May 01, 2014 11:16 AM UTC

Replacing Racist Lady in HD-35: "Sustainability Scares Me" Dude

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• by: Colorado Pols

We talked at the end of March about the Republican candidate in Colorado House District 35, an open seat being vacated by term limited Rep. Cherilyn Peniston, named Maria Weese. Weese's Facebook profile revealed a long history of unapologetically racist views, complaining about how "the heat has really been turned up by the Blacks in this country," and "the wagons circling around Obama led by the Blacks…[and] minorities getting government checks in the mail," among plenty of other disqualifyingly out-of-the-mainstream statements.

We've just learned that Weese has decided in the wake of these disclosures not to run for the legislature. Given that she was very likely about to become the next Nate Marshall, the openly racist Republican House candidate forced off the HD-23 ballot, this was a very sensible decision–whether made by her or (more likely) Republicans at a higher strategic level.

The only remaining problem for the GOP in this narrowly-averted disaster? That would be Weese's replacement!

Back in 2012, we introduced readers to then-Westminster City Council candidate Michael Melvin, a gruff-sounding Tea Party "small government" type running on a platform opposed to the redevelopment of the former Westminster Mall property. Melvin's lecture in a debate on the dangers of "sustainability" (above) was one of the funniest clips to emerge from any municipal race that year–transcribed once again for the record:

MELVIN: To me it’s an example, possibly an example, of government overreach. The whole concept of the Center smacks me a little bit of ‘sustainability.’ Everything’s going to be in one place, you’re not going to need a car, and you’re going to work and you’re going to shop and live in the same place…

‘Sustainability,’ folks, scares me. [Pols emphasis]

[audience laughter]

We love this guy, seriously. By describing "sustainability" in pretty complimentary terms, and then declaring that pleasant vision of the future "scares" him, Melvin keeps it real like few others we've seen. Just for content value, we're delighted to see him again!

Melvin didn't win his city council race, of course, but that left him available to serve as Maria Weese's replacement on the HD-35 ballot. We haven't found any racist rants from Melvin, but by all accounts, the best argument against Melvin is a conversation with him of any appreciable length. He's no more qualified than Maria Weese, and he perpetuates a growing narrative of laughably bad GOP candidates running for the legislature this year.