The head of a faction of Colorado Republicans insists that a scheduled vote on whether to oust state party leaders is legal, even as party leaders say otherwise.
In a message to the group of party members that governs the party, Todd Watkins on Wednesday said the July 27 meeting is still on. Party executives determined last week that the meeting is “illegal.”
“I assure you that the meeting was legally and properly called in accordance with our bylaws and procedures,” Watkins, vice chair of the El Paso County Republican Party and a State Central Committee member, said in an email to members of the committee. “Contrary to claims made in recent emails and other communications, the State Executive Committee does not have the authority to unilaterally declare this meeting illegal or cancel it.”
The legality of the meeting was confirmed by legal experts, who are unnamed, Watkins said in the email.
The central item on the meeting agenda is a vote on whether to boot former state Rep. Dave Williams as chair of the Colorado Republican Party. Members would also vote on retention of other party officers.
The primary complaints from those looking to unseat Williams are that he did not relinquish his position as head of the party when he entered a race for Congress, even though the dual positions created a conflict of interest; that the state party under his leadership eliminated a tradition of neutrality in primary races and instead endorsed Williams and other favored candidates; that the state party spent money on behalf of Williams in his primary race against a fellow Republican; and that the state party under Williams has engaged in anti-LGBTQ and other messaging that could alienate voters.
Williams lost the June 25 primary election in Colorado’s 5th Congressional District. A day later, the Republican organizers of the effort to oust him submitted a petition and request for a vote on removing him as head of the party.
Party bylaws say that if at least a quarter of voting members in the GOP’s central committee sign onto a request for a special meeting, the meeting must be called within 10 days of the request and held within 30 days of the call. If the chairman doesn’t call a meeting, any voting member can do so, according to the bylaws.
In response to the petition, state party executives had originally called a meeting for Friday. They planned to gavel in and “immediately recess” so the meeting could be reconvened Aug. 31. But now even the Friday meeting is canceled, since party executives subsequently determined the petition and request was invalid. An executive committee decision document, shared by Williams with Newsline, says party officials were unable to properly verify the names of voting members who signed onto the special meeting request.
“The State Executive Committee found that Watkins had no authority to call a special meeting and his special meeting notice is invalid. Any potential meeting he holds as a result of his invalid petition submission is illegal,” the document says.
The executive committee made the decision after party members Tim Leonard and Ted Harvey formally challenged the validity of the Watkins-led call for a special meeting.
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