President (To Win Colorado) See Full Big Line

(D) Kamala Harris

(R) Donald Trump

80%↑

20%

CO-01 (Denver) See Full Big Line

(D) Diana DeGette*

(R) V. Archuleta

98%

2%

CO-02 (Boulder-ish) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Neguse*

(R) Marshall Dawson

95%

5%

CO-03 (West & Southern CO) See Full Big Line

(R) Jeff Hurd

(D) Adam Frisch

50%

50%

CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado) See Full Big Line

(R) Lauren Boebert

(D) Trisha Calvarese

90%

10%

CO-05 (Colorado Springs) See Full Big Line

(R) Jeff Crank

(D) River Gassen

80%

20%

CO-06 (Aurora) See Full Big Line

(D) Jason Crow*

(R) John Fabbricatore

90%

10%

CO-07 (Jefferson County) See Full Big Line

(D) B. Pettersen

(R) Sergei Matveyuk

90%

10%

CO-08 (Northern Colo.) See Full Big Line

(D) Yadira Caraveo

(R) Gabe Evans

52%↑

48%↓

State Senate Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

80%

20%

State House Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

95%

5%

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
June 25, 2018 03:10 PM UTC

RGA Intervening in GOP Primary To Help Stapleton?

  • 6 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols
Walker Stapleton.

A new report from local political reporter Sandra Fish in the Colorado Independent is raising red flags for anyone who remembers the bitter 2014 GOP gubernatorial race–in which Tom Tancredo accused the Republican Governor’s Association of interfering with the primary to support eventual loser Bob Beauprez.

It looks like a very similar situation may be playing out this year as Walker Stapleton tries to hold off his own primary challengers:

In the final days, the Republican gubernatorial contest has become a pitched battle between State Treasurer Walker Stapleton and businessman Victor Mitchell. While Mitchell bought plenty of ad time in the past week, Stapleton’s campaign is boosted by two super PACs: Coloradans for Fiscal Responsibility and Colorado Campaign for Jobs and Opportunity. Mitchell doesn’t have a super PAC supporting him.

The Campaign for Jobs and Opportunity reported to the Colorado Secretary of State that it is spending $200,000 on TV ads supporting Stapleton in the last week of the campaign. That’s the same group that came out with last-minute ads opposing former Congressman Tom Tancredo in the 2014 gubernatorial primary. After that election, at least one group accused the Republican Governor’s Association of helping fund those ads. (Tancredo is supporting Stapleton, and nominated him for governor at the April state GOP assembly.)

The sources of money for this year’s last-minute ad buy is unclear. State-level filings on July 2 and federal filings on July 15 may reveal more about the funding, but that will be long after voters cast their ballots on June 26. [Pols emphasis]

Tancredo might not care this time around, but self-funding Republican Victor Mitchell, who doesn’t possess anything like Tancredo’s baggage, would be incensed to have it confirmed that the RGA has spending against him in the Republican primary. Stapleton’s primacy in the GOP race has relied far more on an aura of inevitability as a result of being anointed by the state’s Republican powerbrokers than anything Stapleton has done to distinguish himself–in fact, that’s an understatement. Mitchell has been an aggressive challenger to Stapleton, but certainly not an ideological embarrassment to the party like Tancredo was.

If it does come out in mid-July that the RGA put its thumb on the scale for Stapleton, and Stapleton continues to run what could be the worst gubernatorial campaign since Dan Maes in 2010, don’t expect Mitchell to stay quiet. Stapleton might have the insider clout to make an RGA fix happen in the primary, but if he falls apart in the general election everyone who greased the skids for him will share the blame.

Comments

6 thoughts on “RGA Intervening in GOP Primary To Help Stapleton?

  1. It's part of a nefarious plan to make Stumbleton the nominee, so that when Stapleton implodes, he withdraws and then the great Taller Coffman will become the nominee.  That's why Nutlid is pimping Wayne Stumbleton so hard.  Right Nutlid?

  2. DCCC couch surfs into CD6 – well, they have to, right?

    RGA drops in on the weakest R candidate Colorado voters have seen since that last guy… whathisname – and it's pearl clutchy omy.  

    WTFE

Leave a Comment

Recent Comments


Posts about

Donald Trump
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Lauren Boebert
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Yadira Caraveo
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado House
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado Senate
SEE MORE

164 readers online now

Newsletter

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!