“All politics is local” is a maxim dating back nearly 100 years in U.S. politics. It means that regardless of national or larger political trends, people vote based on the decisions and politicians closest to them. Nothing could better describe the current situation of Colorado Republicans.
Since 2006, Colorado Republicans have only posted one major victory: Cory Gardner’s election to the U.S. Senate in 2014. During this time, Republicans have failed to capitalize on “wave” elections beginning in 2010 where famously the national Republican wave came crashing on the beaches of Colorado.
But looking deeper into the past 20 years of elections, Colorado voters consistently support conservative ballot initiatives (with the exception of abortion). And in recent polling voters were asked if they wanted Colorado to look more like California or Florida, and a majority preferred Republican-led Florida. Yet despite both polling and ballot measure success showing Colorado as a toss-up political state, we vote for elected officials as if we were a hard-left state. Because again “all politics is local.”
The reason for the discrepancy between public opinion and electoral outcomes comes down to one issue: candidates. In the vast majority of elections, candidates, not issues, are on the ballot. Thus voters are given the choice between two candidates rather than a set of issues. Here is where Republicans have utterly failed – by continuously running unqualified, uninteresting, bizarre, and sometimes fraudulent candidates. Colorado voters, particularly suburban women with college educations (who vote against Colorado Republicans in droves), are smart; and they typically evaluate the person more than their policies.
Nationally, Republicans have enjoyed electoral success when they run compelling candidates who appeal to their respective districts. Notably, former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy bucked negative electoral trends in the U.S. House by running candidates who were veterans, minorities, and women. He also screened candidates for background problems before supporting them while not having an overarching issue-based litmus test. McCarthy sought candidates who fit their particular districts to achieve unprecedented electoral success.
Colorado Republicans have taken the opposite approach. Rather than looking for viable candidates, political insiders push litmus tests that are far outside the mainstream of Colorado voters. In the process, they overlook clear deficiencies in candidates that will obviously make them unelectable in a general election.
The mechanism for this is the caucus system which is controlled by a tiny number of self-appointed political elites – most of whom have no success in business, politics, or life. A majority of candidates must run through the caucus process just to get on the primary ballot. Meanwhile, the caucus elites try to rig the system to ensure only the most extreme and frankly bizarre candidates achieve ballot access. The caucus system continually puts forward candidates who are roundly (and often logically) rejected by Colorado voters in the general election.
This is the setup for Republicans in the 2026 election for governor. Three candidates will appear on the Republican primary ballot. Two were nominated via caucus, Scott Bottoms and Victor Marx, with Barb Kirkmeyer petitioning onto the ballot.
And while Kirkmeyer has the sort of resume and stature that would make her a top gubernatorial pick in virtually any other state, the two candidates who were nominated at the caucus have major flaws that would disqualify them in virtually any other state.
Bottoms has made bizarre claims about child sex trafficking rings at the State Capitol and claimed that there are over 40,000 Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang members in Colorado (globally it is estimated that there are around 5,000). Not to be outdone, Marx appears to be an actual con man. In a jaw-dropping interview with 9 News’ Kyle Clark, Marx’s entire life story along with claims he has publicly made over the past 15 years unraveled on television. Neither candidate who went through the caucus can believably attract normal Colorado voters.
In El Paso County, the problem is identical. Of the two county commissioner seats up for election this cycle, the two Republicans nominated at the caucus are undisputedly the least qualified to serve. Vickie Tonkins who is running for Commissioner District 5 has been rejected three times for the exact same position and once more for a seat on City Council. Though El Paso County voters don’t want Tonkins, she continues to be the choice of the caucus elites.
If national Republicans could give Colorado Republicans advice, they would tell them to nominate the most electable candidate. But Colorado Republican insiders continually attempt to virtue signal rather than put forth qualified candidates for both higher and local office.
The upcoming June primary will be very telling. If Colorado Republicans reject unqualified and bizarre candidates, Colorado could start to pivot back to the center. But if Republicans continue to put forth candidates who are objectively faulty, the Colorado electorate will also continue to reject these candidates.
All politics is local. Colorado voters would prefer we look more like Florida than California. But if Colorado gives voters an easy choice to select a more compelling Democrat nominee vs a faulty Republican opponent, then we will continue to slide into oblivion. Colorado Republicans should consider this and choose wisely when they fill out their primary ballots.
Eli Bremer is an Olympian, graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and The George Washington University, and former Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.
