Colorado Republican Barbara Kirkmeyer announces campaign team for 8th CD run

Republican congressional candidate Barbara Kirkmeyer, a state lawmaker and former Weld County commissioner, this week announced key members of her campaign team in her bid to represent Colorado's new 8th Congressional District.

Kirkmeyer is one of five Republicans seeking the nomination in the battleground district, which stretches from Adams County suburbs north of Denver to Greeley in Weld County.

“I’m thrilled by the encouragement I’ve received, since announcing my campaign for Congress,” Kirkmeyer said in a statement. “People are ready for a fresh, conservative voice from Colorado in Congress who will work to Renew America."

She added that her team includes "some of the best and brightest campaign minds here in Colorado and across the United States."

Kirkmeyer's co-chairs are former state Rep. Kathi Williams, R-Thornton, former Senate President and Greeley Mayor Tom Norton, Weld County Commissioner Steve Moreno and Commerce City Councilman Sean Ford, a former mayor of the city. 

Alan Philp, a veteran political strategist and former executive director of the Colorado GOP, is Kirkmeyer's general consultant and will handle direct mail, her campaign said in a release. Philp worked as regional political director for the Republican National Committee in the 2010 cycle and had the same position on Mitt Romney's 2008 presidential campaign. He worked as policy director for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and was deputy chief of staff to former Colorado Gov. Bill Owens.

Her chief Adams County organizer will be Nick Kliebenstein, chairman of the Broomfield Republican Party and the owner of Amber Consulting Group, a political consulting firm. Stacey Kjeldgaard, a former chair of the Weld County GOP, will be organizing the campaign in Weld and Larimer counties.

Alexandria, Va.-based OnMessage Inc. is lined up to handle the Kirkmeyer campaign's media and digital operations. Her campaign notes that the firm is the only GOP firm nationally with a record of flipping House seats from Democratic control in each of the last seven cycles.

The Tarrance Group, an Alexandria, Va.-based GOP firm, will conduct polling for Kirkmeyer's campaign. The firm's past clients include Owens, former U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner and former U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman.

According to analyses of the district's past voting behavior, the 8th CD appears to be the most evenly divided seat in Colorado ahead of next year's election. It's rated a toss-up by national elections forecasters.

Other Republicans seeking the nomination are Weld County Commissioner Lori Saine, a former state lawmaker; Thornton Mayor Jan Kulmann; business owner and former congressional candidate Ryan Gonzalez; and political newcomer Giulianna "Jewels" Gray.

Democrats in the race include state Rep. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, a Thornton pediatrician; Adams County Commissioner Charles "Chaz" Tedesco; and Johnny Humphrey, a consultant for a Denver-based LGBTQ+ nonprofit.

Precinct caucuses are scheduled for the first week of March and the primary election is June 28.