October 12, 2020 12:04 PM UTC

Neville Blames GOP Consultants for Demise of Colorado Republican Party

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• by: Jason Salzman

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

In announcing his decision not to seek re-election as the leader of Colorado’s House Republicans, state Rep. Patrick Neville (R-Castle Rock) issued an unvarnished critique of the Colorado Republican Party.

His primary target: Republican consultants, who, says Neville, make millions of dollars and attack Republicans while going soft on Democrats.

RELATED: How Conservatives Lost Colorado.

Neville told KNUS morning-show host Peter Boyles Friday that won’t seek his leadership post so he can “get back, get closer to the grassroots, work with the grassroots; I think they’ve been ignored far too long.”

Here’s an excerpt of his discussion with Boyles:

Neville: The Republican Party has some trouble here in Colorado because it’s run by a certain set of consultants that have been kind of just hanging onto power and doing whatever they can. That’s really more important to them than winning. We see it here in the state where these different groups get together and they’ll spend — you know, at least in the state House races — probably four or five times more [than] what they’ll spend — [correcting himself] four or five times more in the primaries than what they actually spend in the general elections. And unfortunately, some of the same folks that are, you know, working on the Trump campaign and working for these different groups are out there now trying to play the blame game because it’s looking like the elections in Colorado are not going to be as great as we’re hoping.

And so they’re trying to play the blame game and try to blame Trump. But the fact of the matter is, it’s because these same guys will go after Republicans with complete vigor and with everything they have. But then, when it comes to Democrats, they kind of like to sit on their feet and then sit back. And so, we’ve released some ads that are pretty hard-hitting. We’re not playing around. And what we’re starting to see is there’s certain Republicans out there that are, you know, criticizing us for doing that, and [saying], “Oh, this is so bad. You can’t do it!”

BOYLES: …What happened? What’s going on with the Republican Party in Colorado, and how and why? And I know you’re willing to name names. Pat, what are they doing?

NEVILLE: I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily the official party apparatus; It’s the different IECs and the different groups that are outside of the Republican Party that are really controlled by different consultants, the same consultants who have made millions. They live in many times bigger houses than the donors here in Colorado, and they keep losing time and time again. They go completely after Republicans with everything they have. They ignore the grassroots. And I’m kind of done with it. 

It’s one of the reasons I’ve decided I won’t be running for leadership after the November election. I want to get back, get closer to the grassroots, work with the grassroots. I think they’ve been ignored far too long. And it seems like every time we try to work with them in a leadership sort of position, then we get criticized. Every time we participate in the recall effort, these same guys come out and criticize us: “Oh, no! You can’t do that!” … 

Man! [those same consultants] will take out Republicans, I mean, look what they did in some of these primary elections, just the mean, nasty mailers and some of the stuff they’re willing to say about Republicans and, you know, even some of the stuff they’ve said about me in the past.

BOYLES: Cory Gardner?

NEVILLE: The consultants want to try to push us to be this, like, kind of milquetoast sort of group.

BOYLES: Why?

NEVILLE: They’re scared to take the hits.