Power struggle intensifies as Colorado GOP chair Dave Williams wins legal battle; internal conflict deepens

There's been a new twist in the power struggle that's consumed the Colorado Republican Party.

Last month, opponents of party chair Dave Williams voted to oust him after a series of controversies, including using party resources for his congressional campaign, attacking fellow Republicans and making anti-LGBTQ remarks.

They replaced him with Eli Bremer, but Williams refused to leave, prompting Bremer to sue. An El Paso County judge has now settled that dispute in Williams' favor, ruling that the party bylaws require 60% of the Central Committee to remove the chair, and opponents failed to get that.

Williams is now promising revenge both in and out of court.

Many Republican campaigns have refused to work with or even trust Williams and the party doesn't have a lot of resources.

Asked how the controversy will impact the November election in this week's Left, Right, Center, CBS News Colorado Republican analyst Dick Wadhams said, "that party exists solely to fulfill Dave Williams' ambitions and that have nothing to do with electing Republicans."

"This threat of revenge against his opponents and, in the next breath, saying 'we need to unify?' How does that square? I mean, this guy is so off the wall," Wadhams continued.

Trump's anticipated loss in Colorado will only be made worse by Williams' actions, and the El Paso County Court ruling won't help, Wadhams says: "Yeah, he got a court decision, but he has left nothing but wreckage in his wake, and the party is not going to do well."

CBS Colorado Democratic analyst Mike Dino predicts the Republican party will win several congressional races in Colorado. The question now, he says, is what that means for Williams.

"Certainly they'll have a new congressman in the 5th (Congressional District) in Colorado Springs," he said. "I do think that the 3rd (CD) favors the Republicans, and of course, the 4th (CD) does."

Dino predicts the party will continue to stand up to Williams, as some top party members already have.

"We've seen that with Bobert already. She kind of called him on it (and) says, you better get it together.' And we know that (Jeff) Crank, who was challenged by (Williams) in Colorado Springs, well he doesn't have any love for Williams. And if Jeff Hurd finds himself in Congress, they got a band together and they gotta get rid of the guy."

Wadhams agreed, saying "the National Republican Congressional Committee- they have filled the void left by Williams. They've gone in, and they're helping those candidates."

He predicts Republican congressional candidates Gabe Evans, Hurd and Jeff Crank could start building "a new Republican Party in Colorado."

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