Colorado Republican Party Chair Dave Williams will not seek a second term when party members hold their post-election reorganization meeting next month.
Williams said he reached the decision after prayerful consideration.
“While the grassroots majority of our Party—those who have aligned with our leadership and the bold agenda we advanced over the past two years—would support our continued leadership into the next election cycle, I have chosen to move in a different direction and be effective for the movement in a new capacity,” Williams wrote in a post on the party’s Facebook page.
The new chair will be picked at a statewide reorganization meeting on March 29 at a church in Castle Rock. Numerous Republicans are vying for chair, including former Mesa County chair Kevin McCarney, current party official Darcy Schoening, former Routt County treasurer Brita Horn, and former state Rep. Lori Saine.
Williams’ tenure has been marked with controversy. His approach to the role has focused as much on policing fellow Republicans as on attacking Democrats. Under his leadership, the party has not shied away from going after its sitting politicians, most recently chastizing Rep. Jeff Hurd for his criticism of the president's blanket pardons of Jan. 6th rioters.
As chair, Williams also broke with long-standing party tradition by taking an active role in primaries, boosting favored candidates and attacking those deemed insufficiently conservative or loyal to President Trump. He also continued as chair while running in the contested primary for the 5th Congressional District, a bid he first announced using the party’s official email account.
And he led the party to the right on social issues, in particular with a series of emails and social media posts attacking LGBTQ Pride month.
Those controversies led to a protracted leadership battle, with Williams’ opponents eventually holding a vote to oust him and install a new chair. A judge ruled that effort invalid and the party is currently suing several of the dissidents, including Horn and McCarney.
In a message to party members Friday, Williams claimed victories in his tenure — including flipping the 8th congressional district, increasing GOP voter registration numbers and opposing efforts to keep President Donald Trump off the ballot in Colorado.
And he warned, “We must guard against those within our Party—especially the Never-Trump wing—who preach unity with their lips yet seize every opportunity to tear down fellow grassroots Republicans they disagree with.”
