Republicans in El Paso County gathered at Boot Barn Hall in Colorado Springs to celebrate their election night wins that preserved the statewide status quo, even as they lost a traditionally red senate seat. While Republicans lost their bid for Sen. Bob Gardner’s (R-Colorado Springs) seat, they didn’t lose any other Senate or House seats, kept Republican control of the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners, and celebrated Jeff Crank’s predictable victory over Democrat River Gassen. The loss of Gardner’s seat was offset by the GOP retaking a reliably conservative seat in Denver that only changed hands when Kevin Priola (D-Brighton) switched parties in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection.
El Paso County GOP
Beating a Dead Elephant: Republicans Blame Libertarians and Each Other for Election Losses
During last week’s meeting of the Colorado Republican Party’s Executive Committee, Chairwoman Kristi Burton Brown provided an assessment of the midterm elections and heard a grievance from El Paso County Republican Party Chairwoman Vickie Tonkins.
The Fall of the El Paso County Republican Party
This Saturday, the last weekend before midterm elections, the El Paso County Republican Party held a special central committee meeting to censure 33 party members, many of whom are current elected officials and candidates for Tuesday’s election. Many of those censured Saturday have also opposed or otherwise run afoul of El Paso County GOP Chair Vickie Tonkins or her slate of FEC United-backed, extremist candidates. Once the flagship county party of the Colorado GOP, the El Paso County Republican Party is a house divided, engaged in what Rep. Dave Williams (R-Co Springs) calls a “civil war,” testing whether that party, or any party so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. The Colorado Times Recorder has compiled nearly two years’ worth of Republican trials, tribulations, goofs, and gaffes to provide much-needed context for Saturday’s censure vote.
‘We Were Able to Sweep Entire Assemblies With FEC United Candidates,’ Says GOP Extremist Oltmann
El Paso County Coroner Dr. Leon Kelly very nearly missed the ballot for the November 2022 ballot, thanks to what he says was intentional “manipulation” of the assembly process in El Paso County.
Complaint: El Paso County CO Republicans Paid Right-Wing Militia for Security
Another campaign finance complaint has been leveled against the El Paso County, CO, Republican Party, this one accusing Chair Vickie Tonkins of performing a “knowingly fraudulent filing” of a $1,000 donation to conservative activist group FEC United, which promotes election conspiracies.