Colorado GOP senator becomes Democrat, cites vote falsehoods

[CatWoman]

DENVER (AP) — Citing alarm toward the Republican Party’s widespread embrace of 2020 election conspiracies, a moderate GOP Colorado state senator has switched his affiliation to Democrat, enhancing that party’s prospects to retain its majority in the chamber in the November midterms.

Kevin Priola, who represents Adams County in Denver’s suburbs, said in a letter Monday he was horrified by the Jan. 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol and had waited in vain for his party to repudiate it as well as former President Donald Trump, who continues to insist that it was stolen.

“It never came,” Priola said. “To my dismay, brave and honorable Republicans like Mike Pence, Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney and Adam Kinzinger have fought to defend the Constitution and the rule of law only to be met with ridicule and threats.”

“I cannot continue to be part of a political party that is okay with a violent attempt to overturn a free and fair election and continues to peddle claims that the 2020 election was stolen,” Priola said.

Numerous assertions that the presidential election was stolen have been proven false.

https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-presidential-denver-colorado-6521a483bd714bff2a39bf9e196f94c1

[hlthe2b]

1. Colorado's current Dem SOS is teaming with a former Republican SOS for voting PSAs

The Republican, Wayne Williams, who Griswold (current Dem SOS) enlisted to take over the Mesa County election last cycle when the Trumpist official engaged in corruption and was disqualified.

This is apparently driving the R's absolutely INSANE. LOLOL

https://www.coloradopolitics.com/elections/2022/colorado-republicans-flay-griswold-for-tv-ads-co-starring-former-gop-secretary-of-state/article_8b602cc8-1d81-11ed-8893-3bf6328eb6bf.html
Colorado Republicans flay Griswold for TV ads co-starring former GOP secretary of state

Right now, I'm feeling pretty good about Colorado staying sane...

Here's the text for that ad:

The Republican nominee for Colorado secretary of state on Tuesday called on the Democratic incumbent to stop airing TV ads aimed at combatting election misinformation, charging that the ad campaign is promoting Secretary of State Jena Griswold's reelection bid.

The ads, which first ran online in June ahead of Colorado's primary election, feature Griswold and the Republican she unseated four years ago, former Secretary of State Wayne Williams, urging viewers to "get the facts about election security" at a state-run website set up to debunk false claims about voting.

"One thing we both know is that Colorado’s elections are safe and secure," says Williams after the two introduce themselves.

"That’s right Wayne," Griswold says, "but voters should be alert to election disinformation."

Says Williams: "Election disinformation is designed to look real so always use trusted sources."
(via YouTube)

"Together, we can combat election disinformation," Griswold adds. "To get the facts about election security visit GoVoteColorado.gov. Let’s go vote, Colorado!"

Griswold's office is spending just over $1 million in federal election assistance funds to air 15- and 30-second versions of the ads statewide for two weeks on broadcast, cable and streaming platforms, a spokeswoman told Colorado Politics. The ads began airing Friday and are set to continue through Aug. 26.

The Republican challenging Griswold, former Jefferson County Clerk Pam Anderson, calls Griswold "a self-promoting politician using ... taxpayer dollars to prop up her campaign" in an online video posted by her campaign Tuesday afternoon.

"I'm joining with Colorado taxpayers across the state in demanding she take down this ad and return those taxpayer dollars," Anderson says. "This isn't about you, Jena. This is about public service."

Anderson defeated two primary opponents who based their campaigns on the kind of disinformation Griswold and Williams seek to counter, including Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a leading promoter of former President Donald Trump's unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

[CatWoman]

2. ty!!

[Demovictory9]

3. yay!

[TheProle]

4. Provided he is aligned with Democratic principles,

Welcome to the Big Tent.

[PlutosHeart]

14. Exactly. Sounds good in theory but

if a safety boat becomes just saying you switch Parties without actually going to fight and vote for a core list of principles then we get a lot of Manchins or worse. I hope he shares some of the strongest values.

Exactly when is the D Party going to push out a clear list of values and principles that they can roll out to the public. Just to make it loud and clear. And to get commitments from them? This might help the voters come election time. Simple, straightforward and strong.

[TigressDem]

25. We do have a DEM Party Platform from 2020 that we can vet candidates against.

It isn't as simple as I might like, but soundbites don't get the job done.

Maybe there is a way to message this that is more common sense and yet still gets the core meaning out.


https://democrats.org/where-we-stand/party-platform/


PROTECTING AMERICANS AND RECOVERING FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
BUILDING A STRONGER, FAIRER ECONOMY
ACHIEVING UNIVERSAL, AFFORDABLE, QUALITY HEALTH CARE
PROTECTING COMMUNITIES AND BUILDING TRUST BY REFORMING OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM
HEALING THE SOUL OF AMERICA
COMBATING THE CLIMATE CRISIS AND PURSUING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
RESTORING AND STRENGTHENING OUR DEMOCRACY
CREATING A 21ST CENTURY IMMIGRATION SYSTEM
PROVIDING A WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION IN EVERY ZIP CODE
RENEWING AMERICAN LEADERSHIP

[onetexan]

17. +1 K&R

[Obvious85]

5. BLUE TSUNAMI

Thank you Kevin!

[Jade Fox]

6. Finally. An outraged Republican who has the guts to switch parties! nt

[liberalla]

9. Hey, it might start a trend and encourage a few more to cross-over!

[CatWoman]

10. I certainly hope so!!!

[liberalla]

23. There are many unhappy R's who don't like trump but didn't speak out

(because you become a target for trump to attack). I've heard more than a few admit he's an embarrassment. With all the news coming out and investigations ongoing, it is becoming easier to leave trump and the R's... to separate yourself from him. I wouldn't be surprised if switching sides becomes a thing.

I certainly hope so, too!

[orangecrush]

7. Gonna see a lot of this

It's called integrity.

[Cha]

8. Good on Kevin Priola!

Home State!

[EnergizedLib]

11. Welcome to the winning team, Kevin Priola

Every little bit helps.

[WinstonSmith4740]

12. NOW you realize it?

NOW it's gone too far? You were horrified, but still waited over 18 months? Sorry...first of all, only 2 of the "honorable" Republicans he cited did the right thing for more than the couple of hours that Pence and Romney did. So please. The rats are obviously deserting. Glad to have you off that horrible ship, but not convinced we should welcome you on ours if it took you this long to figure out the obvious. We're smarter on this side of the aisle. However, if it helps us keep control of a governmental body, OK I guess.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

20. Please do not disparage those who had to live with prospect of being terrorized if said this earlier

The fascist’s using terror has worked so far, every crack in the wall of fear is welcome!

[jalan48]

13. Just what our Party needs-more Bush/Cheney Republicans? No thanks.

[emulatorloo]

24. Give it a rest. When he votes w his democratic colleagues to help every day people in Colorado

that’s a great thing.

I understand your tribalism but let's not let it get in the way of Democratic policy victories in Colorado.

[Uncle Joe]

15. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread CatWoman.

[hibbing]

16. Hope he's prepared for threats n/t

[niyad]

18. "brave and honourable pence and rmoney"? where is my barf bag?

[FelineOverlord]

19. His tweet

He’s g tying a VERY positive reaction from Dems on Twitter:

Link to tweet

[pandr32]

21. We SHOULD be seeing more of this.

That is, if there were Republicans who took their oaths of office seriously.

[SouthernDem4ever]

22. Is Susan Collins concerned?

[Heather MC]

26. Dear Dems Please don't embrace these castAways

Jumping ship at this point is cowardly 🖕🏾🖕🏾🖕🏾