‘Sewer of stolen election conspiracy theories’ could destroy Republicans in Colorado: strategist

The former chairman of the Colorado Republican Party warned the GOP could commit an irreversible mistake if it nominates election conspiracy theorists in the 2022 primaries.

"Colorado Republicans could be on the verge of finally winning some significant elections in 2022 after being routed in 2016, 2018 and 2020 cycles that resulted in Democratic dominance not seen since the 1930’s," Dick Wadhams wrote in a Denver Postcolumn. "The operative word in the lead sentence is 'could' because given where some Colorado Republican candidates are headed, Democrats could be bailed out from the Biden cesspool while some Republicans mire themselves in their own sewer of stolen election conspiracy theories promulgated by an equally unpopular former President Trump."

Waldhams, who worked for three different Colorado Republicans elected the U.S. Senate, warned "Trump’s pathological inability to accept defeat and his obsession with the 'Big Lie' conspiracy theory that the 2020 presidential was stolen, imperil Colorado Republican candidates at every level in 2022."

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He noted that voters unaffiliated with either party now compromise 43% of Colorado's electorate.

"Unaffiliated voters might be rejecting the Biden presidency and Democratic control of Congress and the state legislature but if they are faced with Republican candidates who are Trump clones parroting 'Big Lie' stolen election conspiracy theories, they will be driven right back to Democratic candidates," he wrote. "Unaffiliated voters will be looking for real answers from Republican candidates on the real issues of inflation, crime and Covid shutdowns. They do not want to hear about stolen election conspiracy theories that make Republican candidates look like unserious buffoons."

He specifically warned of two races at stake during Colorado's June 28 primary.

He warned that if Rep. Ron Hanks of Canon City gets the U.S. Senate nomination, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) "will be inevitably headed to a third term."

He also worried that a MAGA victory in the primary could elect Secretary of State Jenna Griswold, a Democrat.

"Emerging as a strong Republican challenger to Griswold is former Jefferson County Clerk Pam Anderson who also served as the executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association," he argued. "Despite being under a criminal investigation by a grand jury for compromising election equipment, Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters has announced her candidacy for Secretary of State. Peters has become something of a national hero to the stolen election conspiracy movement after flying around the country with the ultimate conspiracy theorist, Mike Lindell."

Wadhams, who also worked for former GOP Gov. Bill Owens, said the election conspiracy theorists are only helping Democrats.

"Both Hanks and Peters attended a recent meeting of the election conspiracy group FEC United where a leader called for Secretary of State Griswold to be 'hanged.' Neither Hanks nor Peters said a word when this threat was made. If Hanks and Peters are nominated along with other 'Big Lie' proponents in other races, the winners will not just be the Democratic candidates in those specific races, responsible Republicans will be tainted in other races as well," Wadhams warned. "Maybe the real 'conspiracy' of the 2022 Colorado election is that 'Big Lie' stolen election conspiracy proponents like Hanks and Peters are the Democratic Left’s strongest political allies."

In February, Grand Junction police arrested and then released Peters.

"Officers were responding to a request to assist local prosecutors with an active investigation, per a statement from the Grand Junction Police Department," 9 News in Denver reported. "According to a court documents, officers served a warrant to seize Peters' iPad on which she is suspected of improperly recording a Monday court hearing involving her deputy clerk, Belinda Knisley, after a judge prohibited recording in the courtroom."

Steve Staeger of 9 News analyzed body camera video he obtained of Peter's arrest.

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