U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert on Friday called on Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams to publicly demonstrate that the state GOP is supporting candidates up and down the ballot or potentially face removal from office.
Calling recent infighting within the state GOP "embarrassing to watch," Boebert said in a post on social media that Colorado Republicans risk missing a "golden opportunity" to flip seats in November because rival party factions have been obsessed with duking it out with each other.
"The past month of public dissension and infighting in the Colorado Republican Party has been embarrassing to watch as we have a golden opportunity this November to flip seats at every level of government," Boebert said in a post on Facebook.
"Instead of uniting and focusing our message on securing our border, unleashing American energy, and getting President Trump back to the White House, we've seen lawsuits, threats, and censures, resulting in a failure to come together fueled by all sides of the party."
Boebert, the highest-profile Colorado Republican to criticize the embattled Williams' conduct as party chair, described the state GOP's approach since the June 25 primary as "a failure to lead."
"This isn't about competing policies or ideologies; this is about a failure to lead after our Primary Election and simply reach out to candidates and organizations throughout Colorado and beyond to offer support, mend bridges, and present a clear gameplan of how we can win together in November," Boebert said.
Boebert warned that replacing party leadership so close to the general election is fraught with perils but blamed Williams for his predicament.
"An attempted, and likely contested, change in leadership at COGOP just 100 days out from Election Day will be disruptive and damaging, but Chairman Williams has put himself in this situation," she said.
State Republicans plan to convene at a church in Brighton on Saturday — 101 days before ballots are due on Nov. 5 — to consider whether to fire Williams and his fellow statewide party officers, Vice Chairwoman Hope Scheppelman and Secretary Anna Ferguson. If any or all of them are unseated, the meeting's agenda includes electing replacement officers to serve until next spring.
Williams last week sued to block the meeting from being considered official party business and has urged Republicans to skip the confab, calling it "illegal" and "fraudulent." Late Thursday, an Arapahoe County District Court judge rejected a motion filed by Williams and the state GOP asking for an injunction to prevent the meeting from taking place.
Boebert said in her statement Friday that Republicans "in Colorado and nationally" will have to consider changing state GOP leadership if Williams doesn't demonstrate a commitment from the party to support Republican nominees, whether or not they align on every issue.
"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," Boebert said. "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."
The state GOP suggested in a text message to Colorado Politics that Boebert's criticism was misguided.
“We are not sure where Lauren Boebert is getting her erroneous information but Chairman Williams and the State Party have already expressed full support of the Party apparatus to our nominees and we are well on our way to providing resources to help get them across the finish line," the party said.
A former state lawmaker who ran unsuccessfully for Congress twice, Williams has been facing calls to step down as party boss since January, when he launched a primary campaign for the El Paso County-based seat held by retiring U.S. Rep Doug Lamborn.
The calls grew after the state party abandoned its tradition of neutrality in primaries. They reached a peak last month as Williams attacked the LGBTQ community's Pride Month, including urging Republicans to "Burn all the #Pride flags."
After winning endorsements from former President Donald Trump and Boebert, Williams lost the 5th Congressional District primary by a wide margin to Republican Jeff Crank, who faces Democratic nominee River Gassen in the November election.
More than a dozen county Republican parties passed resolutions in June demanding Williams' ouster.
El Paso County GOP vice chair Todd Watkins, a one-time Williams ally, has been organizing the effort to oust him. Earlier this month, Watkins issued a formal call for Saturday's state party meeting after he said Williams ignored a petition he submitted demanding a vote to remove Williams.
By Friday morning, four Republicans had announced that they're running to replace Williams: former U.S. Senate candidate and El Paso County GOP chair Eli Bremer; state Rep. Richard Holtorf, R-Akron; former Routt County Treasurer Brita Horn; and Douglas County GOP chair Steve Peck.
Bremer on Thursday released a slate of candidates to fill state party positions, including three other former county Republican chairs and the state GOP's former attorney.
The Colorado GOP on Thursday told state central committee members reiterated the party's contention that Saturday's meeting won't count, telling Republicans that the notice announcing the meeting was "invalid, illegal, and should be ignored as any business conducted will be illegitimate."
"SCC Members are advised to ignore his fraudulent call as any actions taken at his fake meeting will be invalid," the state party said. "Your current leadership team will remain in place regardless of what happened at the unlawful and fake meeting this weekend."
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