January 23, 2025 12:36 PM UTC

Everybody's Waiting For Dave Williams And His MAGA Brass Ring

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• by: Colorado Pols

After Colorado Republican Party chairman Dave Williams’ decisive court victory over detractors seeking his ouster right before the election, an uneasy quiet has settled over the party as factions assess their positions ahead of the next leadership election set for March. Williams’ uniquely controversial term as chairman, during which the state party abandoned long-held primary neutrality bylaws to endorse Williams personally along with a slate of mostly losing candidates last year, enjoyed a measure of vindication as Republicans made small gains in the legislature as well as narrowly electing Gabe Evans to Congress–the latter despite the state party’s endorsement of Evans’ primary opponent.

Through all of his divisive shenanigans Williams remained steadfastly loyal to Donald Trump, engineering the party’s endorsement of Trump months before the presidential primary and relying on that precedent to endorse Williams’ allies down the ballot. With Trump in the White House, Williams has declined to reveal whether he intends to run again, widely speculated to be dependent on whether he gets a job offer from the administration. As the Colorado Springs Gazette’s Ernest Luning reported last week, the vacuum created by Williams’ departure could be filled by one of Williams’ longtime lieutenants, Darcy Schoening or Hope Scheppelman–or another colorful far-right figure from the Western Slope, former Routt County Treasurer Brita Horn:

Horn is so far facing Darcy Schoening, the state GOP’s director of special initiatives, though additional candidates are expected to emerge in coming weeks. The party’s vice chair, Hope Scheppelman, has told party officials that she’s considering a run if incumbent state chair Dave Williams doesn’t seek another term. Williams, a former state lawmaker, has yet to announce his plans.

“Colorado Republicans, more than ever, need a chair who can unite us,” said Ganahl, who lost her 2022 run for governor to Democrat Jared Polis. “Brita Horn can do that.”

Added Ganahl: “We have been on the front lines together in Colorado politics for a decade. As chair, I know Brita will be working from Day One to ensure 2026 will be the best year Republicans have seen in a long time.”

Former U.S. Senate candidate Eli Bremer, who led the failed insurgency against Williams last year that culminated with a humiliating defeat in court, claimed at the time he was only interested in a caretaker chairmanship that would expire in the spring. Either of Williams’ current subordinates would be effectively a continuation of the incompetent leadership of the last two years, which would obviously please Colorado Democrats. But despite 2022 gubernatorial loser Heidi Ganahl’s enthusiasm it’s questionable whether Horn would be any better at the job.

And of course, if we hear in the next few days that Williams has decided to run for another term after all, it will simply mean that Williams’ job prospects in the new administration have dimmed Vivek Ramaswamy style! As happens to unqualified people once the shine of canine devotion wears off.

Stay tuned, they’ve got to elect somebody.