In the wake of an election that saw Colorado Republicans win a tossup Congressional district, flip three competitive statehouse seats, and move six-figure sums from and to pro-Trump campaign entities, leaders within the party are still arguing over who deserves credit. A Colorado House Republican leader said on air this morning that he didn’t see any help from his state party in flipping three statehouse seats red last month. State Rep. Ryan Armagost (R-Berthoud), who serves as House Minority Whip, also says he won’t support GOP Chair Dave Williams for another term unless Williams stops dividing their party.
Armagost’s comments came during his first-ever stint as a radio personality- he was filling in for Billy Thorpe, who co-hosts the 710 KNUS morning show with religious right politico Jeff Hunt.
Asked by Hunt if he would support a second term for Williams, Armagost emphasized the need for party unity, a goal which he says the current chair keeps frustrating.
Hunt: “Ryan Armagost, would you support Dave Williams for another term leading the Colorado Republican Party?“
Armagost: “I think for me to get behind Dave in everything that he’s doing, I would have to see more unity. I think if Dave can bring forward a message and a platform that unites our party in this state, I would be 100% behind him. But he keeps frustrating that I think with just certain certain comments or otherwise credits or other things that are placed where they don’t need to be placed.
Hunt: Was the Republican Party as helpful as they could have been in this last election, getting these House members elected?
Armagost: I didn’t focus on any- I didn’t see any help from the state party, but I didn’t focus on any of that. We were so focused on the grassroots level of every district- northern Colorado tends to get ignored anyway. So we and the districts that I was helping in northern Colorado, huge volunteer and just the base that was there, [that was what stepped up and got those.”
Hunt: “Does that mean that the candidates are kind of on their own right now to to win? Or is the state party there to to be able to provide support when they need it?”
Armagost: “Well, they should be there. All that I know is that we we were focused on our efforts to help our House Republicans. Getting our people elected, getting the word out to their constituents, helping them get door to door and make face-to-face contact with their people that were voting for them. And we got those seats flipped.”
Reached via email, Williams dismissed Armagost’s criticism, attacked his voting record and called him a hypocrite.
“When he [Armagost] hurls accusations of division what he really means is he doesn’t want anyone taking about his voting record that compromises with radical Democrats and expands government,” says Williams. “The Colorado GOP isn’t really concerned with what establishment politicians think, and we are not going to change our behavior to let any politician get away with deceiving voters when they act like hypocrites.”
Colorado GOP Director of Special Initiatives Darcy Schoening, who also replied to an email request for comment, struck a more conciliatory tone:
“Since Rep Armagost was busy helping people get elected, he did not see the hard work of so many others,” said Schoening. “That aside, Minority Leader Rose Pugliese acknowledged to the media that candidates won because of many entities and individuals working together, including the Colorado GOP. Neither the GOP, nor any other organization, including the House Republicans, should ask for too much credit for any election outcomes. That’s not what advancing our values and winning is about.
At the end of the day, the candidates themselves put in the most work, sacrificed themselves and their families, subjected themselves to rigorous attacks, and much more. Credit should be almost solely given to the names and the faces who put in the daily work to woo the voters and get themselves into their seats.”
In addition to the handful of Republican victories in state legislative races, the party also celebrated its fundraising accomplishments. Disputes over credit aside, Williams’ ties to President-elect Trump are undeniable. Trump endorsed Williams in the GOP primary for the Fifth Congressional District, which Williams eventually lost to Jeff Crank. Following the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision that Trump could not appear on the ballot, Williams announced that if the ruling were not overturned (which it was), he would ignore the primary results and elect pro-Trump delegates via a caucus instead. Trump also campaigned in solidly blue Colorado in the final weeks of the election, speaking at Aurora’s Gaylord Convention Center on Oct. 7.
At an open house event last week, Treasurer Tom Bjorklund displayed an oversized check for $875,000 from the state party made out to “Trump’s Election 2024.”
The Trump 47 political action committee made two large contributions to the Colorado GOP, one for nearly $300,000 on Sept. 27 and another for almost $600,000 on Nov. 14, over a week after the election. Three days after receiving the first check, the party sent most of it (~$280,000) to the Republican National Committee. However the larger post-election check ($598,102.23) didn’t even spend the night in Colorado- that exact amount was sent from the state party to the RNC the same day.
Bjorklund did not reply to a text request for clarification on the transfers. This article will be updated with any response received.
