More campaign events are popping up across the state as caucus time for Republicans approaches on March 5, particularly in three key congressional races that could decide the balance of power in the U.S. House.
Conservatives gathered for an informal straw poll in Windsor on Presidents’ Day for both the 4th and 8th District races.
Republicans hoping to take on freshman Democrat Yadira Caraveo in the 8th District gave a brief speech before competing in the poll.
With 106 ballot cast, state House Rep. Gabe Evans won with 67 votes, followed by Scott James with 27 votes, and Joe Andujo with 12 votes.
The event was hosted by the Colorado Conservative Patriot Alliance and can be watched here on their Facebook page.
Alliance Chairman David Huntwork said attendees were allowed to vote in the 8th District as well as 4th District straw poll and noted that several people did.
“This is a very non-scientific poll,” Huntwork said. “It does help to get a feel for who is appealing to the voter. Each person has a right to vote both races, even if they won’t do so in an election. I think we saw some who chose to vote both races, and others who chose to vote just the one.”
In the 4th District straw poll in which 125 ballots were cast, new resident Lauren Boebert won with 33 votes, followed by Deborah Flora with 26 votes, State Rep. Mike Lynch with 18 votes, Trent Leisy with 17 votes, Jerry Sonnenberg got 9 votes, Peter Yu got nine votes, Ted Harvey had eight votes, and Richard Holtrof had five votes.
At the debate held last month by the Republican Women of Weld, Sonnenberg came in first place at their straw poll and Boebert came in fifth place.
Evans also won the straw poll for the 4th District at the debate.
Boebert has since relocated from the 3rd District she still represents in Congress to a home in the 4th District to run for that seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Ken Buck.
Meanwhile in Grand Junction a forum was hosted recently by Stand for the Constitution, the organization that backs western wild woman Tina Peters and was a strong supporter of Boebert.
Colorado Public Radio wrote about the event here, and the group posted the forum on its Facebook page here.
Running for that seat to be vacated by Boebert, are front runner Jeff Hurd, along with Russ Andrews, Stephen Varela, Ron Hanks, Curtis McCrackin, Joe Granado, Austin O’Connell and David Karpas.
Ron Hanks spoiler alert: he believes the open border is a prelude to civil war.
“I’ve been a conservative my whole life. I will fight for that until the end. If people don’t want to vote for that, I am perfectly happy getting back to the things that need to get done, which are getting ready for the 9/11 moment and the civil war that this miserable, unelected, demented resident in the White House has set us up for,” Hanks said as a part of an answer to a question about making Election Day a holiday and ending mail-in voting.
Never a dull moment.
PeakNation™ will recall that Hanks lives in Cañon City in the 5th Congressional Districts, and is also switching districts to run for Congress.