April 06, 2016 12:51 PM UTC

Voters across Colorado call on Jon Keyser to disavow Tancredo’s endorsement

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• by: ProgressNow Colorado

After GOP U.S. Senate candidate Jon Keyser celebrated the endorsement of anti-immigrant ex-Congressman Tom Tancredo at a debate last night [1], ProgressNow Colorado, the state’s largest online progressive advocacy organization, once again called for Keyser to disavow Tancredo’s endorsement–and apologize to Colorado’s Latino voters for cozying up to Tancredo and his racist agenda.

“The response from ProgressNow Colorado members to Tom Tancredo’s endorsement of Jon Keyser has been overwhelming disgust,” said ProgressNow Colorado political director Alan Franklin. “Colorado has worked for years to undo the ‘hate state’ reputation that Tancredo helped create with his openly racist anti-immigrant demagoguery. What politician in his right mind would re-legitimize Tancredo’s racism by touting his support?”

After Keyser announced Tancredo’s support in March, ProgressNow Colorado members responded with anger:

“Mr. Keyser, we are watching,” stated Robert Johnson of Evergreen. “Racist policies will not win the day in Colorado. My family and friends have been voting in Colorado going on half a century and as a whole our state thrives on diversity–not shallow and self-serving racism.”

“As a Colorado citizen I am ashamed of your support for people such as Tancredo and Trump who continue to create divisiveness between people of different ethnic backgrounds instead of working for unity among all Americans and those who live here,” stated Sharon Baker of Palmer Lake.

“We have come too far to go back to this kind of racist hatred and bigotry,” stated Niara Isley of Durango.

“Tancredo’s politics are bigoted and disgusting,” said Susan Wolinsky of Denver. “Do you really want to be involved with them? Remember the old adage: ‘You will be judged by the company you keep.’”

“I find Tom Tancredo to be as hateful and racist as Donald Trump,” says Judith Maclean from Bayfield. “In fact the philosophy of the right wing is frightening. I am a student of World War II history, and I shudder at the sight of watching history repeat itself in America in 2016.”

“Kicking off your campaign by alienating Colorado’s large population of Latino voters is not the way to win,” said Franklin.