Colorado Republican Party Vice Chair Darrel Phelan resigned on Tuesday, calling it “unacceptable” that state GOP Chairman Brita Horn allegedly spurned his participation in state party matters and wanted Phelan to be “seen, not heard.”

“In the 72 days since the election, I have been systematically sidelined and deliberately ignored by our Chair,” Phelan said in an email to state Republicans, declaring his “immediate resignation.”

“Despite repeated requests to contribute to strategy and policy discussions, my only ‘input’ has been to facilitate the dismissal of her lawsuit and to endorse the hiring of her affiliates. According to her, I am to be seen, not heard — and that is unacceptable,” Phelan said.

Phelan, a former chairman of the Las Animas County Republican Party, was elected by state central committee members this spring as part of a slate of officer candidates that includes Horn, a former Routt County treasurer, and former congressional candidate Russ Andrews, who won election as party secretary.

Phelan was a vocal critic last year of the party’s previous set of statewide officers, including former chairman Dave Williams, who didn’t seek a second term running the state GOP. Phelan defeated Williams’ second-in-command, former vice chair Hope Scheppelman, at the party’s reorganization meeting on March 29 at a church in Colorado Springs.

In his resignation notice, Phelan said he was equally disappointed with the party’s new leadership.

“I cannot, in good conscience, continue to lend my name or reputation to an organization whose leadership refuses genuine collaboration with the State Central Committee,” Phelan said. “We have merely swapped one figurehead for another, and the dysfunction has only deepened under this new regime. My highest loyalty is to our principles and to the voters we serve; I will not underpin a power structure that rejects accountability and mutual respect.”

Horn didn’t respond to a request for comment but said in an online announcement that she plans to schedule a meeting to elect a replacement for Phelan by late July.

“Transitions within any organization, especially one as dedicated as the Colorado Republican Party, can be challenging, but they also present opportunities for growth and renewed strength,” Horn said in the posting. “We are confident that our party’s future is bright, with a steadfast commitment to our conservative values and a united front to serve Colorado voters.”

After acknowledging Phelan’s resignation and “(thanking) him for his service,” Horn said she would issue a call for a meeting of the central committee within 10 days, in accordance with party bylaws, and that the meeting would be held within 30 days of the official call.

Added Horn: “The Colorado GOP remains focused on unity, accountability, and collaboration as we move forward. Our dedicated volunteers, county chairs, and committee members continue to drive our mission, and we appreciate their tireless efforts.”

Two Republicans who competed against Horn in the state chair race told Colorado Politics that they’re running to fill the vacancy.

Darcy Schoening, a member of the Monument Board of Trustees and the party’s director of special initiatives under Williams, said in a post on X that she’s “down for a fight” and is running to “create some balance” in party leadership.

“Someone needs to get in there and create some balance to the destructive Republicans in office, and someone needs to push back and expose what’s happening inside,” Schoening said. “No one in the Colo GOP is down for a fight more than me. Let’s go.”

Former state Rep. Richard Holtorf, R-Akron, a member of the state party’s executive committee and former congressional candidate, said in an interview that he was “willing to do that because I want to help the Republican Party save itself from itself,” but added that he’ll only run if Horn and other state leaders want him to.

“I want the current, established leadership to be comfortable with me on their team, and if they weren’t, then I wouldn’t want to disrupt what they’re starting, as they try to rebuild and retool and refit the Republican political ship, if you will,” Holtorf said.

Scheppelman, who launched a primary challenge against first-term U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd earlier this week, told Colorado Politics that she doesn’t plan to seek the party post.

“I’ve been honored by the many who’ve asked, but I’m respectfully stepping aside,” Scheppelman said in a text message. “It’s time for another patriot to rise and carry the baton forward, while I focus fully on my constitutional race.”

Phelan is the second state GOP vice chair in as many years to step down just months after taking office.

Republican Priscilla Rahn, Scheppelman’s predecessor as vice chair, resigned from the position almost exactly two years ago to run for Douglas County commissioner, citing a party requirement that candidates in contested primaries can’t hold state party office. Rahn, however, lost the primary to then-state Sen. Kevin Van Winkle, R-Highlands Ranch, who went on to win the election to the seat last November.