Rose-colored glasses … check.
A death wish … maybe.
Whistling past the graveyard … appropriate.
Pick your own cliché. It’ll probably work for Colorado Republicans between last month’s primary and November’s general election.
A flat broke state party under shaky leadership that hasn’t elected a governor in more than 20 years and whose 2022 gubernatorial candidate worried about kids dressed as “furries” using school-provided litter boxes. One that a few years earlier flirted with official minority party status courtesy of another choice for governor. A party worried its status is in such decline that Democrats might gain a super majority in the Legislature but persists in presenting fringe candidates unappealing not only to some GOP voters but also to unaffiliated voters who make up the majority of registered Coloradans.
The 2026 general election won’t change that.
After some reflection, it’s time to examine the results of June 30 voting and the potential impact of our ballot choices come November. Fair warning, it’s a review conducted by a longtime Democrat but one who’s not entirely satisfied with his own party’s candidates and who believes in the checks and balances inherent in our two-party system. (With apologies to members of various minority parties insistent at tilting at windmills.)
At the top of the ballot are two federal races.
Little known state Sen. Mark Baisley, with fundraising barely into the tens of thousands of dollars, is challenging incumbent Democrat John Hickenlooper, whose multi-million-dollar war chest is bulging. That’ll be a walk in the park for the former Denver mayor, whose own primary victory margin, substantial by most standards, was less than impressive against a challenge from a progressive state senator barely known or seen outside Denver and its environs.
Despite his disdain for active engagement with constituents, incumbent GOP congressman Jeff Hurd is the likely winner in our 3rd congressional district. An impressive victory by businessman Dwayne Romero, an ex-Army combat veteran who’s served on the Aspen City Council and school board and once headed Colorado economic development efforts, gives Democrats hope despite the district’s heavily-GOP voter tilt.
Next comes the race for governor, featuring self-described “high risk humanitarian” Victor Marx, who emerged with a half-point victory over more traditional Republican Barbara Kirkmeyer. Marx, so far, is short on policies but long on unproven rhetoric.
His blustery campaign has centered on unsubstantiated claims of personal heroics such as having killed someone when he was seven years old, having rescued 45,000 women from desperate situations, called in (as a civilian) a military air strike on ISIS, and exorcised demons over the phone. He’s also had to backtrack on a claimed endorsement from ex-GOP Gov. Bill Owens.
Consider this from former state party chairman Dick Wadhams: “It is mind-boggling that a plurality of Republican primary voters cannot see the phony bluster of Victor Marx will not sell in a state dominated by a majority of unaffiliated voters who have deep antipathy for President Donald Trump.”
Marx is quite certainly no John Love, John Vanderhoof or Bill Owens, the last three Republican governors. Count on Phil Weiser, fresh after a dominating victory over Sen. Michael Bennet, to continue the Democrat’s stranglehold on the big first floor office at the State Capitol.
Locally, things are brighter for Republicans. Legislators Janice Rich and Rick Taggart should cruise to additional terms. It’d be a shame to lose Taggart’s expertise and steady hand as a member of the Joint Budget Committee. Red-tinged Mesa County voter realities should prevail, thanks in part of the failure of local Democrats to field competitive candidates, leaving most GOP would-be officeholders unchallenged.
There’s one puzzling aspect to the county’s primary election results.
You tell me how an overwhelming majority of voters in the GOP primary could vote to retain Bobby Gross as Clerk and Recorder, in charge of elections, while virtually the same percentage of those voters supported Marx, who promised Tina Peters a full pardon, and election denier Scott Bottoms. An interesting bit of electoral schizophrenia.
I mentioned an old political adage in a pre-primary election column: “To govern you must first win.” History and current events show that’s a reality Republicans, at least on a statewide basis, refuse to recognize. Instead, their battles over internal leadership and mainstream vs. far-right philosophies, will consign them to the losing side of the electoral ledger … again.
“It’s par for the course trying to fool the people but it’s downright dangerous when you start fooling yourself.” — Gore Vidal
Jim Spehar’s won a few more electoral battles than he’s lost. Comments welcome to speharjim@gmail.com.