July 27th 2024.
A planned attempt to remove the head of the Colorado Republican Party this weekend was halted by a district court judge on Friday. The controversial and tumultuous tenure of Dave Williams as GOP chair had reached a boiling point, with numerous calls for his resignation from prominent members of the party.
Most notably, Colorado Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen and several of the state's Republican congressional nominees publicly called for Williams to step down. Even U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, who had previously received the state party's endorsement, criticized Williams in a Facebook post. However, she stopped short of calling for a change in leadership.
The court ruling on Friday means that the meeting planned by a group of party members for Saturday in Brighton cannot proceed with any official business. This meeting was organized by those who wanted to remove Williams from his position as party chair.
The frustration with Williams stems from the party's unusual decision to endorse a slate of candidates during the primary season. This drew criticism for using party resources to promote their preferred candidates, including Williams himself, and attacking others. The party also faced backlash for sending out an anti-LGBTQ+ email during Pride Month in June.
Despite the party's efforts, the majority of their preferred candidates lost their primaries, including Williams. This sparked a movement among county Republican Party leaders to force a special meeting of the central committee, which consists of over 400 members, to replace Williams. However, the state party deemed this meeting as "illegal" and even filed a lawsuit against the leaders who planned it.
The party officials' attempts to stop the special meeting were successful when Arapahoe County District Court Judge Thomas W. Henderson granted a restraining order. The order will be in effect for up to 14 days or until a hearing takes place on the party's request for a preliminary injunction. The state party celebrated the ruling on their website, but it did not silence the growing calls for Williams to resign.
Earlier in the day, six of the eight Republican nominees for Colorado's seats in Congress signed a letter urging Williams to step down immediately. The letter also implored the members of the State Central Committee to remove Williams at the meeting on Saturday. This sentiment was echoed by Lundeen, who stated that it was time for state party leadership to replace Williams, who has used his position for personal gain.
Boebert, who represents the 3rd District and is running for election in the 4th, did not sign the letter but publicly criticized Williams on Facebook. She expressed disappointment in his failure to lead the party after the primary election and called for unity among Republicans to secure victories in November.
The state party officials attempted to reassure Boebert and other concerned party members, but their statement was met with backlash. In particular, Lundeen was called out for his role in the call for Williams' resignation, with the party accusing him of being morally bankrupt for not speaking out against a colleague's past drunk driving incident.
As the party continues to face internal turmoil, several Republicans have emerged as potential candidates to lead the party. Among them is Eli Bremer, a former U.S. Senate candidate and chair of the El Paso County Republican Party. He believes that the party needs individuals who can address the current situation and has already assembled a team of candidates to replace the state party leadership.
Another potential candidate, Douglas County Republican Chairman Steve Peck, released a statement on Friday, expressing his belief that the state party has lost credibility and must change course to win back Democratic seats in November.
The situation within the Colorado Republican Party remains tense and uncertain as the party members prepare for the upcoming meeting on Saturday. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
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