a second term in 2020 to John Hickenlooper who has held the seat since.

U.S. House of Representatives

[edit]
District Member Photo
3rd Lauren Boebert
4th Greg Lopez
5th Doug Lamborn

Statewide offices

[edit]

Republicans have not won a statewide office since 2016, when Heidi Ganahl narrowly won the at-large seat on the University of Colorado Board of Regents.[36]

Legislative leadership

[edit]

Election results

[edit]

Presidential

[edit]
Colorado Republican Party presidential election results
Election Presidential Ticket Votes Vote % Electoral votes Result
1876 Rutherford B. Hayes/William A. Wheeler No popular vote
3 / 3
 Won
1880 James A. Garfield/Chester A. Arthur 27,450 51.26%
3 / 3
 Won
1884 James G. Blaine/John A. Logan 39,514 54.25%
3 / 3
 Lost
1888 Benjamin Harrison/Levi P. Morton 50,772 55.22%
3 / 3
 Won
1892 Benjamin Harrison/Whitelaw Reid 38,620 41.13%
0 / 4
 Lost
1896 William McKinley/Garret Hobart 26,271 13.86%
0 / 4
 Won
1900 William McKinley/Theodore Roosevelt 93,072 42.04%
0 / 4
 Won
1904 Theodore Roosevelt/Charles W. Fairbanks 134,661 55.26%
5 / 5
 Won
1908 William Howard Taft/James S. Sherman 123,693 46.88%
0 / 5
 Won
1912 William Howard Taft/Nicholas M. Butler 58,386 21.88%
0 / 6
 Lost
1916 Charles E. Hughes/Charles W. Fairbanks 102,308 34.75%
0 / 6
 Lost
1920 Warren G. Harding/Calvin Coolidge 173,248 59.32%
6 / 6
 Won
1924 Calvin Coolidge/Charles G. Dawes 195,171 57.02%
6 / 6
 Won
1928 Herbert Hoover/Charles Curtis 253,872 64.72%
6 / 6
 Won
1932 Herbert Hoover/Charles Curtis 189,617 41.43%
0 / 6
 Lost
1936 Alf Landon/Frank Knox 181,267 37.09%
0 / 6
 Lost
1940 Wendell Willkie/Charles L. McNary 279,576 50.92%
6 / 6
 Lost
1944 Thomas E. Dewey/John W. Bricker 268,731 53.21%
6 / 6
 Lost
1948 Thomas E. Dewey/Earl Warren 239,714 46.52%
0 / 6
 Lost
1952 Dwight D. Eisenhower/Richard Nixon 379,782 60.27%
6 / 6
 Won
1956 Dwight D. Eisenhower/Richard Nixon 394,479 59.49%
6 / 6
 Won
1960 Richard Nixon/Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. 402,242 54.63%
6 / 6
 Lost
1964 Barry Goldwater/William E. Miller 296,767 38.19%
0 / 6
 Lost
1968 Richard Nixon/Spiro Agnew 409,345 50.46%
6 / 6
 Won
1972 Richard Nixon/Spiro Agnew 597,189 62.61%
7 / 7
 Won
1976 Gerald Ford/Bob Dole 584,367 54.05%
7 / 7
 Lost
1980 Ronald Reagan/George H. W. Bush 652,264 55.07%
7 / 7
 Won
1984 Ronald Reagan/George H. W. Bush 821,818 63.44%
8 / 8
 Won
1988 George H. W. Bush/Dan Quayle 728,177 53.06%
8 / 8
 Won
1992 George H. W. Bush/Dan Quayle 562,850 35.87%
0 / 8
 Lost
1996 Bob Dole/Jack Kemp 691,848 45.80%
8 / 8
 Lost
2000 George W. Bush/Dick Cheney 883,745 50.75%
8 / 8
 Won
2004 George W. Bush/Dick Cheney 1,101,255 51.69%
9 / 9
 Won
2008 John McCain/Sarah Palin 1,073,629 44.71%
0 / 9
 Lost
2012 Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan 1,185,243 46.13%
0 / 9
 Lost
2016 Donald Trump/Mike Pence 1,202,484 43.25%
0 / 9
 Won
2020 Donald Trump/Mike Pence 1,364,607 41.90%
0 / 9
 Lost

Gubernatorial

[edit]
Colorado Republican Party gubernatorial election results
Election Gubernatorial candidate Votes Vote % Result
1876 John Long Routt 14,154 51.53% Won Green tickY
1878 Frederick Walker Pitkin 14,308 49.98% Won Green tickY
1880 Frederick Walker Pitkin 28,465 53.28% Won Green tickY
1882 E. L. Campbell 28,820 46.91% Lost Red XN
1884 Benjamin Harrison Eaton 33,845 50.74% Won Green tickY
1886 William H. Meyer 26,816 45.55% Lost Red XN
1888 Job Adams Cooper 49,490 53.84% Won Green tickY
1890 John Long Routt 41,827 50.11% Won Green tickY
1892 Joseph Helm 38,806 41.79% Lost Red XN
1894 Albert McIntire 93,502 51.95% Won Green tickY
1896 G. H. Allen 23,945 12.66% Lost Red XN
1898 Henry R. Wolcott 51,051 34.17% Lost Red XN
1900 Frank C. Goudy 96,027 43.53% Lost Red XN
1902 James Hamilton Peabody 87,684 46.94% Won Green tickY
1904 James Hamilton Peabody 113,754 46.80% Lost Red XN
1906 Henry Augustus Buchtel 92,602 45.59% Won Green tickY
1908 Jesse Fuller McDonald 118,953 45.16% Lost Red XN
1910 John B. Stephen 97,691 43.48% Lost Red XN
1912 Clifford C. Parks 63,061 23.73% Lost Red XN
1914 George Alfred Carlson 129,096 48.67% Won Green tickY
1916 George Alfred Carlson 117,723 41.28% Lost Red XN
1918 Oliver Henry Shoup 112,693 51.15% Won Green tickY
1920 Oliver Henry Shoup 174,488 59.55% Won Green tickY
1922 Benjamin Griffith 134,353 48.29% Lost Red XN
1924 Clarence Morley 178,078 51.92% Won Green tickY
1926 Oliver Henry Shoup 116,756 38.11% Lost Red XN
1928 William L. Boatright 114,067 31.85% Lost Red XN
1930 Robert F. Rockwell 124,164 38.06% Lost Red XN
1932 James D. Parriott 183,258 40.78% Lost Red XN
1934 Nathan C. Warren 162,791 39.91% Lost Red XN
1936 Charles M. Armstrong 210,614 43.65% Lost Red XN
1938 Ralph Lawrence Carr 296,671 59.50% Won Green tickY
1940 Ralph Lawrence Carr 296,671 54.37% Won Green tickY
1942 John Charles Vivian 193,501 56.23% Won Green tickY
1944 John Charles Vivian 259,862 52.40% Won Green tickY
1946 Leon Lavington 160,483 47.89% Lost Red XN
1948 David A. Hamil 168,928 33.67% Lost Red XN
1950 Daniel I. J. Thornton 236,472 52.43% Won Green tickY
1952 Daniel I. J. Thornton 349,924 57.08% Won Green tickY
1954 Donald G. Brotzman 227,335 46.44% Lost Red XN
1956 Donald G. Brotzman 313,950 48.66% Lost Red XN
1958 Palmer Burch 228,643 41.59% Lost Red XN
1962 John Arthur Love 349,342 56.67% Won Green tickY
1966 John Arthur Love 356,730 54.05% Won Green tickY
1970 John Arthur Love 350,690 52.46% Won Green tickY
1974 John D. Vanderhoof 378,907 45.71% Lost Red XN
1978 Ted L. Strickland 317,292 38.53% Lost Red XN
1982 John Fuhr 302,740 31.67% Lost Red XN
1986 Ted L. Strickland 434,420 41.03% Lost Red XN
1990 John Andrews 358,403 35.43% Lost Red XN
1994 Bruce D. Benson 432,042 38.70% Lost Red XN
1998 Bill Owens 648,202 49.06% Won Green tickY
2002 Bill Owens 884,583 62.62% Won Green tickY
2006 Bob Beauprez 625,886 40.2% Lost Red XN
2010 Dan Maes 199,792 11.1% Lost Red XN
2014 Bob Beauprez 938,195 45.95% Lost Red XN
2018 Walker Stapleton 1,080,801 42.80% Lost Red XN
2022 Heidi Ganahl 983,040 39.2% Lost Red XN

See also

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Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2024 Voter Registration Statistics". www.sos.state.co.us.
  2. ^ a b Clark, Kyle (June 4, 2024). "Colorado Republican Party issues call to burn all Pride flags". 9 News.
  3. ^ Coffey, Emily (10 June 2024). ""We make no apologies:" Colorado GOP Vice Chair doubles down on anti-LGBTQ+ statements". KRDO.
  4. ^ a b "Fallout from Colo. GOP's anti-LGBTQ+ messages continues as state Republican leaders call on chairman to resign". Denver 7 Colorado News (KMGH). 2024-06-07. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  5. ^ Burness, Alex (2021-12-11). "Election denialism and far-right activism sit firmly within the Colorado GOP". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on 2021-12-11. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  6. ^ a b "Colorado GOP selects combative, election-denying new leader". AP NEWS. 2023-03-11. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  7. ^ a b "What happened to the Colorado Republican Party?". The Denver Post. 2020-12-20. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  8. ^ a b c Birkeland, Bente (14 November 2022). "'An extinction level event': Colorado Republicans react to deep election losses". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  9. ^ a b "Colorado Republican party sees cashflow, spending plummet with election losses and leadership change". The Denver Post. 2023-06-21. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  10. ^ a b Frank, John (26 June 2023). "Colorado GOP Marred by Infighting Under New Leader Dave Williams". Axios Denver.
  11. ^ Frank, John (2020-08-25). "How Colorado Republicans transformed from "Never Trump" to Donald Trump loyalists in four years". The Colorado Sun. Archived from the original on 2020-09-02. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  12. ^ Paul, Jesse (2020-11-12). "Where do Colorado Republicans go from here?". The Colorado Sun. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  13. ^ a b Burness, Alex (2021-12-11). "Election denialism and far-right activism sit firmly within the Colorado GOP". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on 2021-12-11. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  14. ^ a b Frank, Jesse Paul, John (2018-11-20). "Colorado Republicans, reeling from 2018 losses, wonder: Is it us or is it Trump?". The Colorado Sun. Retrieved 2023-03-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ Frank, John (25 February 2021). "Colorado GOP doubles down on Trump's baseless "stolen election" claims". Axios. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  16. ^ Paul, Jesse (2021-08-30). "Colorado Republicans want to win over unaffiliated voters in 2022. Can they do it if their base is still focused on 2020?". The Colorado Sun. Archived from the original on 2021-08-30. Retrieved 2021-10-09.
  17. ^ "Ken Buck defends Colorado's election system against "conspiracy theory," angering fellow Trump supporters". The Denver Post. 2020-12-03. Archived from the original on 2020-12-03. Retrieved 2021-10-09. ...prominent Colorado Republicans, who tend to defend Colorado's election system even as they cast doubt on systems in other states, or remain mum on Trump's allegations of widespread fraud.
  18. ^ Birkeland, Bente (7 December 2020). "GOP State Reps Ask For Election Investigation In Spite Of Audit That Uncovered No Problems". Colorado Public Radio. Archived from the original on 2020-12-08. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
  19. ^ Hindi, Saja (2020-12-15). "No evidence of widespread voter fraud uncovered in meeting on Colorado election integrity". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on 2020-12-16. Retrieved 2021-10-09.
  20. ^ Aedo, Zachary (2020-12-10). "Lamborn, Buck among 106 House Republicans backing Texas lawsuit to overturn election". KRDO. Retrieved 2021-10-09.
  21. ^ Case, Angela (2021-01-07). "How Colorado lawmakers voted in the Electoral College certification". FOX21 News Colorado. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-10-09.
  22. ^ "Most Colorado Republicans in Congress will object to election certification". The Denver Post. 2021-01-04. Archived from the original on 2021-01-04. Retrieved 2021-10-09.
  23. ^ Melnick, Kyle (13 March 2023). "Colorado GOP picks election-denying former state legislator to lead party". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  24. ^ Kim, Bente Birkeland,Caitlyn (14 June 2023). "In rare move, Colorado GOP goes after Republican Congressman". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved 2023-07-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ Dorman, John L. "Colorado Republicans reckon with string of major electoral losses as Democrats strengthen their hand in the onetime GOP stronghold". Business Insider. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  26. ^ Lovato, Erin Mansfield and Natasha (2024-08-24). "With eyes on November, Colorado Republicans keep voting against certifying elections". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  27. ^ "Colorado GOP calls for all children to be pulled from public schools". KUSA.com. 2024-05-21.
  28. ^ Gardner, Curtis. "Facebook". www.facebook.com.
  29. ^ "Aurora councilman Curtis Gardner leaves Colorado GOP in wake of party's anti-LGBTQ+ messages". Denver 7 Colorado News (KMGH). 6 June 2024.
  30. ^ Coffey, Emily (10 June 2024). ""We make no apologies:" Colorado GOP Vice Chair doubles down on anti-LGBTQ+ statements". KRDO. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  31. ^ Fish, Sandra (2024-06-05). "Republican primary in Colorado's 5th Congressional District becomes $1 million fight for soul of GOP". The Colorado Sun. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  32. ^ Luning, Ernest (2024-06-25). "Jeff Crank trounces Dave Williams in GOP primary in Colorado's 5th Congressional District". Colorado Politics. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  33. ^ Kovaleski, Serge. "Colorado Republicans Vote Out Party Chair Following Anti-Gay Posts". New York Times. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  34. ^ Paul, Jesse. "Judge invalidates vote to remove Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams". Colorado Sun. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  35. ^ Paul, Jesse; Nelson, Delaney; Fish, Sandra (November 9, 2022). "Republicans must wait until 2026 before they have any real shot at winning back power in Colorado". The Colorado Sun. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  36. ^ Paul, Jesse (September 10, 2021). "Republican Heidi Hanahl files to run for Colorado governor in 2022". The Colorado Sun. Retrieved September 21, 2021. "The University of Colorado regent, who is the only Republican official who holds statewide office, was expected to formally announce her bid next week."
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