You knew he couldn’t stay away for long. Former Colorado Springs Republican state Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt – the nationally controversial televangelist who has variously channeled God’s wrath at abortionists, Muslims and all things LGBTQ on his satellite TV show – is back in the political fray.

Having lost a Republican primary bid for a state Senate seat in El Paso County last June, Klingenschmitt announced to Colorado Springs-area Republicans in a mass email newsletter on Saturday that he is running for vice chair of the El Paso County GOP.

Klingenschmitt’s email states in part:

I ask you to attend and vote for Gordon (if you are eligible), at the County GOP Organizational Meeting (check in between 7 and 8:30 am) on Saturday 11 Feb 2017, at Coronado High School, 1590 W Fillmore St, Colorado Springs, CO 80904.

Vice-Chair is a volunteer position, it will cost me countless hours to help our local party, but I’m not asking for donations, I’m only asking for your endorsement.

Would you reply to this email if you are willing to endorse me for county vice-chair?

As a recent State Representative in the Colorado legislature, I earned the #1 most conservative “A” voting record among Reps from our county on the Principles of Liberty scorecard.  I was also named #2 most conservative Rep state-wide by Americans for Prosperity.

Klingenschmitt gave up his House District 15 seat in Colorado Springs after one term last year to vie with veteran Republican lawmaker Bob Gardner for the state Senate District 12 seat vacated by term-limited Senate President Bill Cadman. Gardner soundly beat Klingenschmitt 62 percent to 38 percent in the June 28 primary and went on to win the GOP-safe seat in the general election on Nov. 8.

Klingenschmitt, a U.S. Air Force Academy grad and former Navy chaplain who refers to himself as Dr. Chaps, first made a national name for himself when he was court-martialed by the military in 2006. Klingenschmitt maintains he was prosecuted for “praying in Jesus name” – a phrase that has since become his calling card – but military officials say he actually was tried for disobeying orders not to participate in a political rally in uniform.

The ensuing years of legal proceedings have provided him a platform for publicizing his ministry and achieving notoriety; so have his public statements on hot-button issues on his show.

Klingenschmitt sparked outrage and drew national media attention when he interpreted an attack on a pregnant woman in Longmont in 2015 – her 34-week-old fetus was cut from her womb by an assailant – as a “curse of God” for the practice of abortion. He served in the legislature at the time, and members of both parties condemned him. He was removed from his seat on a committee.

A regular critic of gays and lesbians, Klingenschmitt has condemned the Boy Scouts for allowing gay scoutmasters; he contended it would lead to more molestations of youths. He also has said gays should be disqualified from school teaching.