June 10, 2026 11:11 AM UTC

Colorado's "Working Families Party" Hammers its Way to Irrelevance

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• by: Colorado Pols

People get involved in politics for numerous reasons. Some want to make a positive difference for their communities, others do it purely for money or attention; and some enjoy the strategy and the battles (large and small). Many political professionals end up in their current roles because of a combination of factors.

And some petulant folks just want to break things.

The latter reason seems to be the driving force behind a loose coalition of left-wing agitators in Colorado formed from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the so-called “Working Families Party.” The WFP in particular has become more of a WTF Party as it pursues individual grievances at the expense of any sort of grander mission. This election cycle has revealed the W(T)FP as a petty and largely inconsequential organization committed to using one tool — a hammer — to bash everything in sight with no broader strategic goal in mind.

We discussed the concerning actions of the W(T)FP and partner organization COLOR Action Fund in early March, after the group mocked former State Rep. Shannon Bird with a piñata likeness when she did not participate in a CO-08 candidate forum in Thornton. In the face of criticism from Democrats, W(T)FP State Director Wynn Howell doubled down on the stunt to further attack Bird. Howell didn’t do this in support of an endorsed candidate; the W(T)FP isn’t even backing Democrat Manny Rutinel in CO-08.

One week later, former State Rep. Tim Hernandez — a DSA and W(T)FP regular — broke up a health care debate that was literally billed as an event to “Disagree Healthier” by persistently shouting at the people on stage.

Things got even more disgusting earlier this month when someone leaked a recorded interview that W(T)FP conducted in 2025 with Rutinel. We won’t mention the name of the leaker of the video, since that person is a clout-obsessed clown always in a desperate search for attention. Releasing a video like this is a significant breach of trust, but it was justified by the leaker (also a former friend of Rutinel) as necessary in order to expose allegations that Rutinel has been inconsistent on some key policy issues.

Nobody from W(T)FP bothered to apologize for the leak; instead, Howell used the news as another opportunity to take shots at Shannon Bird. The “stolen video” discussed in the post at right was pilfered from W(T)FP and has absolutely NOTHING to do with Bird.

These are not the actions of serious, responsible political actors. W(T)FP and its allies are tearing down both Democrats in the race for Congress in CO-08 for no apparent reason other than spite. These are exactly the kind of mean-spirited and strategically pointless attacks that turned the Colorado Republican Party into a laughingstock incapable of contesting important elections in Colorado. The W(T)FP in Colorado is the MAGA of the left.

Democratic elected officials and candidates in Colorado should learn a lesson here: When you engage with people whose only tool is a hammer, you’re eventually going to get whacked. There is no upside for Democrats to involve themselves with Howell, Hernandez, or any of the rest of their allies. Even attempting a discussion is dangerous, since these folks have made it clear that they have no problem leaking the contents of private conversations if doing so supports their current grievance. This isn’t a new issue for left-wing hopefuls — former CO-06 candidate Levi Tillemann once secretly recorded and leaked a conversation with a top Democratic leader because he was angry that he didn’t get handed support for his campaign.

No candidate in their right mind should ever again even risk a conversation with Hernandez, Howell, W(T)FP, or any associated groups and individuals. Their only interest is in throwing rocks and patting each other on the back when something breaks; that’s their prerogative, but nobody else should feel compelled to participate.