Colorado Democrats decried and Republicans welcomed Thursday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down affirmative action, with Democrats saying justices turned their backs on a strategy that has served to “correct for past discrimination” and offer “more opportunities to historically underrepresented communities.

Republicans in turn argued that college admissions should only be based on individual merit.

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Lauding the court’s decision, state House Minority Leader Mike Lynch said no American under the U.S. Constitution should “ever be denied opportunity because of the color of their skin or because of their race.”

“Many brave Americans, over the course of several generations have died to ensure these rights and today our highest court has again correctly affirmed this fact to be true.”

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Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser called the ruling “misguided” and harmful to America’s higher education.

“Under the court’s ruling, preference for legacy admissions will be permitted, but efforts to open the doors of higher education to previously excluded groups who still face barriers to equal opportunity and to ensure diverse learning environments will not,” Weiser said in a statement.

“Moreover, studies and history tell us that colleges and universities will likely see a sudden drop in Black and Hispanic enrollment because of the Court’s ruling. This ruling will cause unneeded disruption and harm to our universities, students, and administrators.”

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat, agreed.

“Today’s Supreme Court decision undermines our nation’s promise of equal opportunity for all, especially for those citizens who have been historically denied it,” Bennet said in a statement.

So did state Senate President Steve Fenberg: “I am disappointed in today’s ruling which will exacerbate racial inequities by closing off pathways for students who otherwise would not be given the opportunity to attend those institutions, a result that will unfortunately harm both those students and higher education institutions in general.”

Reaction to the court decision was swift, although many also anticipated it.

U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, a Republican, welcomed the ruling.

“I applaud this decision by the court as a first step to bringing our collegiate institutions back to merit-based admissions,” he said on Twitter.

As did U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, also a Republican.

“Affirmative action is unconstitutional and has always been unconstitutional,” she said on Twitter. “This country should only be based on merit, not racism. This ruling will go a long way towards achieving a country where we are judged by the content of our character, rather than the color of our skin.”