A district judge appointed last year by Democrat Gov. Jared Polis put the brakes on an effort by Colorado Republicans to replace their party leadership by issuing a restraining order to halt an emergency weekend meeting.
Arapahoe County District Judge Thomas W. Henderson issued the order Friday on the heels of growing opposition among the party’s grassroots, and local leaders, the party’s congressional nominees, even U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert.
But the court order didn’t intimidate more than 100 Republicans from showing up anyway on Saturday to better organize their effort and to hear from multiple Republicans now running to replace Williams.
Announced candidates so far include Eli Bremer, State Rep. Richard Holtorf, Routt County Treasurer Brita Horn, and Douglas County GOP chair Steve Peck.
The state party leader has been missing in action since his defeat in the June primary election for Congress representing the Colorado Springs area.
Williams faces credible accusations of spending the party’s money on his own campaign, and angered the base by picking winners and losers in the party primaries and telling voters who they could and could not support. Nearly all of Williams’ endorsements were rejected by voters and lost.
Instead of puling the party together, Williams continues to pull it apart, say his critics, including Boebert.
Rather than show up and defend himself, Williams is taking his own party to court … before a Polis-appointed judge. His offenses just keep piling up.
Colorado Politics covered the Saturday event:
State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer, who represents the district where the rally took place and emceed the event, reminded the crowd that statehouse Republicans have nearly slipped to super-minority status in the General Assembly, giving Democrats near carte blanche over legislation and state policy.
“People keep saying, ‘Why now? Why are we doing this now?'” Kirkmeyer said. “We are divided. Our state senators, our state representatives, our candidates for those offices are not getting support form party leadership,” she said, calling it “imperative” that Republicans win enough races to prevent GOP lawmakers from dropping into super-minorities in both chambers.
Organizers plan to reschedule a vote to oust Williams and other party leaders in August.