Colorado Politics

Lamborn challenger Dave Williams sues to add anti-Biden phrase to his name on primary ballot

Republican congressional candidate Dave Williams wants voters in Colorado’s upcoming primary election to know how he feels about President Joe Biden when they see his name on the ballot.

On Monday, the state lawmaker from Colorado Springs, one of three Republicans challenging U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn in the June primary, filed a lawsuit to force the state’s top election official to include a phrase popular among Biden critics, along with his name on the primary ballot, claiming that he’s widely known as Dave “Let’s Go Brandon” Williams.

Some of the Democratic president’s most vocal detractors have adopted the phrase as code for “F— Joe Biden.” It quickly became a rallying cry among conservatives last fall when a TV reporter misunderstood what an anti-Biden crowd was chanting after a NASCAR race, telling winning driver Brandon Brown that they were cheering him on by saying, “Let’s go Brandon.”

Williams told Colorado Politics he decided to sue after Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold rejected his request to include what he argues is his nickname on the ballot.

According to the lawsuit filed in Denver District Court, Griswold refused to print the phrase on the ballot, saying it is a slogan, not a nickname, even though Griswold decided last year that a school board candidate in Larimer County could appear on the ballot as Blake “No Mandates” Law.

“Just like Joe Biden, Jena Griswold needs to learn she can’t push her radical and illegal agenda on the rest of us,” Williams said in a text message. “I’m fighting her to uphold the rule of law just like I’ll fight her comrades in the U.S. House.”

Colorado law explicitly allows candidates to be listed with a nickname on ballots so long as the nickname doesn’t include any part of a political party’s name, Williams’ lawsuit notes.

Annie Orloff, a spokeswoman for Griswold, said in a statement that fulfilling the request could “cause confusion” among voters.

“While Colorado statute does permit the use of nicknames on the ballot, our office does not believe this is a good faith use of that statute and will cause confusion for voters,” she said. “The Secretary of State’s Office looks forward to defending our practice of ensuring the ballot remains clear and accessible for all Colorado voters.”

Colorado state Rep. Dave Williams, R-Colorado Springs, speaks during a rally calling for free and fair elections in Colorado on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, on the west steps of the State Capitol in downtown Denver. 
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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