Colorado GOP marred by infighting under new leader
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Dave Williams, a former state lawmaker, is now chairperson of the Colorado GOP. Photo: AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images
The Colorado Republican Party appears to be spending more energy attacking its own members than challenging rival Democrats.
Why it matters: The GOP is looking to regroup after "extinction-level" losses in the 2022 election, but it's struggling to find a path to winning seats in Congress and the state Legislature.
State of play: Former state Rep. Dave Williams promised to bring a firebrand approach to the job when activists picked him as the party chairperson in March. Except his first fight is against Republicans he doesn't see as strong conservatives.
- Williams is wading into GOP primary contests — potentially in violation of the party's rules — to oppose a state senator's repeat bid for the 8th Congressional District.
- Last week, he blasted four prominent Republicans — including two state lawmakers — in a fundraising email for opposing the Montana House's decision to prohibit transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr from speaking. The four signed because they were concerned about limiting freedom of speech.
- And earlier this month, Williams took aim at U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado Springs) for supporting the debt ceiling compromise legislation and "helping Joe Biden continue to fleece American taxpayers." Williams lost to Lamborn in a GOP primary in 2022.
What they're saying: His leadership is already drawing sharp rebukes from party insiders.
- The party's prior chairwoman, Kristi Burton Brown, told KRDO that "defending conservative principles isn't about being angry and cussing people out, like has also been done in the last few months publicly."
- In a Gazette opinion column, former GOP chairman Dick Wadhams criticized Williams for being a "MAGA stolen election conspiracist" and "attacking Republican elected officials who do not conform to his own narrow ideology."
The other side: "From time to time, it's the responsibility of any organization to hold its members accountable for harmful decisions they make," Williams said in an email to members.
Between the lines: The Colorado GOP is suffering from money problems, and the Colorado Sun reports it didn't pay any employees in April, a first in 20 years. The Federal Election Commission is currently investigating discrepancies in the party's bank accounts.
- Vice chairperson Priscilla Rahn announced Thursday she's stepping down to focus on her Douglas County commissioners race.
Of note: Williams also recently struck a deal with Libertarians not to run candidates in races where the GOP candidate is "pro-liberty."