A slate of largely incumbent El Paso County Republicans grabbed key victories Tuesday night in Colorado’s primary election, earning landslide wins against their anti-establishment GOP opponents who focused on major voting reforms and protecting the community from COVID-19 mandates. 

Voters’ preference for El Paso County commissioners Holly Williams and Cami Bremer, Coroner Dr. Leon Kelly and clerk and recorder candidate Steve Schleiker was clear, with all winning by around two-thirds of the vote, unofficial Secretary of State results show. 

Karl Schneider, vice chairman of the El Paso County GOP party, said he believes local Republican voters no longer wish to hear divisive rhetoric propagated by anti-establishment candidates, and that contributed to their across-the-board losses.

“Republicans are tired of this hyper-antagonistic mentality. We need to learn how to get along. We may disagree, but we don’t need to be disagreeable,” he said. “We need to get back to civility. … That is why we saw landslide voting in support of logical, sound-minded, even-keeled true Republican leaders.” 

Incumbent El Paso County commissioners Williams, Bremer leading in race for Republican nominations

Rejected candidates in each of the races had promoted election conspiracy theories and supported major reforms, such as a return to hand-counting ballots. Voters’ preference for more establishment candidates showed faith in the existing election system, several elected officials noted. The winning candidates did not receive the same support from the local GOP leadership as their opponents, but they all effectively fundraised. Voter education may have also played a role. 

El Paso County Republican Cinnamon Bergeron knocked on hundreds of doors campaigning for Schleiker and found that most voters were well-informed about local races. 

“They understand how mudslinging and in-fighting happens. They are resourceful to research and get to the truth of the situation of what’s going on,” she said. 

Candidates battled over a relatively small number of votes with only 28%, or 130,388 voters, participating in the election. In 2018, a non-presidential primary turnout was about 28%, Clerk and Recorder Chuck Broerman said.

Turnout may have been hurt by the message from a slate of anti-establishment candidates, he said. Casting down on election security could result in “self-inflicted voter suppression” leading to residents not participating in the election because they do not trust the process, he said. Nearly 99% of voters participated in mail-in voting, an endorsement of the system, he said.  

Professor Josh Dunn, chairman of the political science department at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, said experience and name recognition likely played an important role in the establishment candidates’ victories.

“They have governed in a way your average Republican in El Paso County supports, and they have greater name recognition,” Dunn said. “… In these lower-profile races, name recognition is a huge asset.”

El Paso County commission candidates Lindsay Moore and Dave Winney, clerk and recorder candidate Peter Lupia, coroner candidate Dr. Rae Ann Weber and sheriff candidate Todd Watkins all criticized the Colorado elections process and supported former President Donald Trump’s claims the 2020 election was stolen. The candidates campaigned as a slate, appearing together on several websites such as Restore Liberty, Appeal to Heaven for Colorado, Top Line Vote and Republican Strategy Forum. 

Several also appeared on stage at events with El Paso County GOP Chairwoman Vicki Tonkins, a choice some saw as favoritism within the party. Most of the candidates that won on Tuesday chose not to participate in the El Paso County Republican Assembly because they were afraid of possible bias and did not receive the traditional support expected from a county party.

Tonkins acknowledged the split within the local Republican party in an email to The Gazette Wednesday and disputed party leadership showed favoritism.

“The party is divided on social, economic, as well as belief systems and that is where we are,” Tonkins said. “It is important to inform voters of who the people are who desire to run, and represent them, and that is what our office is here for and that is what we have done.”

El Paso County Undersheriff Joe Roybal poised to earn Republican nomination for sheriff

Fundraising likely also played a role with establishment Republicans out-raised their competition by as much as 20 times ahead of the primary.

“Money makes a difference, but it matters more for the challengers than the incumbents,” Dunn said. “It takes money to raise your profile. If you’ve been in office — particularly local office — you’ve been able to establish your reputation so that people know who you are.”

The closest race was the El Paso Coroner’s office, where incumbent Kelly spent $22,335.76 compared to $21,603 raised by challenger Weber, Secretary of State records show. 

Kelly led with 67% of the counted votes as of Tuesday.

In the El Paso County District 5 county commissioners race, incumbent Bremer spent just under $49,000. Her opponent, Winney, only spent $2,472.18, almost one-twentieth the amount raised by Bremer. As of Tuesday, Bremer had 69% of ballots cast.

Establishment Republican Steve Schleiker leading in clerks race

The Constitutional Conservatives of El Paso County, an independent election committee that spends money on behalf of candidates, also weighed in on the races with $115,000 in spending for Williams, Bremer, Schleiker, Kelly, sheriff candidate Joe Roybal and treasurer candidate Broerman, said Daniel Cole, who managed the spending for the committee.  The spending supported direct mail and digital advertising, including text messages. 

In the race for the Congressional District 5 seat, Doug Lamborn outspent his closest rival Dave Williams by nearly two times. Lamborn spent $353,198.30 against Williams’ $195,560.61 according to Federal Election Commission data.

Lamborn defeated Williams and two other challengers Tuesday, grabbing 48% of votes cast, according to data from the Secretary of State’s Office.

Dunn said while the anti-establishment sentiment could continue to grow in El Paso County — “It comes in waves,” he said — seemingly most local Republicans were looking to move past their fringe ideologies.

“In some ways I think the establishment Republicans have made their peace with Trump. Some have become very vocal supporters of him, but I think it’s fair to say they’re trying to move beyond him as well,” Dunn said.

“It never hurts to call yourself an outsider. But as soon as you get elected, you’re now an insider. It’s difficult to maintain that status for very long.”