Colorado Politics

Trump campaign taps Lamborn, Tipton to co-chair 2020 Colorado effort

The Trump campaign has named U.S. Reps. Doug Lamborn and Scott Tipton as honorary chairs of the Republican president’s 2020 re-election effort in Colorado.

In addition, veteran GOP political operative Jefferson Thomas will serve as state director of the Trump Victory campaign in the state, the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee said in a joint announcement.

Brian Seitchik, the Trump campaign’s 2016 Arizona director, is regional director for the six-state West region, which includes Colorado, as well as Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and Montana. Seitchik’s hiring was announced in May.

“Our Colorado Trump Victory leadership team will work to build on the success of 2016 to win statewide in 2020, delivering a win for President Trump and Republicans across the state,” said Brad Parscale, Trump’s campaign manager, and Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the RNC, in a joint statement.

“President Trump has delivered a soaring economy, rebalanced trade relations, lowered health care costs, and fought to secure our border. His successes can be felt nationwide and electing Republicans across Colorado will help to ensure he can achieve more victories for the American people for many years to come.”

Trump campaign officials have said they believe the state is in play next year, even though Trump lost Colorado to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Democrats swept last year’s state election, winning control of every statewide executive office and  both chambers of the legislature for the first time since the 1930s.

Parscale in April listed Colorado among a handful of states Trump lost in 2016 that he believes can be flipped next year.

Lamborn and Tipton are staunch Trump allies who represent safely Republican congressional districts, though Democrats have said they intend to mount a serious challenge to Tipton in the sprawling Western Slope-based 3rd District next year.

The other Republican members of Colorado’s congressional delegation are U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, who doubles as the state GOP chairman, and U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, who is seeking a second term in what could be among the most contested races in the nation next year.

A spokeswoman for the Colorado Democratic Party threw some shade on Gardner Tuesday for being “strangely absent” from the Trump campaign’s Colorado team.

Noting that Gardner is slated to appear at a three-day fundraiser this weekend for the Trump campaign and the RNC in New York, Alyssa Roberts said in a statement that Gardner “can’t stump for Trump in a room full of billionaire New York donors and get away with downplaying his support for the president back home” while consistently supporting Trump in the Senate.

“Gardner is squarely in Trump’s corner,” she said.

The announcement came the same day that the Trump campaign reported raising $125 million in the third quarter, far more than the top Democratic contenders combined.

President Donald Trump speaks at the Hispanic Heritage Month Reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Sept. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Carolyn Kaster
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