Colorado lawmaker leaves GOP citing Jan. 6 attack and Trump…
Citing alarm toward the Republican Party’s widespread embrace of 2020 election conspiracies, a moderate GOP Colorado state senator Kevin Priola has switched his affiliation to Democrat, enhancing that party’s prospects to retain its majority in the chamber in the November midterms.
- It also deflates the GOP’s hopes of retaking the Democratic-controlled Colorado Senate, one of the most targeted legislative battles in the country. Democrats now hold a 20 – 15 advantage, making a flip less likely.
- Priola went out of his way to advocate against his party in the 2022 midterms, saying: “Democrats in charge because our planet and democracy depend on it.“Democratic Gov. Jared Polis issued a statement welcoming Priola to the party.
- “We are a broad tent party, always seeking good ideas from the left and right to move [Colorado] forward,” he said. “Senator Priola is a strong leader on climate issues and will hopefully be even more effective on the Democratic side of the aisle.
The other side: Sean Paige, a former spokesperson for the state Senate GOP caucus, said Priola’s switch is not surprising. “He’s beyond just a big phony; he’s a squirrely and calculating opportunist. But I’m glad, for his conscience, that he finally came out of the closet,” Paige said.
- A prominent Republican activist said voters should recall Priola after the switch.