Here’s the skinny on Wadhams’ smack-down of DougCo’s ill-fated “home rule” gambit, followed by a few thoughts from me:
- Epic Defeat for Home Rule…or So They Thought
Douglas County’s all-GOP Board of Commissioners rolled out a “home rule” charter tweak and got pasted 71–29% by voters, who clearly smelled a rushed power grab rather than genuine local control . - Commissioners Cry “Chinese Communist Party!”
Rather than own the epic misfire, Commissioner George Teal blamed a grassroots group (“No Little Kings in Douglas County,” led by Dr. Eiko Browning) on the CCP—despite Browning being an American of Japanese descent who raised only about $14,000 . Cue the eye roll. - Conspiracy Theories: The GOP’s Latest Hobby
From Tina Peters’ prison-bound Serbian bogeymen to Ron Hanks’ claims that Dominion machines are compromised by Beijing, Colorado Republicans have become the state’s top conspiracy dispensary . - Red County Turns Pinkish-Gray
Once a crimson fortress, Douglas County now has 49% unaffiliated, 32% Republican and 17% Democrat — a shift that makes every ill-considered power grab a potential career-ender . - GOP Infighting Kills the Party’s Only Job
Even with Brita Horn replacing the disaster that was Dave Williams as state chair, the Colorado GOP is still squabbling over who gets to kick two-million unaffiliated voters out of primaries (a lawsuit budgeted at $100K) instead of actually winning elections .
A Few Thoughts of My Own
- Blame the Commissioners, Not Home Rule
Home rule in theory is a toolbox, not a Trojan horse. The real sin here wasn’t local authority—it was the commissioners’ clumsy rollout, shady spin and complete tone-deafness to what voters actually wanted. - Conspiracies Are a Self-Inflicted Wound
If you’re spending more time blaming unnamed foreigners for your screw-ups than crafting a credible platform, you’ve already lost. The GOP’s addiction to Q-anon-lite conspiracies is repelling the very voters they need. - Party over Personalities—Exactly
Until the Colorado GOP wakes up and remembers that its one job is to elect Republicans (not audition for “The Real Housewives of Centennial”), every candidate is on their own. Grace to Horn is fine, but until the ghosts of Williams, Peters and the rest are shown the door, nobody should expect a dime of help from party HQ.
In short: DougCo’s voters gave a vote of no confidence not in home rule, but in the way it was crammed down their throats and viewed as some kind of power trip. And statewide, until the GOP quits its clown show and gets back to basics—recruiting candidates, courting voters, winning elections—every pro-Republican is flying solo.
