August 29, 2025 03:03 PM UTC

Former GOP Official Primarying U.S. Rep. Hurd Earns Tancredo Endorsement

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• by: Erik Maulbetsch

(Hope is in the Tanc — Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Originally posted at the Colorado Times Recorder

This week, former Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) announced he is backing former Colorado GOP Vice Chair Hope Scheppelman, who’s challenging freshman Congressman Jeff Hurd in the 2026 Republican Primary election for Colorado’s 3rd District. Tancredo, never one to avoid controversy while he was in office nor when speaking publicly since retiring, dismisses Hurd as an anti-Trump “lawyer-politician,” while praising Scheppelman’s MAGA bona fides.

“Too many say-anything, lawyer-politicians like Jeff Hurd get elected by tricking voters with millions in fake ads, then go to Congress and betray the very voters they are supposed to represent. Jeff Hurd is clearly the problem with Congress, while Hope Scheppelman is the solution,” said Tom Tancredo.

“With Hope Scheppelman we get a proven conservative fighter who will expose the anti-Trump radicals like Jeff Hurd in BOTH political parties who refuse to abide by the will of voters to stop illegals who skip the line, refuse to stand up against the entrenched federal bureaucrats, and who refuse to get tough on the shameful waste, fraud, and abuse of our tax dollars,” continued Tancredo.

Given Hurd’s support of Trump’s budget bill, as well as the sweeping cuts made by Elon Musk’s DOGE team, the Colorado Times Recorder asked Tancredo what statements or positions of Hurd’s prompted him to endorse Scheppelman.

Tancredo cited Hurd’s support of the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection (GORP) Act bill, saying, “I do not believe that is a conservative position to take on those issues. It’s certainly in line with a bureaucratic state.” The bill creates federal protections for over 700,000 acres of public land on the Western Slope, which comprises the majority of the Third District’s land, although most of its population resides in Pueblo. Tancredo lives in Lakewood, which is in the Seventh District.

He also criticized Hurd’s 2024 campaign statements. “All during the campaign, actually, I think he was very unwilling to commit to any sort of conservative agenda,” said Tancredo. “Maybe that was just the political thing, but even if it is, it’s the wrong thing to do. We need people in that position — it’s a Republican district. I know that it’s tough– but who will commit to a true conservative agenda. I just feel like there’s a better candidate to be involved, so I support Hope.”

Scheppelman served as Vice Chair of the Colorado Republican Party under former Chair Dave Williams, during his 2023-24 term. Prior to her statewide leadership post, Scheppelman was secretary of the La Plata County GOP, a role she took on after managing an unsuccessful 2022 statehouse campaign for Shelli Shaw, who lost the House District 49 race to Barbara McLachlan (D-Durango).

She believes numerous far-right conspiracy theories, including that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. Tancredo says that issue was not among the reasons he decided to endorse her, and that he himself has not studied it enough to determine whether or not that election was rigged.

Western Slope Republicans have made a tradition out of challenging their own incumbents in recent years. In 2023, Hurd launched his campaign as a primary challenge to Lauren Boebert, who herself won the seat by taking on longtime U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton during the 2020 primary, which took place during the pandemic.

Hurd’s office did not respond to a request for comment. This article will be updated with any response received.