In a firestorm for Colorado Republicans, a local party leader is stepping down rather than endorse the GOP gubernatorial nominee.
Hugo Chavez-Rey, Vice-Chair of the Denver Republican Party, announced his resignation over his opposition to Victor Marx for governor, Kyle Clark of 9 News reported. The decision comes ahead of a vote by the party chapter to remove him from office for his objection to the nominee.
Colorado Republicans "should not be governed by fear, political expediency, personal agendas, retaliation, or a willingness to sacrifice principles and values for the sake of maintaining internal political harmony," Chavez-Rey wrote in his resignation letter.
He is now backing Greg Lopez, an unaffiliated conservative candidate, for the governor's race instead.
Marx, who narrowly won a bitterly divided primary earlier this year, has attracted intense national scrutiny over his claim that he was forced to kill a man at the age of seven.
Since getting the nomination, he has landed in further controversy by trying to get around state campaign finance law by selling unlimited merchandise.