A political riddle for all those who followed the 2014 elections here in the state: Would you call Colorado Republicans “winners” for taking the U.S. Senate seat away from a well- entrenched Democratic incumbent; sweeping the statewide offices; taking control of the state senate; and picking up seats in the state house?

Or, were Colorado Republicans ultimate “losers” for failing to regain the coveted governorship; and only slightly increasing their ranks in the state house, thereby leaving them short of recapturing control of the chamber?

Answer: Depends on who you ask, naturally.

State Republican Chairman Ryan Call answers the question in the positive. His chief challenger for the party chairmanship to date, former Adams County chairman Steve House, leans toward the more pessimistic view.

Call, who told The Colorado Statesman that he plans on officially announcing for a third term after the start-up of the legislature and hoopla of the swearing-ins subside in about a week, views the last year as momentus. Taking the U.S. Senate seat from Mark Udall was a major coup, he said, and coupled with gains in both chambers of the state legislature, these accomplishments will serve as a record upon which additional victories can be built in the next batch of elections.

And the race for governor where John Hickenlooper defeated their standard bearer Bob Beauprez? “Of course we’re disappointed,” he said.

But Call points to other dramatic achievements such as a large increase in fundraising by the party, successful candidate recruitment across the state, the addition of numerous field operations in Colorado,, and data input improvements as examples of a reenergized Republican party ready to head into the upcoming busy 2016 election year cycle which will not only feature an important presidential election, but also the reelection — or ouster — of Colorado’s other U.S. Senator, Democrat Michael Bennet.

When members of the state central committee meet on March 7 at Douglas County High School for their biennial reorganization meeting, Call and current Vice Chair Mark Baisley will present themselves as a united ticket, hoping that the state’s most active party members will vote them in for reelection.

Baisley, who is considered a member of the so-called liberty wing of the party, had earlier contemplated running for party chair himself this year, having lost to Call almost two years ago. But the former Douglas county chairman and Call came to a recent agreement to instead run as a team for chair and vice chair, hoping to show a unified ticket in March.

Call, who has come under fire from some of the grassroots and liberty Republicans in the past, hailed his partnership with Baisley as an indication that “the tea party and liberty [people] are not only welcome but had prominent leadership of the party.”

He added that Baisley “has given important voice and perspective from the liberty and grassroots” factions, and he plans on providing him “expanded opportunities” for a more prominent role with the party.

House, a former candidate for governor last year and a former county GOP chair, plans to make his candidacy for party chairman official on Friday, Jan. 9 during an interview on KLZ’s Grassroots Radio Colorado, a conservative talk station.

House acknowledges “some” success for Republicans in the 2014 election year under the leadership of Call, but “not enough.” Losing the race for governor is one example, he says.

House views the current Republican Party in the state “a little fractured” with the grassroots particularly unhappy with the way the party is run.

“I have a good relationship with the establishment and the grassroots,” House told The Statesman this week. He also said that he’s had a conversation with Party Chair Call about the discontent, and plans to meet with him this week for a more direct discussion.

House said his number one initiative will focus on county parties and their need to be strong. He feels that the current regime favors a top heavy organizational structure with the county parties at the bottom of the heap. House, who has served as chairman of Adams County in the past, points out that many of the elections occur in the counties, yet they have little power in determining how elections are run in the state.

It’s a feeling that other county chairs have recently expressed to The Statesman, as well. Becky Mizel, chair of the Pueblo County GOP, said she doesn’t believe in the topdown approach by the party. “When field directors come in, county officers should be a part of the field operations,” she stressed. The state party should “work with the county parties instead of berating them,” she added. She favors giving the county parties more fiscal responsibility and growing the party “grassroots up.”

Field directors, who typically are hired by the state party during election years and who are compensated, should be more mindful of the specific messaging unique to each county, Mizel said. “Pueblo is different than Boulder and Greeley, but there’s never any input from us.”

Plus, Mizel said, while she understands that the field directors were focused on Cory Gardner’s U.S. Senate campaign, she feels that some of the funds and infrastructure should have been provided for local candidates.

Pueblo state senator George Rivera, a Republican who won a recall election in 2013 against incumbent Democrat Angela Giron, ultimately lost his election in November. Likewise, Colorado Springs Sen. Bernie Herpin, who took the seat in a recall election that year when Democratic Senate President John Morse succumbed to the crossfire of gun politics, ended up losing the November election, as well.

“All hands should have been on deck,” Mizel said about those legislative races, with extra attention from the state party ensuring that the Republican incumbents could run viable campaigns. Mizel, and a couple other county chairs who were reluctant to go on the record, said that Chairman Call seemed to be punishing Rivera and Herpin — and the counties they represented — for being elected through a recall election, which Call has acknowledged in the past that he doesn’t favor to achieve elective office.

Call responded to the criticism by pointing out that there were close to 65 candidates running for legislative seats last year — 19 alone for the senate. Plus there were hundreds of local candidates. He said his principle responsibility was to be a good steward for the party’s resources which entailed closely following the elections, especially those of legislative candidates.

“If a candidate is losing by 7-8 points it’s not likely that money will make that much difference,” Call explained. “We could have written a check for $10,000 to $20,000, but the best use was for opening another field office to help the entire Republican ticket.”

“We only won the state senate by one vote,” chided Mizel, and only picked up a few seats in the house, keeping it still in minority status.

Viewed with the loss of the governor’s race against “a liberal, progressive” governor, Mizel said it is especially sickening given the tremendous successes of other GOP gubernatorial candidates across the country. “It is not a winning record,” she asserted.

Call disagrees.

He points to thr party’s aggressive efforts to raise funds to support Republican candidates, a record $2.1 million raised in state — that’s fourfold over the amount raised in th last midterm cycle, Call says. Plus, the state party mobilized $8.5 million from national Republican groups which benefitted Colorado.

Call said he was an advocate for conservative messages in the state, as well as a force for independent expenditure committees which also help Republicans get their message out.

The party provided Bob Beauprez’s gubernatorial campaign with $300,000 in hard money, Call added.

House said that while Call and the state party have had some success, he envisions a state party organized more in the style of former party chairs Beauprez or Bruce Benson, where the chairman served in a volunteer position and an executive director was the main fulltime paid employee.

Under the current regime, Call, as party chair, earns approximately $8,900 per month, according to county chairs who have reviewed party records. The state party pays Call’s taxes and health insurance and reimburses the chairman for traveling expenses.

House promised that if he is elected, his intention is to not take a salary. His only compensation desire, House told The Statesman, is for a bonus structured after the 2016 elections that would be “modest.”

House said he anticipates that he could serve as party chair and continue in his position as a healthcare consultant.

Another change he would like to make concerns the membership of the state party’s excutive committee, which House says should be more reflective of the entire party, not just the chairman. He feels it is “improper” for the party chair to appoint a majority of the committee members.

House said he is being supported by numerous county chairs and elected officials. Beauprez, whom he endorsed after the primary and campaigned for in the subsequent months, reportedly told him that he didn’t plan to endorse in the race, but “was very encouraging.”

House also said that Attorney General-elect Cynthia Coffman “reached out to me initially. She likes my leadership style. She encouraged me to do this and told me she supports me.”

Call, who party insiders speculate will be renominated for party chair by U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, among other Republican victors, would not confirm his campaign plans. He said simply that he is proud of his accomplishments over the last two years, but is also cognizant that 2016 will be challenging.

“Change in course is not advised,” he stated.

— Jody@coloradostatesman.com