April 12, 2014 10:01 AM UTC

GOP State Assembly Open Thread

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• by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE #2: An interesting twist in the gubernatorial primary, FOX 31's Eli Stokols:

In a bit of a surprise, former state Sen. Mike Kopp narrowly won the top line on the June GOP primary ballot in the fight for the chance to challenge Democratic Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper this fall.

Kopp took 33.6 percent of the vote, eking out a win over Secretary of State Scott Gessler, who also made the ballot with 33.1 percent support at the state GOP assembly here…

“I am tired of weak-kneed Republicans who believe every Democratic attack means disaster. They roll over instead of standing up,” Gessler said.

In other gubernatorial news, Sen. Greg Brophy nets a disappointing 18%, and Steve House and Roni Bell Sylvester say goodbye. In the Attorney General primary, both Cynthia Coffman and Rep. Mark Waller make the ballot, though Waller's bare-minimum 30% total may have suffered due to ballots reportedly being handed out while he was still speaking. Cory Gardner nets 73% of the vote, enough to keep Randy "The Stache" Baumgardner off the U.S. Senate primary ballot.

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UPDATE: The Denver Post's Kurtis Lee:

Congressman Cory Gardner took to the stage at the state assembly Saturday calling for new leadership in the U.S. Senate, telling delegates he's the best candidate to create economic growth, lower taxes and spur more energy development.

"Everyday I see faces that are result of the failure of Washington," Gardner said. "Faces of failed leadership. … People who have lost their doctor, who are out of work."

Gardner quickly took aim at incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Udall, saying the he "just went along for the ride" with President Barack Obama on the Affordable Care Act, a measure polling far from favorably in Colorado.

"Obamacare is the biggest and worst boondoggle this country has ever seen," Gardner said.

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My fave look at the #GOP assembly. #copolitics pic.twitter.com/xpbYoSb9Kv

— sandra fish (@fishnette) April 12, 2014

To be updated from today's Republican Party state assembly at the CU Coors Events Center in Boulder.