May 01, 2019 04:50 PM UTC

Polis Recall Leader: Brauchler has said "yes to running" for Governor

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• by: Erik Maulbetsch

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

With a possible recall of Governor Jared Polis still months away, two prominent Colorado Republicans have purportedly already stated their intention to run for his office should the effort succeed. Resist Polis PAC board member Kristina Finley identified District Attorney General George Brauchler and former El Paso County Commissioner Darryl Glenn as each having “already said yes to running” in a Facebook comment. Finley named the two Republicans while responding to a question on the “Resist Polis” Facebook group,

Reached for comment, Finley said she “heard through the grapevine that Brauchler and Glenn said yes.”

George Brauchler currently serves as District Attorney for Colorado’s 18th Judicial District. He briefly ran for Governor last year, before switching to the Attorney General race, which he eventually lost to Democrat Phil Weiser.

Darryl Glenn served two terms as a County Commissioner for El Paso County’s First District, from 2010-2018. He ran for U.S. Senate in 2016, losing to incumbent Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO). Last year Glenn was one of several candidates to unsuccesfully challenge Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-CO5) in the Republican primary.

Colorado law states that a recall petition may not be circulated until the Governor has been in office for six months, hence the “Recall Is Coming 07.08.2019,” tagline on the “Game of Thrones” image posted by the recall group. On that day or any following when a petition is officially approved by the Secretary of State, a 60-day window opens, during which recall supporters must collect and submit over 631,000 valid signatures.

The Resist Polis PAC Recall group is one of two recall groups gunning for the Governor. It was launched by Tom Good, who was at one time an administrator of the other recall group, the “Official Recall Governor Jared Polis,” but is now in a dispute with its leader, Shane Donnelly.

The dispute apparently included questions of transparency and accountability, which led to Good’s group forming a board of directors, including Finley, who posted about Brauchler and Glenn. Finley also made the following statement about the group’s recall effort:

“This recall movement is not just a conservative movement. It is multi-partisan. We have Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, Constitutional Conservatives and also Republicans involved in this effort. Anyone and everyone who feels this administration has gone too far and has completely stepped on and shredded the Constitution is involved. Our rights are valuable, and we don’t want a nanny state.” Kristina Finley, Resist Polis PAC Recall board member.

Both groups have a monumental task ahead of them. The Colorado Sun’s John Frank reported yesterday that as of the latest campaign finance reports, neither group has raised more than a tiny fraction of the money required to run a successful signature gathering operation.

The “Official Recall Colorado Governor Jared Polis” committee filed its first financial report Friday and reported raising an underwhelming $25,500. …A hefty chunk — $3,000 — hired the legal firm of former Secretary of State Scott Gessler. The organization reported more than 400 mostly small-dollar donations and about $1,000 in cash increments under $20. In other words — not enough to be taken seriously yet. A separate group, the Polis Resist PAC, which formed back in the 2018 election, raised $13,900 according to its most recent report. John Frank, Colorado Sun e-newsletter “The Unaffiliated,” 4/30/19

Neither Brauchler nor Glenn returned calls asking them to confirm their interest in replacing Governor Polis. This post will be updated with any replies.