MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

I am proud to be a Colorado Democrat and to work alongside extraordinary candidates, elected officials, county parties, state officers, precinct organizers, volunteers, and staff. While there are some seats that are too close to call we do know this:

We won every single statewide race (US Senate, Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and State Board of Education At Large).
We defended and likely even expanded the majority of our Colorado State Senate, despite the tougher maps post-redistricting.
We defended and likely even expanded the majority of our Colorado State House.
We have held the majority on the State Board of Education.
We have held the majority on the CU Board of Regents.
We have won the CD1, CD2, CD6, CD7 – and leading in CD3 and CD8.
We are currently leading in some parts of the state where we have never won before.

Every year we have created and implemented a statewide win plan in order to pull together a cohesive strategy to maximize Democratic wins across the state. I believe that planning and the hard work of all of you, the donations you made, and the time you committed made history – and made a difference.

Four years ago, we made Colorado history by winning all of those statewide seats for the first time since 1936 – and last night we made history by holding 100% of those seats. We are on track to have the largest Democratic majorities in the state legislature in the history of the state.

But I suspect you went into Election Night with the same trepidation I did for our state and our country. Typically, the party who has the Presidency loses a ton of seats in the mid-term. We broke this pattern. We needed the wins not just because it’s fun to win (it is!) but because:

The State Board of Education was trying re-define Nazi’s as German Socialists and politicize the ability to teach history or science.
The CU Board of Regents under Republican control would bring guns on campus, end mental health focus, end affirmative action programs, remove DACA students, end or weaken world class research programs.
Republicans in the state legislature have already shown what they would do: vouchers in K12, repeal Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, repeal background checks and red flag laws, target the LGBTQ community, criminalize abortion, break unions, and end clean energy in Colorado.
Republican Secretaries of State are embracing conspiracies and disenfranchising voters, Republican Treasurers are divesting from renewable energy and subjecting state pensions to risky profiteering by third parties. Republican AGs sue to take away freedoms, rather than defend them. Republican Governors are trafficking migrants around the country for political sport and using their bully pulpit to attack the people who most need and deserve our help.

While the fate of the national government is less certain, we know Colorado has done our best to contribute to those majorities – and it will matter. We know that:

The Trump Supreme Court over-turned Roe v. Wade and does not recognize any right created in the U.S. Constitution since the Civil War and that they are not done stripping away rights or striking down laws that matter.
A McCarthy-led US house would spend their time with vindictive impeachments and phony investigations to distract from the very real investigation of Trump’s role in inciting calculated and violent attempts to overthrow the results of the 2020 election. A Republican-led US house is a real risk of simply refusing to certify the results of the 2024 Presidential election, if their candidate does not win.
We know a Republican-led US Senate will refuse to confirm Biden appointees or even grant them hearings and will do everything they can to obstruct progress in America.
We know that the sickness of the national GOP has infected the Republican Party locally such that politically violent speech or actions is currently embraced to such an extent that Republicans laughed when they found out Paul Pelosi was attacked with a hammer fracturing his skull.

In short, most of the progress, we make, will have to be at the state and local level. The rights we can defend, will have to be at the state and local level. The work to lower costs and defend personal freedoms will have to be at the state and local level. We need Democratic champions at the federal level to stop the worst abuses of power and remind America what responsible leaders could and should do for all Americans.

And we are in a position to do that in Colorado – because of you.

Thank you,

Morgan Carroll

Chair, Colorado Democratic Party

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