Congressman Adam Schiff joins Congresswoman Deb Haaland as Speakers at CDP Dinner

The Colorado Democratic Party is pleased to announce that Congressman Adam Schiff (CA-28) will be joining Keynote Speaker Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-01) as a special guest for the second annual Obama Dinner on Saturday, March 9, 2019.As Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Congressman Schiff has gained national notoriety for his expertise on foreign affairs and national security. Congressman Schiff was elected in 2000, and in addition to serving as Chairman of the Intelligence Committee, co-founded the bipartisan Congressional Caucus for Freedom of the Press, and co-chairs a bipartisan study group on nuclear security.“Colorado Democrats are in for a treat as we have two stars in the Democratic Party -- Congresswoman Deb Haaland and Congressman Adam Schiff -- coming to speak at the second annual Obama Dinner. With his deep knowledge of national security, Congressman Schiff has rightly become a go-to expert on foreign relations and intelligence. With Congressman Schiff coming to join one of the first Native American women to ever be elected to Congress in Congresswoman Haaland, March 9 will be a night to remember as we celebrate our victories in 2018, and look forward to even more victories in 2020,” said Morgan Carroll, Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party.“It’s an honor to join Congresswoman Haaland at the 2019 Obama Dinner in Colorado. Democrats had a great night last November by taking back the House and winning state legislatures and governorships, and that wouldn’t have been possible without Colorado Democrats winning historic electoral victories across their state. Colorado will be absolutely critical in the Democratic Party’s mission to win back the White House and U.S. Senate, and I can’t wait to get out there and meet folks who are going to make sure Colorado goes blue again in 2020,” said Congressman Adam Schiff.More information about the dinner and who will be honored with awards can be found by clicking this link. For information about the Congressman, please visit his website at https://adamschiff.com. 

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Gardner on the Verge of Emergency Flip-Flop?

Less than 24 hours after he “said he had personally told Trump he opposed” the action of declaring a national emergency during a Colorado Public Radio interview, Colorado’s junior U.S. Senator Cory Gardner appears to be on the verge of a major-league flip flop. When asked by the Denver Post’s Anna Staver if he supported President Trump’s officially declaring a national emergency to build his wall, Gardner said:“I’m currently reviewing the authorities the Administration is using to declare a national emergency.”“Yesterday, Cory Gardner stated definitively that he didn’t support the President issuing a national emergency to pay for an immoral border wall. Now, less than 24 hours later, Gardner isn’t sure and is ‘reviewing’ the President’s fake national emergency? It should worry Coloradans that when given a fairly easy choice between opposing or supporting President Trump’s unconstitutional power grab, Cory Gardner has to issue a statement that he’s thinking about it. Cory continues to want it both ways, but he has a choice to make. Will Cory Gardner stand up for Colorado and our democracy, or will he side with Mitch McConnell and a President he endorsed?” asked David Pourshoushtari, spokesman for the Colorado Democratic Party.Gardner also stated during a KOA News interview on Wednesday that he opposed the national emergency declaration, stating "I think declaring a national emergency is not the right idea.”

Is Cory Gardner okay with Boulder GOP Keynote Speaker’s “Hitler just wanted to make Germany great” comment?

Denver, CO -- Tomorrow (February 9), the Boulder County GOP will be having Candace Owens, conservative media personality and staffer for Turning Point USA, as their keynote speaker for their annual dinner. Earlier today however, footage surfaced of Candace Owens saying “Hitler just wanted to make Germany great.”Responding to a question on nationalism in London last December at the launch of Turning Point UK, Owens said:“Whenever we say nationalism, the first thing people think about, at least in America, is Hitler. He was a national socialist. But if Hitler just wanted to make Germany great and have things run well, OK, fine. The problem is that he wanted, he had dreams outside of Germany.”“Candace Owens is a regular visitor and speaker at Colorado Republican events, and given her offensive comments defending the motivations of a mass murderer who committed genocide, Colorado deserves to know if their U.S. Senator, Cory Gardner, is okay with his county parties inviting her to speak at their events,” said David Pourshoushtari, spokesman for the Colorado Democratic Party.“It made quite a statement when Senator Gardner endorsed President Trump’s reelection -- the same President Trump who called neo-nazis ‘very fine people’ in Charlottesville, VA. Senator Gardner owes it to Colorado to speak up and take a stand. Will he take a stand to condemn a Hitler-apologist speaking at the Boulder County GOP dinner?” Pourshoushtari asked.Watch the clip of Owens’ comments here.

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ICYMI: Gardner Endorses Trump, says it’s “Right Thing to Do for Colorado”

We wanted to make sure you didn’t miss this! In the Independent Journal Review, Senator Cory Gardner stated unequivocally that he was endorsing President Trump for reelection in 2020.Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), another Republican senator who vocally opposed Trump in 2016, told IJR that he’s endorsing the president now because it’s the “right thing to do for Colorado.” - Independent Journal Review, 1.30.2019.“After our country just went through the Trump Shutdown, which caused 15,000 Colorado workers to have to go without pay for three weeks, Cory Gardner really thinks endorsing Donald Trump is the 'right thing to do for Colorado'? Given that Cory Gardner has a 90% voting record with Donald Trump, it really isn't surprising, but it also shows just how out of step he is with Colorado,” said Colorado Democratic Party spokesman David Pourshoushtari.“Cory Gardner shares a 39% approval rating with Donald Trump in Colorado, and now he sees his only way to reelection is to embrace the far-right wing of his party and cast his lot with President Trump. Colorado voters won't see this endorsement as 'the right thing to do for Colorado', and Cory Gardner will face the consequences on Election Day 2020,” Pourshoushtari concluded.Background:

• Gardner’s voting record with Trump. “Tracking Congress In The Age Of Trump”. 538.
• Gardner’s 39% approval rating in Colorado. “Coloradans blame Trump for shutdown, don’t like his wall plan, new poll shows”. Denver Post, 1.28.19.
• Gardner’s endorsement of Trump. “We Asked 2016 ‘Never Trump’ Republicans if They’ll Back the President in 2020: ‘I Mean, He’s in Office’. Independent Journal Review, 1.30.19.

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Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-01) to headline Colorado Democrats Annual Dinner

Denver, CO – Today, the Colorado Democratic Party is pleased to announce that for its second annual Obama Dinner on Saturday, March 9, 2019, its special guest will be Congresswoman Deb Haaland of New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District.Elected in 2018, Congresswoman Haaland made history this November by being one of the first Native American women to ever be elected to Congress. As a first-year lawmaker, the Congresswoman has already been elected by her colleagues to serve as the “Freshman Class Representative” to the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, the House Democratic Region VI Whip (which covers Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona), was appointed as Deputy Whip for the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and is one of three co-Chairs for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s (DCCC) 2020 Women LEAD initiative.“It is a great honor to have Congresswoman Deb Haaland as our special guest and headliner for the second annual Obama Dinner. The 2018 elections will go down in history not only as a historic blue wave, but as an election year where a historic number of women were elected to Congress. This includes Congresswoman Haaland, who is a trailblazer in her own right as one of the first Native American women to ever be elected to Congress. She shares our Democratic Colorado values of protecting our public lands, fighting for the underrepresented, and investing in our children’s futures, and I know that Obama Dinner guests will be just as thrilled to meet her as I am,” said Morgan Carroll, Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party.“I am thrilled to come to speak at the Colorado Democratic Party’s Obama Dinner, and to be a part of a night that is focused on celebrating victories and looking to the future. Winning back the House and electing a historic number of women, including myself, was a great start, but Democrats cannot let up in this era of Donald Trump. We have to work together, and work harder than ever, to build a country where not only do we protect our land, air, and water, but where all can have the opportunity to succeed, no matter where they were born. I look forward to meeting so many wonderful Democrats and to visiting my neighboring state on Saturday, March 9,” said Congresswoman Deb Haaland, (NM-01).More information about the dinner and who will be honored with awards can be found by clicking this link. For information about the Congresswoman, please visit her website at https://www.debforcongress.com/. 

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CDP Statement on the Opening of the 116th Congress, and the Trump Shutdown

Colorado Democratic Party Chair Morgan Carroll released the following statement on the opening of the 116th Congress with a Democratic majority in the House:“It speaks volumes that Speaker Pelosi and the new Democratic majority has come in on its very first day, ready to take care of business and pass legislation to reopen the federal government. While President Trump continues his tantrum of keeping the federal government shut down over a wall that he promised Mexico would pay for, House Democrats are showing why the American people voted overwhelmingly to put them in the majority last November,” said Carroll.“Veteran Colorado legislators Diana DeGette and Ed Perlmutter, our new Congressmen Joe Neguse and Jason Crow, and the House Democratic Caucus are getting to work and taking action to end the Trump Shutdown. The longer the shutdown goes, the longer Colorado’s 53,200 federal workers have to either work without pay or are on unpaid leave. Senate Republicans like Cory Gardner owe it to these working people and their families to take action and join House Democrats in ending the Trump Shutdown,” Carroll concluded.

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2018 Results

2018 was a good year for Colorado Democrats. We swept the statewide offices, won the majority of Congressional seats, flipped the State Senate, and expanded our majority in the State House.Congratulations to our next governor, Jared Polis. He won resoundingly with over 51% of the vote and will offer bold leadership for Colorado.In Congressional races, Colorado Democrats now control four of the seven seats. Congratulations to Jason Crow, who defeated Mike Coffman in Congressional District 6. Congratulations to Joe Neguse, who replaces Jared Polis in Congress representing Congressional District 2. They will join fellow Colorado Democrats Diana DeGette (CD1) and Ed Perlmutter (CD7) in Washington DC and we celebrate their re-elections as well.Phil Weiser will serve as our next Attorney General, succeeding Cynthia Coffman.Jena Griswold will be our next Secretary of State, defeating Wayne Williams.Dave Young will serve as our next State Treasurer, beating Brian Watson.With the elections of Phil Weiser, Jena Griswold, and Dave Young to statewide office, this is the first time Democrats have held the same offices concurrently in generations. Congratulations to all three.Congratulations to Lesley Smith who will serve as our next CU Regent At-Large.The Colorado Senate Democrats flipped the State Senate and now have a 19-16 majority. Congratulations to the following on the wins in 2018:

• Leroy Garcia
• Kerry Donovan
• Pete Lee
• Tammy Story
• Jessie Danielson
• Brittany Pettersen
• Faith Winter
• Robert Rodriguez
• Julie Gonzales

The Colorado House Democrats expanded their majority, winning these seats that had previously been held by Republicans:

• Lisa Cutter, House District 25
• Kyle Mullica, House District 34
• Tom Sullivan, House District 37

Every Democratic member who sought re-election was returned to the State House by voters for another term:

• Susan Lontine
• Alec Garnett
• Chris Hansen
• James Coleman
• Leslie Herod
• Jeff Bridges
• Mike Weissman
• Janet Buckner
• Jovan Melton
• Dominique Jackson
• Edie Hooton
• Jonathan Singer
• KC Becker
• Tony Exum, Sr.
• Chris Kennedy
• Tracy Kraft-Tharp
• Dylan Roberts
• Dafna Michaelson Jenet
• Adrienne Benavidez
• Matt Gray
• Daneya Esgar
• Joann Ginal
• Jeni James Arndt
• Barbara McLachlan
• Donald Valdez

Also joining the House Democratic caucus for the first time in 2019 will be:

• Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez
• Alex Valdez
• Emily Sirota
• Sonya Jaquez Lewis
• Marc Snyder
• Monica Duran
• Kerry Tipper
• Yadira Caraveo
• Shannon Bird
• Julie McCluskie

Further election results can be found here.