Hope Scheppelman, the Bayfield Republican challenging first-term U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd in next year’s GOP primary, has signed a pledge prepared by the Colorado Libertarian Party as part of an arrangement meant to discourage the minor political party from running “spoiler” candidates in the 2026 election.

Under an unprecedented agreement between Libertarians and the state GOP reached ahead of last year’s election, the conservative-leaning party said it wouldn’t run candidates in competitive races if Republican nominees committed to a set of principles laid out in a series of pledges tailored to specific offices, with topics ranging from cutting federal spending to protecting the right of Coloradans to drink raw milk.

Libertarians claimed the pledges — and their candidates’ subsequent decisions to sideline themselves — made the difference in a handful of extremely close Colorado races won by Republicans, including flipping a congressional seat and winning a legislative race decided by a three-vote margin.

Scheppelman, a former vice chair of the state Republican Party, is the first candidate to sign on to one of the party’s pledges this cycle, the state Libertarian Party told Colorado Politics.

Republicans in Colorado have long maintained that Libertarians and other third-party candidates siphon off votes from GOP nominees, throwing close races to the Democrats.

“Like all great American patriots, the Libertarian Party of Colorado respects and follows our U.S. Constitution and upholds the supremacy of individual freedom.” Scheppelman said in a statement. “If elected to Congress, I will work hard everyday to advance our shared values against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

The Navy veteran and critical care nurse practitioner launched her campaign against Hurd in June, calling the incumbent a “liberal Republican” who was beholden to the party’s “donor class.”

Described by the Libertarians as a “cornerstone” of the party’s “candidate accountability and spoiler prevention strategy,” the document presented to congressional candidates included commitments to repeal the income tax, abolish the Department of Education, oppose foreign wars and support a presidential pardon of Edward Snowden, a computer consultant who defected to Russia after leaking highly classified U.S. intelligence.

“The Liberty Pledge has a long record of uniting Liberty candidates around real solutions that empower individuals and limit government overreach,” Libertarian Party Chair Hannah Goodman said in a statement.

“Hope Scheppelman’s signature reflects not only a commitment to these principles, but also the growing momentum of the Libertarian movement in Colorado heading into the 2026 midterms,” she added.

Hurd, a Grand Junction attorney and first-time candidate who refused to sign the Libertarians’ pledge, won election last year in the Western Slope-based 3rd Congressional District by a 5-point margin over Democratic nominee Adam Frisch, who outspent the Republican by nearly $15 million. Libertarian nominee James Wiley received 2.7% of the total vote.

A spokesman for Hurd’s campaign declined to comment on Scheppelman signing the Libertarians’ pledge.

Wiley, the state Libertarians’ executive director, told Colorado Politics he doesn’t plan to run in the district again next year — he’s eyeing another race — but predicted that a fellow party member will stand down if Scheppelman is the GOP nominee.

“When Scheppelman wins her primary against Jeff Hurd the Libertarian Candidate for CD3 will have good reason to withdraw from the ballot and endorse Scheppelman. They will have to decide if being a spoiler achieves the best outcome for Liberty or not,” Wiley said.

Two Democrats — political newcomers Alex Kelloff and Kyle Doster — have so far launched campaigns in the district, which is classified as a “likely Republican” hold by the Cook Political Report.