It’s not like they were going to endorse Walker Stapleton, but it must have been like nails on a chalkboard for the Colorado Education Association (also known as the teachers union) to endorse Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jared Polis.
Just six weeks ago, when asked whether the CEA would back a Polis gubernatorial race, then-President Kerrie Dahlman didn’t seem so sure. See below.
.@jaredpolis has a lot of making up to do in the days ahead…. pic.twitter.com/6BVAJ5Hkb1
— The Colorado GOP (@cologop) June 29, 2018
Amie Baca-Oehlert took the reins at the CEA just a week later; although, she was elected in April. Will Baca Oehlert forgive Polis for giving immigrant kids a charter school? In two states?
More importantly, even with the endorsement of the CEA, will its members get behind someone who has not been all that interested in expanding union power?
It’s the worst of both worlds – he gets pegged as a union hack (when he probably wasn’t one before) in exchange for lukewarm support from 35,000 boots on the ground who probably would rather file their toenails than go door-to-door for Polis.
You know who wins here? Republicans. Congratulations, Rep. Polis, on another week of botched strategy.