Colorado Republicans gather to discuss removal of state party chair

Todd Watkins, vice chair of the El Paso County Republican Party, speaks to a gathering of about 100 Colorado Republicans about ousting Dave Williams as the state party chair, on July 27, 2024. (Andrew Fraieli for Colorado Newsline)

A faction of Colorado Republicans intent on ousting party chair Dave Williams gathered Saturday in a church in Brighton to speak out against his leadership, but a last-minute court order barred them from holding an official meeting to finish the job.

Instead they held a “rally” where party members aired their grievances against Williams, blaming him for causing rifts in their ranks and dragging attention away from elections.

“This whole thing is Dave Williams’ fault,” party official Kathleen Chandler told the group of about 100 people.

Williams did not reply to a message from Colorado Newsline.

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A judge on Friday issued a temporary restraining order after Williams filed a lawsuit asking the court to prevent Nancy Pallozzi, chair of the Jefferson County Republican Party, and Todd Watkins, vice chair of the El Paso County Republican Party, from misrepresenting official party business. Watkins had called for the Saturday meeting , where he had wanted the party’s State Central Committee to vote on whether to remove Williams and other party officials from leadership positions. Party executives had previously determined the meeting would be “illegal.”

According to an executive committee decision document, shared by Williams with Newsline, the meeting would be illegal because party officials were unable to properly verify the names of voting members who signed a petition in support of the special meeting request.

The lawsuit, filed in Arapahoe County District Court on July 18, highlights party bylaws that say if at least a quarter of voting members in the GOP’s central committee sign onto a request for a special meeting, the meeting must be called within 10 days of the request and held within 30 days of the call. If the chairman doesn’t call a meeting, any voting member can do so, according to the bylaws.

Attendees of the rally Saturday included state Reps. Richard Holtorf, Mike Lynch and Gabe Evans, who is running for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District seat. They also included Douglas County GOP Chairman Steve Peck and Brighton Mayor Greg Mills.

The job of the chair is to get Republicans elected. And he's not.

– Eli Bremer, on Dave Williams

“If you’re not getting a net gain of Republicans in our state of Colorado, you have failed as chair,” Mills said to the crowd.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert of Windsor, the state’s most prominent Republican, chimed in Friday, writing on Facebook about the November election, “I stand ready to publicly help and provide support to Republicans up and down the ballot, regardless of whether or not I agree with them on every issue. If Chairman Williams can’t do the same and refuses to show candidates he will, Republicans in Colorado and nationally will look in a different direction for leadership over the final 100 days.”

A group of Republican congressional nominees, along with state Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, also urged Williams to resign in a signed letter Friday that Colorado Newsline obtained. They implored the State Central Committee to vote to remove Williams if he does not resign. The congressional nominees who signed the letter include Evans, Valdamar Archuleta, Marshall Dawson, Jeff Hurd, John Fabbricatore and Jeff Crank, who beat Williams last month in the 5th Congressional District primary election.

Watkins told Colorado Newsline that the difference between this group and Willams and other party executives is that “we want the body to run the party, not the single-mindedness of three people and their extremist points of view.”

The primary complaints from those looking to unseat Williams are that he did not relinquish his position as head of the party when he entered a race for Congress , even though the dual positions created a conflict of interest; that the state party under his leadership eliminated a tradition of neutrality in primary races and instead endorsed Williams and other favored candidates ; that the state party spent money on behalf of Williams in his primary race against a fellow Republican; and that the state party under Williams has engaged in anti-LGBTQ and other messaging that could alienate voters.

The day after Williams lost the primary election, the organizers of the effort to oust him submitted a petition and request for a vote on removing him as head of the party.

Eli Bremer, a former El Paso County GOP chairman, has already announced his interest in running to replace Williams as chair, along with Holtorf and Brita Horn , chief of the Rock Creek Volunteer Fire Department in McCoy. Peck has also reportedly announced his interest in running for chair.

Bremer told Colorado Newsline that what sets him apart from Williams is “competence.”

“The job of the chair is to get Republicans elected. And he’s not,” Bremer said.

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