The Colorado GOP's Nomination Meltdown

Tina Peters, the top line GOP Secretary of State (i.e. top elections administrator) candidate is the Mesa County Clerk and Recorder and received more than 60% support at the Republican state assembly this weekend. She has been indicted along with her deputy by the Republican DA in Mesa County for election administration felonies and also faces contempt of charges there, and was barred in a civil proceeding from carrying out her election administration duties in the most recent election.

Colorado Pols recaps other aspects of the Republican Party of Colorado's state assembly that put people in the GOP primary ballot for statewide offices this year. I'll quote some of the high points:

♦ The Denver Post: “Colorado GOP embraces election conspiracy theories in nominations for Secretary of State, Senate”

♦ Axios Denver: “Colorado GOP nominates election deniers to 2022 primary ballot”

♦ Colorado Public Radio: “False claims about 2020 election front and center as Tina Peters clinches spot in GOP secretary of state race”

♦ 9News: “Far-right challengers gaining ground ahead of GOP primary”

♦ Colorado Newsline: “Far-right conspiracy theorists triumphant at Republican state assembly” . . .

Colorado Republican Party Chair Kristi Burton Brown (KBB) was elected to her current post early last year after basically running on the “Big Lie.” 

. . .

Presumptive GOP gubernatorial frontrunner Heidi Ganahl has been flailing since her 2021 campaign kickoff about her persistent refusal to acknowledge that the 2020 election was legitimate. . . .

two different people were then nominated from the floor for Attorney General. We wrote earlier about Stanley Thorne, but there was a second woman nominated for AG who admitted soon thereafter THAT SHE WASN’T EVEN AN ATTORNEY. Thorne, by the way, is a licensed attorney, but not in Colorado (he’s also apparently not a registered Republican). In the end, District Attorney John Kellner escaped Colorado Springs without a Primary opponent, but he can’t be feeling too pleased with himself. As we wrote on Sunday:

Apparently 42% of Colorado Republicans said they would prefer “any random asshole” for Attorney General rather than John Kellner…EVEN if that person is not even a registered Republican in Colorado. 

. . .

Republicans do have a primary fight for Governor, U.S. Senate, and Secretary of State. All three Republican incumbents in Congress will have a Primary in June, and both open seats (CO-07 and CO-08) have multiple-candidate Primary battles. Republicans also have NO candidates in CO-01, CO-02, or CO-06. . . . 

Greg Lopez won top line at the assembly BECAUSE he promised to pardon Peters of any crimes committed during her tenure as Mesa County Clerk and Recorder. Stanley Thorne got 42% of the vote in the race for AG because he and others claimed that John Kellner failed to support Peters with sufficient vigor. . . . Tina Peters spent a night in jail literally one month ago. She might yet be jailed on a contempt of court charge, and we don’t even know about the federal crimes she could get dinged for in the coming months.

Mike O’Donnell made the June Primary ballot, giving Republicans a three-way Primary for SOS. O’Donnell is a long shot to win, but he could be helpful to the GOP if he is able to siphon votes away from Tina Peters to the benefit of Pam Anderson (who skipped the assembly after getting on the ballot via the petition route). . . .

Republican operatives have insisted for months that Ron Hanks is not a real candidate for U.S. Senate and would have no chance in a GOP Primary. We’ve long believed that reality was exactly the opposite of this position. On Saturday Hanks SHUT OUT every other Republican Senate candidate, emerging from the State Assembly as the only person to make the Primary ballot via this process . . . Hanks will face Joe O’Dea in June after O’Dea was the only Republican Senate candidate with the sense to collect petition signatures instead of relying on the GOP’s lunatic base. Hanks has raised very little money for his U.S. Senate campaign and is about as far away from the average Colorado voter on policy issues as a candidate could get. But he might well win the Republican Primary in June. . . .

We knew things were going to be (extra) weird on Saturday after incumbent Congressman Ken Buck (R-Greeley) almost failed to get his name on the June Primary ballot during Friday’s CO-04 assembly. Buck finished in second place behind somebody named Bob Lewis. Buck will likely still win the GOP Primary, but getting just 38% of the vote from your own base is pretty sad for an incumbent Congressman.

Ken Buck's primary challenger in his rural Eastern Colorado District (CO-4) is from the right, because he was too supportive of House Minority Leader Cheney (WY) who did not toe the line regarding the 2020 election results and unconditional support for President Trump.

If I recall correctly, incumbent Republican Congressman Doug Lamborn had to Petition onto the ballot in CO-5 (Colorado Springs) because he didn't get enough support in his Republican Congressional Assembly this year. Lamborn has faced persistent challenges almost every election cycle since he was elected for his general incompetence and laziness.

Lauren Boebert, the Republican incumbent in CO-3 (Western Slope and rural Southern Colorado) is facing a primary challenge from moderate Republicans because she's an ineffectual notorious far right gadfly.

The Democrats Compared

Democrats have no primary battles for any statewide race. Their candidates for statewide office are incumbents running for re-election, except for the newly created State School Board at larger seat.

There may be one primary race in a Congressional race with a Democratic Party incumbent, with Diana DeGette potentially facing Neal Walia who has submitted a petition to be placed on the ballot which has not yet been approved. But, even if Walia makes it onto the ballot, his odds of winning a primary against a secure long time incumbent in CO-1 which is predominantly in Denver is basically nil. No Republicans are running in that race.

There is a Democratic primary in the Republican held CO-3 (Western Slope and Southern Colorado), between Sol Sandoval, Alex Walker and Adam French. There is a Democratic primary in the Republican held CO-5 between David Torres and Michael Columbe.

Democrats will be represented by Ike McCorkle in Republican held CO-4 (who has no primary opponent). 

There will not be Democratic primaries in the two open Congressional races. State Senator Brittany Pettersen will be the Democratic nominee in CO-7 (greater Jefferson County), and State Representative Yadira Caraveo will be the Democratic nominee in the newly created CO-8 (Northern Denver metro areaish). 

The Democratic Party incumbents Joe Neguse in CO-2 (Boulder) and Jason Crow in CO-6 (greater Aurora) will face only write in opponents, if any, in November.

There will also be a primary race for CU-Regent in CO-1 between Johnnie Nguyen and Wanda James. This could go either way. Both candidates are talented young Democrats in their first race for public office. The winner will be a shoe-in in the general election since CO-1 is a safe Democratic party stronghold.