'Resign or be removed': CO Republicans give GOP chair an ultimatum after anti-LGBTQ+ email

07 June 2024

Colorado state representative Dave Williams (R), who is also chairman of the Colorado Republican Party, is facing severe blowback over an email he sent earlier this month entitled "God Hates Pride" in which he repeatedly attacked the LGBTQ community. But this time, the blowback is coming from his fellow Republicans.

The Guardian reported that multiple prominent Republicans in the Centennial State are calling for Williams to step down from his post, citing his divisive rhetoric that they view as undermining GOP candidates' efforts to win over voters. Valdamar Archuleta, a gay Republican who recently renounced the Colorado GOP's endorsement of his campaign for Colorado's 1st Congressional District in the wake of Williams' email, gave Williams a direct ultimatum in a post to social media.

"He doesn't have the talent to make a convincing argument and win over minds. He also does not understand teamwork. He should not be in politics, he should not be in party leadership, and he definitely should not represent CD5 in Congress," Archuleta tweeted of Williams, who is seeking the GOP nomination in a congressional district just south of the Denver area. "Building an effective winning team takes skills and talents not everyone has. Dave Williams should resign... or be removed."

Archuleta isn't the only Republican calling for Williams' departure from his position. Rep. Richard Holtorf (R) said "hell yeah" when the Guardian asked if he thought Williams should resign. He also hinted at a petition being circulated by Colorado Republicans aimed at enlisting support for the state GOP chair's resignation or removal.

“He’s incompetent and he should step down,” Holtorf said. “He’s done so many destructive things in Colorado to not promote unity and [done] things that are outside the boundary and the scope of his role and responsibility as the state party chair.”

Colorado House Republican Caucus chair Mary Bradfield also echoed those sentiments. She told the Guardian in an emailed statement that "these statements made by chairman Dave Williams are inappropriate," and that "he should step down."

Despite the mounting calls for his resignation from within his own party, Williams has so far suggested he plans to stay in his role. He told USA Today earlier this week that members of Colorado Republican Party's leadership "make no apologies" for their public statements.

"We make no apologies for saying God hates pride or pride flags as it’s an agenda that harms children and undermines parental authority, and the only backlash we see is coming from radical Democrats, the fake news media, and weak Republicans who bow down at the feet of leftist cancel culture," Williams said.

In the email that initially sparked the controversy, Williams wrote that with the arrival of the month of June (which the LGBTQ+ community celebrates as "Pride month"), "the godless groomers in our society want to attack what is decent, holy, and righteous so they can ultimately harm our children." A separate tweet from the Colorado GOP's official X/Twitter account showed a gif of a fire with the text "burn all the #Pride flags."

Click here to read the Guardian's full report.

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