'GOP reckoning': Republican Party-backed candidates nosedived in key swing state primary
Colorado Republicans gave a resounding, "No!" to their own party-endorsed candidates, with 14 of the state's 18 endorsed candidates losing their bouts in the GOP primary Tuesday night.
The state's GOP endorsed candidates such as firebrand Rep. Lauren Boebert in Congressional District 4, Ron Hanks in Congressional District 3, and Dave Williams — Colorado's own GOP chair — in Congressional District 5. Of the three, only Boebert walked away victorious, joining Mark Milliman in state House District 12, Matt Burcham in House District 43, and state Sen. Kevin Van Winkle, who was running for Douglas County commission.
At first glance, the list, compiled by the Colorado Sun, might be mistaken for a lengthy shopping store receipt rather than a list of a party's own selection of primary losers. Indeed, KUSA-TV called the result a "reckoning' for the Colorado GOP.
The state GOP and some of its candidates were embroiled in controversy, including Williams who earned national headlines for calling for the burning of all Pride flags. Additionally, an ethics complaint accused him of misusing party funds to prop up his campaign.
Candidate Janak Joshi, meanwhile, only moved to an apartment in Thornton just this year from Colorado Springs to run in the 8th District.
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And Congressional District 1 candidate Valdamar Archuleta — head of the LGBTQ+ conservatives group Log Cabin Republicans of Colorado — renounced the party's endorsement of him following the party’s homophobic statements.
The Colorado Republican Party flouted its own tradition of remaining neutral in primaries this year, instead openly endorsing candidates in contested contests down the ballot.
The choice did not appear to help many of their candidates, as none of the 14 losers came particularly close.
- CD3: Ron Hanks lost by 13 points in a race featuring Jeff Hurd and four others.
- CD5: Dave Williams lost by 31 points to Jeff Crank
- CD8: Janak Joshi lost by 55 points to Gabe Evans
- Board of Education in CD4: Saundra Larsen lost by 7 points to Kristi Burton Brown
- Senate District 2: Tim Arvidson lost by 33 points to state Rep. Lisa Frizell
- Senate District 10: Rex Tonkins lost by 39 points to state Sen. Larry Liston
- Senate District 12: Adriana Cuva lost by 19 points to Stan VanderWerf
- Senate District 23: Natalie Abshier lost by 44 points to state Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer
- House District 20: Jason Lupo lost by 32 points to Jarvis Caldwell
- House District 21: Jan Koester & Bill Garlington lost by 12 points to state Rep. Mary Bradfield
- House District 45: Bill Jack lost by 12 points to Max Brooks
- House District 45: Trent Lane Leisy lost by 25 points to Lori Garcia Sander
- Judicial District 4: David Willson lost by 32 points to District Attorney Michael Allen
- Judicial District 23: Dagny Van Der Jagt lost by 29 points to George Brauchler