July 20, 2011 11:49 PM UTC

Colorado Republicans Looking at Moving Caucus to February

• 4 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

From The Colorado Statesman:

Colorado Republicans are considering moving the party’s 2012 caucuses ahead by a month to Feb. 7 if other states jump the gun and abandon a plan to delay the start of the presidential nominating calendar, state GOP Chairman Ryan Call told The Colorado Statesman on Tuesday.

While both parties are currently planning on March 6 caucuses in line with an accelerated election calendar adopted by the State Legislature – the state’s primary moves from August to June next year in an attempt to ensure general election mail ballots reach military and overseas voters in time, shifting caucuses, county assemblies and state conventions ahead – state Republicans plan to decide this fall whether to pick the earlier date.

“We’re waiting to see what Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada do,” Call said. “The law permits us to move up to the first Tuesday in February, and we might consider that if a number of other states depart and (Republican National Committee) rules permit us to do so.”

Call said that state Republicans don’t intend to be marginalized when it comes to influencing the nomination of a candidate to take on President Barack Obama next year.

The Colorado Democratic Party believed that the National GOP had agreed to set a new caucus date of March 6, consistent with a tradition of holding party caucuses on the same day in Colorado. But moving the date up for Republicans would certainly help energize the GOP in Colorado, because their role in choosing their nominee for President would become much more important.