March 22, 2024 02:48 PM UTC

Caption This Photo: What Me, AFP?

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• by: Colorado Pols

As readers know, a state of more or less open war exists today between the Colorado Republican Party and the conservative advocacy group Americans For Prosperity over the latter’s recent Republican primary endorsements: in the Republican presidential primary of the now-vanquished Nikki Haley, but more importantly for local consumption AFP’s endorsement of Jeff Crank in the CO-05 GOP primary over Colorado GOP chairman Dave “Let’s Go Brandon” Williams. This led to Williams kicking his abuse of party resources into high gear, with the Colorado GOP labeling AFP “Never-Trump phony hypocrites” in official communications and urging Republican voters to “not be fooled” by the group’s endorsements.

But as we’ve pointed out several times while covering this schism, Williams’ strident bashing of Americans For Prosperity, to the extent that it takes hold among Republican voters generally, is a big problem for what should be the Colorado GOP’s highest priority in 2024: the highly competitive CO-08 race pitting incumbent Rep. Yadira Caraveo against freshman Rep. “Gabbin'” Gabe Evans.

And folks, that is the face of a man who knows he’s got a problem! It could be one of the most reluctant-looking endorsement photos ever taken.

Although Americans For Prosperity cut off support for Haley prior to her exit from the presidential race, the group has continued to slam Trump’s return to power in the GOP, saying flat-out “The last three election cycles have painted a very clear picture of what we can expect from voters who consistently rejected Donald Trump and his impact on the Republican party brand.” Of course, there’s every possibility that AFP will join the rest of the Republican Party in forsaking their conscience and bending a knee to Trump–but if they don’t, their support is something Gabe Evans is going to have to reconcile with his Republican base.

While the Republican primaries in CO-05 and CO-04 have been about candidates racing to define themselves as the MAGA-est rock-ribbed conservative in the field, Evans has been able to squeak by so far without having to engage on the issues dividing Republicans elsewhere–or at least dividing Republicans from the rest of the country. As the presumed Republican nominee in one of the nation’s most even-divided congressional districts, that can’t last forever, and at some point Evans will be forced to explain why the state party’s attacks on AFP and candidates they support do not apply to him.

Either way, this is the race Colorado Republicans should be caring about the most. And it’s clear that party leadership has its attention focused elsewhere.