February 10, 2015 09:40 AM UTC

Pueblo's GOP Chair sees people leaving Republican Party and calls for leadership change

• 10 Comments
• by: Jason Salzman

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Pueblo County's Republican Chair, Becky Mizel, isn't known for pulling her punches, but she hit particularly hard at her fellow Republicans in a recent interview on KNUS' Peter Boyles Show.

The fight roiling the state GOP is reaching a frenzy leading up to the March 14 vote on whether to retain Republican State Chair Ryan Call, and Mizel, who says "people are leaving the Party," thinks a leadership change "at the top" is required to align the money wing of the party with the "majority of the GOP that thinks like we do."

Mizel told Boyles (hear it below) that she's been "calling around to counties all over the state," and she's found out that progressives are out-organizing Republicans, with  groups like Colorado WINS and ProgressNow "well-established," even in "counties like Ouray," not known to be a lefty outpost.

The GOP's zeitgeist, if you will, embodied in Mizel, is largely flowing under the media radar, even though the stakes are high. A shift in leadership at the state party could have a huge impact not only on the amount of money raised by Republicans in Colorado but also where GOP money flows. 

Mizel: That’s what I really hate about the GOP. There’s that segment of the GOP that controls all of the money, the messaging, and the data. But then there’s the majority of the GOP that thinks like we do. And so, it’s really kind of a sad thing. And people are leaving the party. If we don’t do something to change the leadership at the top, I don’t think there’s not a 3rd party strong enough to win. And so, we’re destined. And the other thing, I’ve been calling around to the counties all over the state, Peter, and, boy, I can tell you, the Democrats have all of their people in place through groups like Colorado WINS and ProgressNow. They are well established in counties like Ouray and Silverton. We don’t even have a clue! Our Republican leadership comes in. They could care less. They only caring about the top of the ticket. They want to control messaging. They want to control dollars. They think your candidates aren’t good enough It’s all about getting the RNC candidates in. It’s not about the county-up. And so we just have to start taking control from the Grassroots up…And people are leaving the Party.

Boyles: Well, they should.

Mizel: I'm not saying the Party is great. But it's their vehicle to get other people elected.

Boyles: …I’ve said this many, many, many times:  if the Republican Party puts Jeb Bush as the Presidential hopeful, I WILL vote for Hillary Clinton.  I swear to God, I will!  I mean, if that’s the best that they can do, and I think it is what they’re going to do.  But as an aside, he is– did you see that great line, that “The Bush family really believes in No Child Left Behind.  They’re going to run Jeb.”  I thought it was a great line.  What can people do to help you dump Ryan Call?