Ultra-conservative state legislator Stephanie Luck (R-Penrose) drew a surprising primary challenger this week: Pueblo County Republican Chair Michelle Gray. Primary challenges of Colorado GOP incumbents aren’t all that rare these days, but they typically come from the far-right wing of the party. In Luck’s case, there isn’t much room to her right; conservative group Liberty Scorecard ranks her at the most conservative member of the House GOP caucus, tied with Rep. Ken DeGraaf (R-Colo. Springs).
Reached for comment, Gray acknowledged that she and Luck share largely the same political and policy positions, but noted that their top priorities are different.
“I’m running because with a seat that is this safe, we should be working with Republicans in other house districts and moving the legislature in the right direction,” says Gray. “And there should be more legislation that is passing. I think that we need to make sure that our rural communities are also being taken care of. She has been considered the top-tier Liberty Score representative. I appreciate the fact that she has that strong score. I think the areas in which we would differ on votes are probably ag [agriculture], water and rural healthcare. So I think our political philosophy isn’t all that different, but we need to use these safe seats across the state to flex the numbers. And that’s what I plan on doing… I would encourage you to look at how many pieces of legislation she [Luck] has passed since she’s been there for five years- less than one per year.”
She says she made the decision to run after attending a town hall hosted by Luck and state Rep. Ty Winter, at which Luck said she had not declared and she was considering “three options.” While Luck didn’t name them, Gray took two of them to be running for state Sen Mark Baisley’s seat, now that he is running for governor, or for the Fremont County Commissioner seat, the vacancy for which was only announced Tuesday.
Luck and Gray spoke again last week when Gray reached out to give Luck a courtesy call about her decision to run. Asked if Luck gave her any indication as to which option she may be leaning towards, Gray said she did not.
“No. I would just say that it was a hard conversation and I understand at this point why it’s very difficult to work with Stephanie,” said Gray. “I’ll leave it at that.”
Gray filed her paperwork for the House District 60 race on Sunday, making her the first –and so far only– candidate from either party to declare. That said Luck doesn’t need to file election paperwork until next year. There are currently ten incumbent Republican representatives who have filed for 2026, not counting Rep. Ryan Armagost, who filed in April but has since moved out of state.
Luck did not did not respond to phone and text requests for comment. This article will be updated with any response received.
Former state party staffer turned podcast host Darcy Schoening floated Luck’s possible jump to the Senate on the Chuck & Julie show yesterday. She also said that Gray is best friends with RNC Committeewoman Christy Fidura, and claimed that Gray’s campaign is supported by Fidura as well as party chair Brita Horn.
Schoening and former governor candidate Heidi Ganahl, who now runs conservative political entities Rocky Mountain Voice and Road to Red, which Schoening calls a “shadow party.”
Gray agrees that she and Fidura have worked closely together, but said emphatically that the decision to run was hers alone.
“I am running for this office because I have been praying about it. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. I consulted my family. And that is why I am running,” said Gray. “It’s not connected to Brita Horn. It’s not connect to our National Committeewoman. Now, Christy Fidura and I have worked hard to flip Pueblo red, and that kind of energy is what I want bring to Denver. I know how to do it. She knows how to do it, but just because we are connected here in Pueblo, we both reside here, that doesn’t mean that- I just don’t understand where Darcy gets this stuff from, but it is made up.”
Asked whether she planned to resign as Pueblo County GOP Chair, Gray says she will not, noting that former state party chair Dave Williams did not resign while running in a GOP primary for Congress.
“The primary for House District 60 is put on by the House District 60 committee, said Gray. “It isn’t put on my Pueblo County. The precedent has been set by our previous chair that you can run and you can be chair at the same time.”
The Libertarian Party of Colorado also expressed outrage over Gray’s decision to primary Luck. Replying to Brandon Wark’s X post announcing Gray’s filing, Chair Hannah Goodman wrote:
“All I have to say is FAFO to anyone who wants to run against our Liberty Leaders. We can do this easy or we can do it hard. Republicans sit up and listen, I don’t have much to loose, [sic] do you?”
It’s unclear what Goodman is threatening to about Gray’s candidacy, especially she herself has also posted about switching parties and joining the ranks GOP House candidates herself, writing yesterday that “HD63 is calling my name.”
Luck’s colleague State Rep. Brandi Bradley also shared her anger at Gray’s announcement by chiming in on Wark’s post.
“This should be your answer as to whether or not the Republican Party leadership is going to get their act together in Colorado… I’m sure I’m next on the list to primary as well as Rep DeGraaf. Rep Luck is the biggest freedom fighter I have ever known, and I will make sure that the people of Colorado understand what’s going on behind the scenes…”
