Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidates introduced their campaigns and gave stump speeches during a June 26 legislative recap event in Loveland. Among the candidates were Representatives Mark Baisely (R-Roxborough Park) and Scott Bottoms (R-Colorado Springs, former congressman and Parker mayor Greg Lopez, lawyer William McBride, and others who were united in their goal of turning Colorado into a red state. State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer (R-Brighton) who has long been rumored to be entering the race as well, also spoke via remote video, but did not announce her candidacy.
“We all know all the bad stuff that’s going on,” said Bottoms, whose frustrated legislative efforts have involved banning abortions, transgender health care, and the production of insects for human consumption. “We know they’re coming after parental rights, they’re coming after families, children, Second Amendment. They’re coming after the economy, oil, gas, farming, ranching. We know all the negative, but let me give you some things that I think will show you a path forward with this. We can reclaim colorado. Twenty-six is a window that we’re going to have that we’re not going to have again in the future, I believe in a long time, but we have the ability to turn the state red in 26.”
Baisley, an instructor at Andrew Wommack’s Charis Bible College, recorded a video for the event. “Sorry that I can’t be with you today, I’ll be in Washington D.C. this week on a tour with historian David Barton,” he said. “I like to do this on occasion just to be reminded of the amazing incredible principles on which this nation was founded. The principles that apply to Colorado of course as well, but they’re also the principles that the Democratic party has been rejecting for the past 10-15 years. It’s up to you and me to get it back and we will. Next year will be the timing when we get everything done correctly. We work hard, we get out the vote, and we take this state back, and we’ll do that because this state is worth saving. You and I will do this together.”
Lopez urged the crowd to support Republican candidates. “What we must do is make sure that we support our Republican candidates,” he said. “Make sure that we move forward, look beyond the primary, identify who can actually win the general.”
Lopez lost his Republican primary bid for Colorado Governor in 2022 to Heidi Ganahl, who lost to incumbent Jared Polis with less than 40% of the vote. Despite calls for unity from candidates, infighting that has dominated Colorado Republican politics show no signs of subsiding. In May, Colorado GOP Vice Chair Darrel Phelan resigned, citing irreconcilable differences with newly elected Chair Brita Horn. While the June 26 event in Loveland featured a host of candidates, elected officials, and activists groups like Protect Kids Colorado, the state party was notably absent.
During a June 30 appearance on the Chuck and Julie show, event organizer and former candidate Trent Leisy claimed the Colorado GOP pulled out of the event over Leisy’s concerns with a potential gubernatorial straw poll.
“I said, ‘Hey, I noticed that you guys were going to be doing a straw poll because we had the governor candidates there,’” said Leisy. “I just said, ‘You know, this just isn’t the time and place for this. And this is not what this event is designed for.’ It’s not a debate. It’s a forum with the governor candidates. We didn’t really feel like that this was the right venue to be in. Now, if they want to have a debate somewhere else, bring in all the candidates and do a straw poll, that’s on them.”
Leisy raised concerns that the new leadership of the Colorado GOP might be trying to influence the race. “My mind wonders like, okay, is there a specific candidate you’re trying to push? Are you trying to narrow down the field?” he said. “You guys threw a fit about Dave Williams’ pre-primary endorsing candidates. Okay, fair, but why are you meddling? It’s not the state party’s job to meddle in the governor’s race. Let these people fight it out. There’s 14 candidates in the race. Let them figure out who’s gonna be on the general election ballot. Really, the job of the state party between now and once we know the day after the primary, and once we know who the candidate is to fundraise the crowd, because we already know that [U.S. Sen Michael] Bennet (D-CO), we all know Bennet’s going to be the candidate. He’s the chosen one.”
Williams’ term as Chair was seen by many as a success of the populist, MAGA right over the establishment Republican party. Horn’s election was heralded as a return to a more moderate Republican status quo.
“I think, they’re going to go with somebody who is more of an Americans for Prosperity or Anschutz [candidate],” said Leisy. “I would say the two top people right now are gonna be Greg Lopez and William McBride.”
While the gubernatorial primary took center stage, the event also featured several other elected Republican officials, both from the statehouse as well as video speeches from U.S. Reps. Gabe Evans and Lauren Boebert, who both defended Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which critics have attacked for its cuts to medicaid and other services.
“This bill delivers resources to secure the border, invests in national security, unleashes domestic energy, and strengthens Medicaid for the most vulnerable by cutting out fraud waste and abuse, removing illegal immigrants from the payroll, and allowing states to actually go and check to find those people who aren’t even eligible for Medicaid but that Joe Biden paid to stay home and receive taxpayer benefits,” said Evans.
“With the house version of the one big beautiful bill successfully passing, Colorado families avoid a giant tax increase pushed by Democrats, all the while instituting real reforms to programs like Medicaid so that your tax dollars don’t go to people who aren’t working for them, but people who actually need help with their instead of illegal aliens,” said Boebert.
