August 22, 2022 08:06 AM UTC

BREAKING: Sen. Kevin Priola Abandons Republican Party

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• by: Colorado Pols

Today, Senator Kevin Priola chose his constituents and Colorado’s future over partisan politics. Senator Priola has made it clear that the people of Colorado deserve leaders who will boldly take action against the most serious threats facing our country today. Instead of bowing to the pressure of corporate, special interests and right-wing conspiracies, we must continue to take aggressive action to protect the democracy of our nation and combat the climate crisis facing our planet.

Over the past four years, Senate Democrats have taken bold, meaningful action to curb emissions, prepare for climate related disasters, – including wildfires – and invest in renewable energy. And despite consistent fierce opposition from his Republican colleagues, Senator Priola has been a tremendously valuable partner of ours almost every step of the way…

Make no mistake: just as Senator Priola’s views haven’t changed, our caucus’s principles haven’t either. Senate Democrats, with the leadership of Senator Gonzales’s Reproductive Health Equity Act, secured and protected a woman’s right to reproductive health care this year. We will continue to fight to ensure that a woman’s right to choose is uninhibited in Colorado. Senate Democrats also led one of the most important expansions of workers’ rights in Colorado’s history this year through legislation granting county workers the right to unionize. We appreciate the tremendous contributions and sacrifices that working people have made over the past several years, and will continue to stand up for their rights. Where we’ve had disagreements with Senator Priola in the past, we have always maintained a respectful dialogue. That conversation will continue, only now we will be engaging him as a member of the Democratic Party.

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UPDATE #3: The backlash is on:

Kevin Priola needs to be recalled. #copolitics #coleg https://t.co/dAlB33P8kf

— Michael Fields (@MichaelCLFields) August 22, 2022

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UPDATE #2: Gov. Jared Polis welcomes Sen. Kevin Priola to the Democratic Party:

Proud to welcome @KevinPriola to the Democratic Party. We are a broad tent party, always seeking good ideas from the left and right to move CO forward. Senator Priola is a strong leader on climate issues & will hopefully be even more effective on the Democratic side of the aisle.

— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) August 22, 2022

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UPDATE: Strong words from Sen. Kevin Priola as he explains his decision to leave the Republican Party:

Like many Coloradans, I watched the events on January 6th with horror. I felt clearly that this would be the last straw and that my party would now finally distance itself from Donald Trump and the political environment he created. Week after week and month after month, I waited for that response; it never came. To my dismay, brave and honorable Republicans like Mike Pence, Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney, and Adam Kinzinger have fought to defend the constitution and rule of law only to be met with ridicule and threats. Fear-mongering to raise money or motivate voters is nothing new, but it has been taken to a dangerous and destabilizing level. I cannot continue to be a part of a political party that is okay with a violent attempt to overturn a free and fair election and continues to peddle claims that the 2020 election was stolen. [Pols emphasis]

Though deeply concerning, the attack on our democratic system is not the only existential thread that the Republican Party is choosing to ignore. I have become increasingly worried about out planet and the claimate crisis we are facing. The Republican party I joined decades ago created national parks, preserved federal lands, and protected wildlife. President Nixon signed the legislation that established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Today, my Republican colleagues would rather deny the existence of human-caused climate change than take action. I increasingly believe this inaction is counter to our responsibility as political leaders.

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Huge news via Twitter moments ago, as Republican state Sen. Kevin Priola announces his departure from the Republican Party and re-alignment as a Democrat:

#coleg #copolitics #Elections2022 #democracy #Republican #DemocratsDeliver #colorado pic.twitter.com/eCiKONCAsi

— Kevin Priola 🇺🇸 XLVIII (@KevinPriola) August 22, 2022

Stand by for updates and reactions.