Colorado Republican Party chair says he’ll run to replace Doug Lamborn

Dave Williams, the sharp-elbowed chair of the Colorado Republican Social gathering, mentioned Monday that he’ll run to exchange retiring U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn and plans to retain his social gathering place through the major.

Williams’ announcement comes three days after the nine-term congressman from Colorado Springs mentioned he received’t search reelection in November.

“After considerate consideration, prayer, and reflection with my household, I’ve determined to run for Congress within the fifth Congressional District after the shock retirement of Congressman Doug Lamborn,” Williams wrote in a message despatched to the state social gathering’s electronic mail record.

Williams is the primary Republican to leap into the race to exchange Lamborn. A conservative former state legislator, Williams unsuccessfully challenged Lamborn in a 2022 major wherein Williams tried, and failed, so as to add the phrases “Let’s Go Brandon” — an anti-Joe Biden slogan — as his nickname on the poll. He got here in second to Lamborn, successful 33.5% of the vote.

He wrote that he deliberate to stay in his place as state social gathering chair at the least by means of the first election in June; he was elected to the place final March. That call, coupled with Williams’ use of the official state social gathering electronic mail record to announce his candidacy, prompted criticism from some Republicans on Monday.

Kristi Burton Brown, the state social gathering chair previous to Williams and a goal of frequent criticisms from her successor, referred to as it “extremely unethical” for him to stay chair whereas competing in a major.

U.S. Rep. Ken Buck served a two-year stint as state social gathering chair throughout his time in Congress, though he was already an elected congressman by the point he turned chair in 2019. Bob Beauprez resigned as state social gathering chair in 2002 to run for Congress, in keeping with Dick Wadhams, who additionally later served within the function.

As a legislator and now as Republican Social gathering chair, Williams has established himself as an enthusiastic supporter of former President Donald Trump. He’s displayed a penchant for attacking fellow Republicans he doesn’t contemplate to be conservative sufficient, including Lamborn, utilizing social gathering assets.

Williams additionally has embraced Trump’s baseless conspiracy theories concerning the legitimacy of Biden’s 2020 election win, and he’s backed fellow election-deniers reminiscent of Tina Peters, the previous Mesa County clerk.