COPO PODCAST | Denver’s Republican and Democratic party chairs talk about their roles
The chairs of Denver’s Democratic and Republican parties play two very different roles.
Democratic Chair Melissa Johnsen said part of her job is to stay neutral when several Democrats are vying for the same office.
GOP Chair Kristina Cook said part of her mission is to keep the party relevant in a deep blue city where Republicans account for 12% of the registered voters.
The Colorado Politics Podcast spoke with both women recently. Here are our conversations with Johnsen and Cook.
Below are links to our interviews with the two chairs in text, and to more from our CoPo Podcast series of interviews with Denver leaders.
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A tale of two legislatures: Republicans, Democrats find more common ground, even amidst usual partisan bickering
Marianne Goodl
marianne_goodl@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 months ago
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. But it’s probably the next few lines of Charles Dickens’ opening in his book, “A Tale of Two Cities,” that perhaps best describe what’s been unfolding at the...
How the Supreme Court could decide the fate of Trump’s 2024 ballot access
Kaelan Deese
kaelan_deese@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 months ago
All eyes are on the Supreme Court now that former President Donald Trump has been found ineligible on two state primary election ballots for the 2024 race, prompting confidence among legal experts that the nine justices will resolve the unprecedented...
Colorado Springs man sentenced to 33 months in prison for role in Jan. 6 Capitol riot
Zachary Dupont
zachary_dupont@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 months ago
A Colorado Springs man was sentenced to 33 months in prison last week after being found guilty of several charges relating from his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, according to a press release sent by the Justice...
Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis censured by Colorado courts for lying about 2020 election
Ernest Luning
ernest.luning@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 months ago
Jenna Ellis, the Colorado attorney who tried to challenge Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss as a member of the former president’s legal team, has been formally censured by the state’s courts for repeatedly making false statements, including claiming that the...
Former Mesa County elections manager takes deal, will testify against Tina Peters
Marianne Goodland
marianne_goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 months ago
Former Mesa County Elections Manager Sandra Brown pleaded guilty Wednesday to two charges related to an election equipment tampering case in Mesa County and has agreed to testify against her former boss, Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters. Brown...
Ideological divide in full display as Ganahl presses Polis in third debate
Luige Del Puerto
luige.delpuerto+co@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 months ago
The philosophical chasm between Gov. Jared Polis, who seeks reelection, and Heidi Ganahl, the Republican challenger, was in full view on Sunday night, as the two candidates clashed over crime, energy and taxation in an hour-long debate that could help...
LIVE UPDATES: Polis, Ganahl debate a day before Colorado voters get early ballots
Luige Del Puerto
luige.delpuerto+co@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 months ago
The philosophical divide between Gov. Jared Polis, who seeks reelection, and Heidi Ganahl, the Republican challenger, is expected to come into full view tonight, when the two candidates debate their ideas and proposals on crime, energy and taxation, among other...
Colorado’s Griswold, other Democratic secretaries of state endorse bill to protect election workers
Marianne Goodland
marianne_goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 months ago
Colorado’s Jena Griswold, along with more than a dozen Democratic secretaries of state, penned a letter supporting federal legislation designed to protect election workers. U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper this month introduced the Election Protection Worker Act, which...
Bennet, Hickenlooper team up on legislation aiming to protect election workers
Marianne Goodland
marianne_goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 months ago
U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper joined a team of Democratic lawmakers in sponsoring legislation to address threats made against election workers. The bill arises from several efforts: A year ago, the U.S. Justice Department, responding to a rising...
El Paso’s voting machines pass accuracy test, contradicting Tina Peters’ claim of high error rate
HUGH JOHNSON
hugh_johnson@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 months ago
El Paso County election officials began tabulating tens of thousands of ballots over the weekend after the voting machines passed an accuracy test, contradicting claims of a high error rate by Mesa County clerk Tina Peters, who, along with three...
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