With tempers flared against the Democratic majority in the statehouse and Gov. Jared Polis, a 55-member Republican vacancy committee on Saturday chose Columbine Valley Mayor Richard Champion to fill the House District 38 seat.

“What I’m hoping to do is get as much information as to how you want me to be your representative,” said Champion, after winning 38 votes against his opponent, Brenda Stokes. He added, “I can’t wait to go after the bad guys in November for the election.”

Stokes, when asked if she planned to run in the Republican primary against Champion, said, “You’re damn right I am.”

The vacancy in the Littleton-centered district occurred when Rep. Susan Beckman resigned on Jan. 17 to take a job as regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Since the 2018 election, 12% of the General Assembly’s members now represent their current districts through vacancy committees.

Many of the elected and unelected Republicans in the room expressed a desire for someone to strongly oppose the Democrats who control all elected branches of state government.

“I want a representative that’s not going to be following the rules of Lenin,” said Sandra Galpin of Centennial.

“I just know that I wish Polis would drop dead and we’d have good Republicans,” added Lucille Strohl, also of Centennial.

“I’m sick to death of the idiots downtown that are attacking our oil and gas industry,” said committee member Garry Kirkland of Littleton. “They’re fools. They don’t know what they’re talking about. Fossil fuels are not going anywhere.”

Pamela Cirbo of Littleton agreed, saying, “I think it’s important to have someone who understands oil and gas, who’s been in the business. If we don’t have oil and gas, our budget will lose multi-, multi-, multi-millions.”

She and Kirkland preferred Champion. Kirkland added that if Democratic legislators “ever got their [oil and gas] policies into place, it would be a short period of time till there would be a complete revolt in this state.”

Stokes, a former candidate for Littleton city council and the vice chair of the Arapahoe County Republicans, spoke first. Tom Grant nominated her, saying he was impressed with her expertise with the party’s data systems.

“I think she has the ability with her Hispanic background and the fact that she’s a woman to broaden the appeal of the party,” Grant said.

Stokes, reading from prepared remarks, called House District 38 “purple,” and that it needed a representative to push back against those who “threaten our way of life and our values.”

She described her background owning a yoga studio, working at the Federal Reserve, and her childhood in Los Alamos, N.M. Her father, who worked for the U.S. Department of Energy, died of radiation exposure, leaving her mother to raise Stokes and her nine siblings.

“Growing up, my mother taught me five important values: to follow God’s lead. Never be a victim. Never give up. Always do what’s right,” she said. “And never depend on the government for assistance.”

Champion, who was elected as Columbine Valley’s mayor twice and as a town trustee three times, opened by immediately telling the committee, “our state legislature and our governor have run amok.”

He slammed the 2019 law establishing extreme risk protection orders, in which a court can temporarily remove firearms from a person deemed dangerous to themselves or others. “Goodness gracious,” Champion said. “The accused for a red flag confiscation has no rights. That’s unconstitutional. That’s what our legislature and Gov. Jared Polis is putting us through.”

“Absolutely I stand with Trump,” he added, to applause. “Who is happy with the conservative judges?” he asked, as hands raised across the room and people murmured appreciatively.

Champion’s voice rose as he explained his opposition to “sanctuary city” policies that limit local law enforcement agencies’ cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

“Sanctuary cities? I don’t understand that. They’re letting criminals, hardened criminals, go because they’re ‘illegal,’ he said, further claiming that “the people that live in Denver are scared.”

As voting started, a house district officer told the attendees that there was a “tracker” – a representative from a Democratic campaign – recording the proceedings. That set off murmurs among the committee members and questions to the media present.

During the counting, Steve House, the Republican candidate for Congressional District 6, alerted attendees to the importance of donating money to whomever won the appointment, given the competitive nature of the district.

“On the other side, there’s a man named David Ortiz,” he said. “He’s a military vet. I will thank him for his service every time I see him. He is a paraplegic. Looks like a wonderful human being. But he doesn’t represent your values.” House added that Ortiz has $20,000 cash on hand. Colorado Politics reported last month that Ortiz had raised $33,948 total.

Rep. Colin Larson, R-Littleton, ticked off Democratic priorities that, he said, were contrary to popular sentiment, including criminal justice reform and abolishing the death penalty.

“We are up against a sophisticated, ruthless machine,” he said.

Committee member Lawrence Depenbusch of Centennial, who did not want to reveal his vote but disclosed that he was “leaning” toward Champion, said he was looking for a candidate who supported “conservative issues. Pro-life. Second Amendment. The economy.”

He added, “basically, the opposite of Bernie Sanders.”

Champion won nearly 70% of all votes cast. Although 55 electors were present, the vacancy committee had a total of 90 members.

“I was, frankly, very startled,” said a person in attendance who did not wish to be named but was expecting Stokes to win. Champion “was a pretty attractive candidate, but the other person had more exposure. I was surprised it went the way it did. There must be a message in that somewhere.”

As the votes were counted, Kirkland, the committee member from Littleton, remarked in the hallway, “Do you want to know the truth? I was very disappointed in both speeches.”

He felt that the public speaking skills of the candidates had let him down. He was also disappointed that Champion did not mention oil and gas.

Thomas McCoy of Littleton, who voted for Champion, said he would have been satisfied with either candidate, but that “Mr. Champion was the only one that addressed the solid backing of President Trump.” McCoy felt it was important for a state representative to vocally support Trump because “his values are good for the country. The state representatives should at least emotionally be on board with President Trump. If they oppose him, then what good are they to me, to us?”

Colorado Politics attempted to speak to Champion after the vote, but he declined and apologized, saying he was “drinking from a fire hose.”

This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Garry Kirkland’s first name.