Boebert and Colorado candidates call on GOP chairman to resign

Six of the state’s Republican congressional candidates have said Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams should resign as party leader, and U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert suggested in a Facebook post that Williams should step down.

The letter and Facebook post were published a day before a meeting aimed at removing Williams after 16 months of his controversial tenure.

“We call on you to resign your chairmanship, today. If you choose not to resign, we implore the members of the State Central Committee to remove you tomorrow, July 27, 2024,” said a letter from six congressional candidates and Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen.

Boebert suggested that national Republicans would also like to see Williams out.

Boebert wrote: “I stand ready to publicly help and support Republicans on every ballot, regardless of whether I agree with them on every issue. If Speaker Williams cannot do the same and refuses to show candidates that he will, Republicans in Colorado and nationally will look in a different direction for leadership in the final 100 days.”

At least four candidates are set to contest the party presidency at Saturday’s meeting in Brighton.

Also signing the letter seeking Williams’ removal are Jeff Crank, who defeated Williams in the 5th Congressional District primary; State Rep. Gabe Evans, running in the 8th Congressional District; Jeff Hurd, running in the 3rd District; Valdamar Archuleta in the 1st District; Marshall Dawson in the 2nd District; and John Fabbricatore in the 6th District. Only 7th District Republican candidate Sergei Matveyuk did not sign the letter.

Boebert’s Facebook post criticized the Republican Party’s internal dispute over Williams.

“The last month of public dissension and infighting in the Colorado Republican Party has been embarrassing to watch, as we have a golden opportunity in November to flip seats at every level of government,” she wrote. “This is not about competing policies or ideologies; this is about a failure by Speaker Williams to lead after our primary election and simply reach out to candidates and organizations across Colorado and beyond to offer support, mend bridges, and present a clear game plan for how we can win together in November.”

Williams was initially criticized for his lackluster fundraising and because he worked as a full-time aide to a state lawmaker while leading the state Republican party. The criticism only intensified when he mounted an unsuccessful run for Congress.

When U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, announced in January that he would step down, Williams used the state party’s email to announce that he would run for the 5th Congressional District seat in El Paso County.

Williams has rejected calls to resign as party chairman and spent party money in late February to criticize his opponent, conservative commentator and activist Jeff Crank, among others. In April, Williams had a Colorado Sun reporter expelled from the party’s state assembly.

For the first time in recent memory, if not ever, the Colorado GOP endorsed candidates in competitive primary elections, drawing anger from many in the party. Of the 18 candidates endorsed by the party, only four won their races.

The party also spent $58,000 in late May and early June sending three mailers urging voters to support Williams and criticizing Crank. Williams donated $60,000 to the party from his campaign account in June, but some questioned whether the mailers violated federal postal regulations.

Williams’ actions prompted federal super PACs to spend $2.7 million to defeat him in the June 25 primary.

And two anti-LGBTQ emails from the party in June — along with a social media post calling for the burning of pride flags — drew sharp criticism, including from many Republicans.

Crank defeated Williams by 30 percentage points and is likely to win the general election in the heavily Republican district. He faces Democratic science educator River Gassen in November.

Following Williams’ defeat, El Paso County Republican Party Vice Chairman Todd Watkins called a special state central committee meeting on Saturday to remove Williams as the party’s state chairman.

In response, the state Republican Party executive committee “sanctioned” Watkins, as well as Jefferson County Republican Party Chairwoman Nancy Pallozzi, who had previously called for Williams to resign.

Williams called the Brighton meeting on Saturday “fraudulent.” Party leaders had scheduled a rival GOP committee meeting in Bayfield for July 19, led by Vice Chair Hope Scheppelman. The Bayfield meeting was held under a bridge and drew only a handful of people. The group took no action except to postpone until a central committee meeting scheduled for August.

Williams filed a lawsuit in state district court on July 18 seeking to block Saturday’s gathering. On Thursday, an Arapahoe District Court judge denied Williams’ request for a preliminary injunction.

Williams and his supporters have urged Republicans not to attend the Brighton rally, which begins at 9 a.m. at Harvest Fellowship Church.

The Republican infighting in Colorado comes after Michigan Republicans removed the party chairwoman in January, a decision that was upheld by the Republican National Committee.

Those who have said they will run for Republican Party chairman if Williams is removed include:

• State Rep. Richard Holtorf, one of the five people Boebert defeated in the 4th Congressional District
• Eli Bremer, a former El Paso County chairman who has a list of officials running against him
• Douglas County Republican Party Chairman Steve Peck, who is endorsed by former Republican Party Chairwoman Kristi Burton Brown
• Former Routt County Treasurer Brita Horn

This is a developing story that may be updated.