A group of Colorado Republicans voted Saturday to remove Chairman Dave Williams from his leadership post, but the decision will almost certainly be challenged.

About 160 people, both physically present and by proxy, voted for Williams’ removal after three hours of deliberation at a Brighton church. They also voted to remove Vice Chair Hope Scheppelman and Secretary Anna Ferguson.

“The chairman has taken extensive, unprecedented actions to attack Republican candidates and Republicans rather than support them,” said Michael Allen, the district attorney for the 4th Judicial District, calling for Williams’ dismissal.

“The chairman’s actions have angered candidates and grassroots activists, and because of his dereliction of duty and unethical conduct, he cannot lead us to victory in November,” he said.

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Before voting on Williams’ leadership, the group had to decide how to interpret the relevant section of the party’s constitution, which states that “three-fifths of all voting members of the (state Central Committee)” must vote to remove an official. That can be interpreted in two ways. Those present voted that the rule applies to the people actually present at a meeting, not the entire Central Committee, which has more than 400 members.

There were about 180 voting members present at the meeting, meaning that at least 108 people had to vote for removal. Another interpretation of the rule would mean that about 240 votes would be needed to remove Williams, Scheppelman and Ferguson.

Earlier this summer, Todd Watkins, vice chairman of the El Paso County Republican Party, and Nancy Pallozzi, chairwoman of the Jefferson County Republican Party, said they had collected and submitted enough signatures to force a meeting to vote on the executive committee chairmanship.

The group first attempted to meet on the issue in late July, but Williams filed suit and an Arapahoe County judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing the meeting. The judge ultimately concluded that the courts did not have jurisdiction over the internal party matter.

Williams and other state leaders continue to believe Saturday’s meeting was illegal, insisting that only a vote at a meeting scheduled for August 31 would be valid.

Williams was elected to office in March 2023, and party members quickly expressed dismay at the party’s continued low fundraising rate.

Williams then used the party email to announce his entry into the Republican primary for Colorado’s 5th Congressional District after U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn announced his retirement.

Anger over his leadership boiled over in the spring and summer as the party endorsed and spent money to support candidates in hotly contested Republican primaries, including Williams over his opponent. Williams lost the primary by a wide margin.

In addition, Republicans have criticized several state-level GOP communications, including a June email that denounced LGBTQ people and called for the burning of Pride flags, and a recent email that included the wrong first name and gender of a Democrat running in a contested state Senate district.

“They speak for Republicans in Colorado and say things that we all disagree with,” said Leslie Parker, vice chair of the Delta County Republican Party, during Saturday’s meeting. “We are not the ones destroying our party. We are the ones standing up for what is right.”

Also on Saturday, the El Paso County Republican Party met to vote on removing Watkins as vice chairman.

On Saturday, the group also elected a new leadership. Former US Senate candidate Eli Bremer was elected chairman.

In a message to Colorado Newsline, Williams said a Republican National Committee parliamentarian had already ruled that the meeting organized by Watkins and Pallozzi was illegal and “any action taken there was or will be null and void.”

“A fringe group of our state party, which has now proven it doesn’t care about voting for Trump in November, held a fraudulent rally today that was actually attended by 77 people,” he wrote.

The partisan dispute comes two months before the November general election. Republicans are trying to win the 8th Congressional District for state Rep. Gabe Evans and prevent Republicans from falling into an even greater minority in the legislature. There is currently a 46-19 Democratic majority in the House of Representatives and a 23-12 Democratic majority in the Senate.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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