DENVER – Colorado Republicans caucusing on Tuesday may use the opportunity to express frustrations with a political system that they have grown to hate.
Without a preference poll on either the presidential or U.S. Senate races, this year’s GOP caucus doesn’t carry the weight it has in the past for projecting a leading candidate.
The decision last summer by the state party to eliminate a vote for a Republican presidential candidate at caucus has in many ways taken Colorado off the map for early voting. Republican presidential candidates have largely bypassed campaigning in Colorado.
And with only a handful of U.S. Senate candidates promising to caucus onto the primary ballot – most of the field is opting to take the petition route – there will be less grass-roots advocacy for specific candidates.
Despite the changes, one element is likely to remain – emotion.
“Your caucuses are going to be very well attended, you’re going to have people going to caucus who have never gone before because they’re pissed off,” said Republican state Rep. Don Coram of Montrose.
There is plenty to disagree about.
Front-runner Donald Trump has changed the campaign playbook for the GOP, as Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz hope to push the race their way.
And with at least 13 Colorado Republicans vying for the party’s nomination to unseat Denver Democrat Michael Bennet in the U.S. Senate, many party members remain on the fence as to who they will support.
While there won’t be a straw poll on Tuesday for the two key races, Republicans fully expect to weigh presidential and U.S. Senate candidates come caucus night.
It is at these meetings that neighbors will elect delegates to county assemblies and the state convention, which could ultimately signal a preferred sentiment for the Colorado GOP.
Ultimately, Colorado Republican delegates could have a bit of strength at the July national convention in Cleveland. If no presidential candidate emerges as a winner, then the unchained delegates could become key in swinging the outcome.
The U.S. Senate race, however, is unique in that candidates are campaigning to place themselves on the June 28 primary ballot.
Candidates taking the assembly route must garner the support of at least 30 percent of delegates at the state convention. Those not taking the assembly route must collect 1,500 valid signatures from Republicans in each of the state’s seven congressional districts.
U.S. Senate candidate Tim Neville, a state senator from Littleton, has promised to caucus onto the ballot, so Tuesday marks an attractive opportunity for him.
“It’s extremely important, we never leave anything on the table,” Neville said. “You try to work as best you can and you try to cover as much geography as you can.”
Candidate John Keyser – who has chosen to petition onto the ballot – will attend his local caucus in Morrison.
“Jon has been focused on attending grass-roots meetings across Colorado since he entered the campaign,” said Keyser spokesman Matt Connelly.
Candidate Jack Graham, the former Colorado State University athletic director, also has chosen to petition onto the ballot. His campaign manager, former Colorado Republican Party chairman Dick Wadhams, said more candidates are choosing to petition this year, based on the size of the field.
Republican state Rep. J. Paul Brown of Ignacio encourages candidates to take the grass-roots element seriously. He hopes to be elected as a delegate again this year.
He is largely undecided on whom he would support, though he leans toward Cruz and Keyser.
