The caucus at the Pueblo West library, which hosted seven precincts, was sparsely attended, with fewer than two dozen in attendance.

The Pueblo region, which has swung toward Democrats for decades, broke with tradition in 2016 and voted for Donald Trump. So how do Republicans continue that momentum in November?

Marla Reichert, the chair of the Pueblo County GOP, caucused at the library, and told Colorado Politics that four years ago, when they did street-corner sign waving, it was about 50-50, she said. People would shyly wave or give a quiet thumbs up; a few honked, and some “waved just one finger,” she said.

It’s not that way now. Last weekend, she was part of a group that did a sign waving at the intersection of Highway 50 and Elizabeth Street, just west of I-25 in central Pueblo, and people aren’t shy anymore. “It’s 25 to 1” in favor, she said. “People are being bold and excited to show their support for the president,” she said.

Reichert said Trump will keep Pueblo in his corner, with his economic policies, which she called “fantastic.”

And “if you support Donald Trump you should support” Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, Reichert said. “He’s stood with the president” on Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh and lots of federal judge appointments, she said. “Those wouldn’t happen without people like Sen. Gardner. He’s the logical choice.”

The caucus on Saturday chose delegates for the county assembly and discussed resolutions. They also discussed upcoming county and congressional district assemblies for several contested races, including HD46, currently represented by Democratic Rep. Daneya Esgar, and HD47, represented by first-term Democratic Rep. Bri Buentello. has a contested GOP primary in June.

Also contested, and discussed on Saturday: the congressional District Three race, where incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton of Cortez faces Lauren Boebert of Rifle.

None of the candidates attended the library caucus, but supporters read statements from Boebert and Tipton. Another supporter spoke for Stephanie Luck, who is challenging Buentello. Luck won the straw poll among the HD47 precincts at the library.

Almost everyone attended the caucus at the library appeared to be least 40 or older; only one person was under 40.

In the past, caucuses were held at a local high school, which hosted all of Pueblo West’s precincts, but that wasn’t available this year, and so they split the caucus into three locations. But Reichert attributed the smaller turnout at the library in part to Tuesday’s presidential primary.

In one precinct, Julie Catalano gave a mini civics lesson. She spoke of how exciting it had been to attend the state assembly and meet all the candidates, from the top of the ticket on down. “We all need to be involved,” and to make sure candidates “represent our values,” she said,

Against a backdrop of first responder traffic, the north fire station in Pueblo West hosted a caucus with eight precincts, and about the same attendance as at the library.

The fire station caucus is wholly contained within HD 47. It also includes the home precinct for Ron Parker, one of the GOP candidates for HD 47.

Steve Cornella said that attendance at the 2020 caucus isn’t a whole lot different than it was in 2016, which was his first.

Cornella pointed out that in 2016, the nomination for president was more up in the air, with a lot of choices. “It’s a slam-dunk” now, he said.

The caucus adopted six resolutions that will first be forwarded to the Pueblo County GOP assembly and potentially up to the Colorado Republican state assembly, all unanimously. The first named named Pueblo County a “sanctuary for the unborn,” and seeking a ban on abortions within the county.

The second was on a national “convention of states,” which would propose amendments imposing fiscal restraints on the federal government, “limit its power and jurisdiction, and impose term limits on its officials and members of Congress.”

A third called for repeal of the magazine limit law passed by the General Assembly in 2013; a fourth supports repeal of the National Popular Vote adopted by the General Assembly last year.

The caucus also voted in favor of a resolution to repeal the 2019 red flag law, and one that would “protect the value of our votes” for the US House and Senate. That resolution stated that “any immigrant or any alien legally in the United States not eligible to vote that does so against our current laws, and casts a vote at any level, be it County, State or Federal election, must be held accountable. The proposed penalty for this act shall be a bar against any future claim for citizenship and shall also be a deportable offense.”

Christine Fidura said that all candidates should pledge to support those resolutions, a position also supported by the caucus. They did not hold a straw poll.