BRIGHTON — More than 100 Colorado Republicans hoping to ultimately remove Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams gathered Saturday to hear from candidates seeking to replace him.
The event was originally billed as a state GOP central committee meeting to vote on removing Williams. But an Arapahoe County District Court judge issued a restraining order Friday preventing the committee from taking action.
Todd Watkins, the El Paso County GOP vice chairman who called the original meeting, said he and Jefferson County GOP Chairwoman Nancy Pallozzi will appeal the judge’s decision. And Watkins clarified that Saturday’s event was not a meeting of the central committee, but a rally.
But Saturday’s attendees also signed new petitions calling for a meeting to vote to remove Williams, Vice Chairwoman Hope Scheppelman and Secretary Anna Ferguson. Those at the meeting included several state lawmakers and at least three congressional nominees. Among them was state Rep. Gabe Evans, who is running for the toss-up 8th Congressional District against Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo.
A parade of speakers decried Williams’ actions as GOP chairman, from endorsing candidates in competitive primaries to spending party money to support his unsuccessful 5th Congressional District contest. Conservative commentator Jeff Crank defeated Williams by 30 percentage points.
Several said they have been threatened for opposing Williams’ leadership, including Republican National Committeewoman Christy Fidura of Pueblo. She noted that the central committee for the 3rd Congressional District voted against endorsing a candidate in that district, but the state party endorsed former state Rep. Ron Hanks. He lost to Grand Junction attorney Jeff Hurd.
Since then, Fidura said, “I have had almost no contact” with Williams and other GOP officers. “I need an executive committee that will communicate with me, that will cooperate with me.”
“I have been warned to stay away from this,” Fidura said. “My county chair here, she’s been called antifa. I’ve been called names too, that I have a Marxist agenda.”
Lew Webb, a retired Durango businessman who lost in the 3rd Congressional District primary, was among those criticizing Williams and his team.
“Our state party officers are corrupt, pure and simple,” Webb said. “The policies are intentional to destroy our country and our republic.”
Eli Bremer, a former El Paso County GOP chairman and one-time U.S. Senate candidate, state Rep. Richard Holtorf, Douglas County GOP Chairman Steve Peck and former Routt County Treasurer Brita Horn made their pitches to replace Williams as party chairman.
At least one Williams supporter, Hugo Chavez-Rey of Denver, attended the event, shouting from the crowd that there isn’t enough support to remove the chairman.
“I’m just here to observe the fiasco,” he said. “It’s a clown show.”
Watkins said he will go to court next week to try to overturn the restraining order and continue the effort to unseat Williams, which he expects will succeed.
“I don’t think our timeline stops,” he said. “We’ve been delayed for a moment. … You don’t think we have the support behind this? You’re wrong.”