FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2024
Media Contact: info@holotorfforcolorado.com
HOLTORF CALLS FOR COLORADO GOP CHAIR TO RESIGN
Akron, CO – State Representative Richard Holtorf, candidate for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District (CD4), called for the Colorado State GOP Chair, Dave Williams, to resign for numerous conflicts of interest and promoting radical endorsement policies, which alienate Republican candidates for statewide or federal offices. All this was after Williams ramrodded 10 resolutions through state assembly and then moved to endorse an individual candidate in the contentious CD4 race against Colorado GOP bylaws. Holtorf also believes Williams should face ethical and legal review for his continued abuse of State GOP policies and bylaws.
Election integrity is a basic tenet of the United States of America. Whether it is the Colorado Supreme Court removing Donald Trump from the ballot, or Jena Griswold unduly influencing elections as the Colorado Secretary of State, or Chair Dave Williams trying to change the rules and bylaws of the Colorado Republican Party, interfering in elections and using positions of trust to impose your will on the electorate and bypassing their right to vote is wrong. Citizens must stand up and say “No” to this type of tribalism.
Before Saturday, April 6, pursuant to Colorado State GOP bylaws Article III, Section C, neither the Colorado State GOP nor any officer could endorse a candidate in a contested primary election. “With more than 10 candidates running to replace Ken Buck (CO, R), there was no question the CD4 race was highly contested. Dave Williams continued to abuse his office as State GOP Chair by trying to bypass all Republican delegates and voters in eastern Colorado with an endorsement concocted by his own hand. This is not only unethical, but possibly illegal.” said Holtorf.
Previously standing Colorado GOP bylaws clearly stated in Article III, Section C (dated September 2023) that: “No Candidate for any designation or nomination for partisan public office shall be endorsed, supported, or opposed by the Colorado Republican Committee (CRC), acting as an entity, or by its state officers or committees, before the Primary Election, unless such candidate is unopposed in the Primary Election, or the candidate has gained access to the primary election ballot but has not participated in the applicable authorized Republican Assembly/Convention…..”
After the Saturday, April 6, state Assembly voice vote to change the state party bylaws, Dave Williams took the opportunity to push forward a slate of resolutions, thus bypassing credentialing of the delegates to the Assembly and disregarding a vast majority of voters in CD4. Holtorf emphasized, “Leaving the suspect legality of a “voice vote” in a large room of both uncredentialled and credentialled delegates aside for the moment, the resolution that passed did not give carte blanche to the State Chair to endorse a single or slate of insider candidates. In fact, the resolution title said, ‘Resolution #10: Endorsement of All Assembly Candidates for State Office or Higher’.” This is crony politics and exactly what Holtorf rejects as a non-establishment Republican candidate.
The Holtorf campaign participated in the caucus and assembly process at the county and district level and the petition signatures were gathered exclusively by a crew of 34 unpaid volunteers from 13 counties. The Holtorf campaign did not pay one penny for a signature, unlike 2 other candidates who participated in the 2024 Assembly.
Resolution #10 passed on April 6, 2024, stated: “…Be It Resolved that the Colorado Republican Party endorses and supports only those candidates in the primary election who have gone through the caucus and assembly process while subjecting their candidacy to a vote of their respective district assemblies. Be It Further Resolved that county Parties, and any other district central committees, are also allowed to endorse and support candidates that have gone through the caucus and assembly process while subjecting their candidacy to a vote of their respective district assemblies.”
Nowhere in the wording of this resolution does it state the Chair alone can endorse one individual candidate. I am a member of the state central committee and did NOT vote to endorse any candidates. Nor should the Chair, the state central committee, or the state executive committee ever endorse a single candidate before the Republican primary election. Dave Williams, as state Chair, essentially overstepped his authority with his social media messaging. His draconian leadership is now setting a dangerous precedent for the Colorado Republican party to follow. No one person should be able to use undue influence or indirectly force a preferred slate of candidates onto the primary ballot using his position as the State Party Chair. Hundreds of thousands of Republicans may become alienated in the process.
Holtorf continued, “Dave Williams has used his position as Chair to presumably hijack the state Party for his own political campaigning and selfish outcomes, including using the State GOP email account, mailing lists, and other COGOP resources. I hope the Federal Election Commission is watching and takes a good look at his actions. Dave Williams should resign so a fair and impartial Republican primary campaign can take place. The State Central Committee should revoke all individual candidate endorsements in all contested races to return the Republican process to a fair and transparent election cycle. The COGOP under Dave Williams’ leadership has made more unethical endorsements and changes to bylaws and resolutions in one year than any other Colorado GOP leader in recent history. The changes are far-reaching and Dave Williams seems to think he now can pre-select a slate of candidates, including himself, before the 2024 primary election. These actions deliberately bypass delegates and voters, polarize candidates and voters, create discord amongst Republicans across the entire state of Colorado, and ultimately may discourage good people from running as Republican candidates for public office if they do not wish to ‘kiss the ring’ of the COGOP.”
Many county parties, including Douglas County Republican Women, Bent County Republicans, and other Republicans in CD4, have made direct statements and passed resolutions in recent weeks stating they will not endorse any candidate prior to the primary in their county and/or organizations. This is the correct path to follow at all levels of the Colorado Republican party. Williams’ toxic and coercive brand of leadership needs to stop.