January 5, 2026 • 38 mins
Former Congressman Greg Lopez joins Ryan live in-studio for the full hour to provide an update on his campaign for Colorado governor, which includes his re-registering as an unaffilated candidate after leaving the Republican Party, along with the reasons behind his decision and his plan for a path to victory against both Democrat and Republican nominees.
Greg Lopez for Colorado Governor
Greg Lopez for Colorado Governor
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
KRFX HD two Denver, khow Denver they say six thirty
k ow Denver's talk station, Niheart Radio station.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Guaranteed Human And December thirtieth, twenty twenty five, my wife
Lisa and I changed our party affiliation to unaffiliated. Not
because it was convenient, not because it was safe, but
because it was honest. I'm not changing my values. I'm
staying true to who I've always been. I'm simply changing
(00:34):
who I answered to.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Why now?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Because unaffiliated voters are now the largest voice in Colorado
and the problems we face won't wait for another cycle
of partisan excuses. This means I won't appear in a
primary ballot. I won't have party machines behind me. I
will have to earn every ounce of trust directly from you.
(00:59):
And I'm willing to do that, and it's a little
bit scary. Colorado doesn't need another politician who answers to
party bosses or national talking points. Colorado needs a governor
who wakes up every day asking one question, what actually
works for the people of this state. I believe in
(01:21):
public safety, affordable living, strong schools, thriving small businesses, and
a government that remembers who it works for those aren't
Democratic values or Republican values. There are Colorado values. This
campaign isn't about left versus right. It's about people versus
(01:41):
a system that has forgotten them. I'm not running to
divide Colorado. I'm running to united Colorado is bigger than
any party in our future. Is worth fighting for.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Our next guest, Greg Lopez, you heard right there here
on Ryan Schuling Live for the full hour and access
for you via phone three zero three seven to one
three eight two five five and via text at five
seven seven three nine. Lots of questions, Greg, I appreciate
you being here, and I bet you during the break,
the first of which is what facilitated this change. I'm
(02:15):
going to start here because you've ran a couple of
times for governor. In the last time in twenty twenty two,
rather successfully in a primary in which you got down
to head to head against Heidi Ganal and you lost
by a little over seven points fifty three forty six.
Extremely competitive, strong basis support within the Republican Party. We
watched Danielle Neuschwanger break off from the party and run
(02:36):
as a third party candidate as the Constitution Party nominee
and a lot of people criticized her for that. What
makes your decision different from what Daniel Nuschwanger did back
in twenty two.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Well, know, Ryan, before I answer that question, I just
want to let all my Republican friends out there throughout
the state. You know, I have a lot of good friends,
a lot of strong supporters, you know, and like I
just want to remind them I'm not changed my values.
I'm just changing who I answer to. And you know,
I always make myself available to wherever they want me
to come out and talk to them and visit with them.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
So that.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Invitations out there, I will go wherever they want me
to go, because that's what we need to do. Now,
here's the difference between what the Neil Newschweanger did and
what I'm doing. If you notice, you know, she did
it out of Spike. She went to the State Assembly,
and she didn't come out of the State Assembly. And
so because she felt whatever reason that she could, she
(03:33):
deserved to be on the ballot. You know, she went
on as a third as a third party. I'm coming
in as an unaffiliated and she only got twenty one
thousand votes in that election, right, so she really didn't
impact the outcome right unfortunately hiding gan Aal she lost
by four hundred and eighty five thousand votes. I'm not
(03:54):
participating in the primaries for the Republican Party. I'm starting
new this new year, so everybody has ten months to decide,
you know, to get their message out there, to make
sure people understand their vision. And I'm going straight to
the general election and I'm going to take my message
to the people in November, you know, And I'm looking
(04:17):
to be competitive in November and not do a performance
in June.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Now, there seems to be a pattern of this if
we go back to say twenty ten, in which Dan
Mays was Republican nominee and that went horribly wrong, and
Tom tan Crado came in right like you had conservative
Republican values and decided to run third party. A lot
of people know the history behind that, but it was divided.
(04:45):
He also, at that time, very coincidentally, with Daniel Newschringer
ran on the Constitutional Party ticket.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Well, you have to affiliate with some third party in
order to get on the ballot.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Are you planning to get on as an independent, as
an unaffiliated and if so, how will that happen?
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
No, I am not going to be on as a
minor party. I'm not joining a party. I will be
an unaffiliated candidate, So I will not be needing to
respond or to answer to any political bosses, any ideology.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
I get to represent the people.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
I get to keep my hand on the pulse of
what's happening here in the state of Colorado. And so
the way that's going to happen is I got a
petition onto the ballot, and I have to petition right
to the general election.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
For November three zero three seven one three eight two
five five.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
You're a question for Greg Lopez or by text five
seven seven three nine. So again, Greg, You've been a
very strong member of the Republican.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Party for many years.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
You and I've talked about this about you leaving the
Democratic Party back. You know, it was over thirty years
ago in the midst of your term such as the
mayor of Parker and you became a Republican. You served
as a Republican yes in the US House of Representatives,
And I said this during the break in a very
critical time when ken Buck left that seat, there was
a narrow mark the House Republicans, and you helped hold
(06:02):
the line there. So you have bona fides, you have
history of loyalty to the Republican Party writ large. Is
it a problem for you with the Republican Party in
the state of Colorado, how it's being led, how it's
being run.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Is that something that pushed you away?
Speaker 3 (06:20):
I can tell you this.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Look, if you look at the totality of what's happening
here in Colorado from the political landscape, right, we now
know it's very clear that fifty percent of the registered
voters are unaffiliated, correct, you know, and those are the
people that are sending us a message. The other thing
I'll remind you Ryan, in twenty twenty two, the Democrat
Party spent two million dollars against me in the primary
(06:45):
because they did not want me to go to the general.
If you remember, they sent out mailers saying I was
too conservative for this state. I missed going to the
general by forty nine thousand votes. Like you said, this
time around, they will not be able to stop me
from going to the general because I will not have
a primary. And so I'm looking to be the governor
(07:06):
of the state. I'm looking to make sure that the
entire population of the state of Colorado gets to hear
my message, gets to hear my vision, and they get
to decide what type of governor do they want.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Greg Lopez, an affiliated candidate for governor, formerly Republican, now
not involved in that primary, and much to my chagrin,
he won't be part of the candidate forum coming up
on Saturday. I was looking for that and Greeley along
the Mandy Connell. But you're not Republicans, so you're not
going to.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
See you because I'll be in the audience. I'll be
in the audience.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Okay, well, I'll definitely see you there and look for
you then. Greg.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
But so let's just look at this as like three
different silos. Would you agree that on the Democratic side,
Michael Bennett is a prohibitive favorite even against Phil Wiser,
the other candidates the okay, so strong Democratic presidence, strong
unaffiliated lean left presence. We've seen that play out not
only in elections with candidates on the ballot, but on
ballot measures addition to that, So you're trying to occupy
(08:02):
a lane, like you're talking about unaffiliated voters who make
up a plurality, if not an outright majority of voters
in this state. The concern is that I'm hearing from
conservatives like yourself. From Republicans is that while you may
stand a chance, Let's say if you went rogue and
ran an affiliated and it was head to head you
versus Bennett, you feel you would have a strong chance
(08:22):
to win. But there's going to be a Republican nominee yes,
and whoever that is is going to siphon off votes
presumably then would otherwise go to you.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
So how do you triangulate the race and win it?
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Well, first of all, they're not going to take votes
away from me, because what's going to happen. Look, the
Republican Party for the last twenty years has lost statewide elections.
The votes that I'm going to get there were not
going to vote for any Republican. So when you look
at it, I do am a threat to the Democrat
(08:55):
Party because I will siphon off a lot of the
votes in the urban corps. I will take the working
class votes, I will take the Hispanic vote away from
the Democrat Party, and I will also have to hold
them accountable for how they've been governing in the establishment. Access. Now,
I'll tell you a quick story. When I went to Congress,
(09:17):
I had to sit down meeting with Senator Michael Bennett.
He was in the congressional delegation. I had just arrived,
so I wanted to visit with him because we all
represent the state of Colorado, and you know Ryan. The
first time I sat down with him, he says, you know, Greg,
I am so happy you came to visit with me.
Because I went to his office. He goes, you know what,
I never want to see you run against me for
(09:39):
the United States Senate. I said, we you know, Senator,
I'm only here for six months. Your term doesn't expire
until twenty twenty eight, so I don't think you have
anything to worry about. And we had a great conversation,
but a great conversation with what was happening in Congress
and so forth.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
I know him as a person.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
I've been to his house when I was a head
of the United States Small Businessdministration and also the president
of the Denver Hispanic Chamber and Commerce. But I can
tell you he cannot connect and he's not connecting.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
With the voters.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Greig Lopez our guest, formerly Republican candidate for governor, now
running unaffiliated as an independent. He will not be joining
a third party of any kind, so he's going to
have to petition his way onto the ballot. Looks like
we have a caller here, Shan. Who is this?
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Where are they're from?
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Jennifer and Parker with a question for Greg Lopez here
on Ryan Schruling Live.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Jennifer, welcome, Hey, good morning.
Speaker 5 (10:33):
First of all, Ryan, congratulations on the show. I'm an
avid listener and I appreciate everything you do.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (10:41):
Your question I want yeah, my question for Greg is this,
And first I want to preface it by saying, I
understand Greg your frustration with the Republican Party. I too,
am a register I am a registered Republican. I refuse
to be run off by the chaos that's going on
in this party. Here's my concern. You need a thousand
(11:05):
signatures per district to even get on the ballot. What
is your plan to get on the ballot, and how
do you justify splitting a conservative vote in the first
time in I don't know how long that we actually
have a competitive opportunity here to have a governor in
(11:25):
Colorado that is not a Democrat.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Well know, Jennifer, that's a great question, But let me
just tell you this.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
You know what.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
If the voters If a party loses an election, and
it's because voters choose a different path, that's not splitting
the vote. That's democracy and that's what this country is
all about. So I'm giving people a real choice between
(11:56):
the two parties and someone that's focusing on making in
Colorado a state that we can all be proud of.
As far as how do I go about getting the signatures,
just like every Republican candidate is doing currently right now,
like every Democrat that's going to petition under the ballot,
it's not like it's never done before. And more importantly,
(12:17):
you may not know this, but I have to get
less signatures than any other major party candidate. While they
have to get fifteen hundred signatures per congressional district, I
only have to get a thousand. And anybody can sign
my petition. It can be a Democrat, it can be
an affiliated, it can even be a Republican.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
So it shouldn't be a big issue for me.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
We have a plan, we know how we're going to
do it, and you will see my name on the
general election in November.
Speaker 5 (12:50):
Well, sir, I think your evaluation is incredibly naive that
you won't split the ballot and at twenty dollars a signature.
I hope you have the fundraising ability to accomplish that.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Well, you know what, Again, like I said, I am
not going to take away any votes that are going
to be staying with the Republican Party. I am taking
votes from individuals that are either frustrated with the Republican Party,
frustrated with how the Democrats are overseeing this state, and
those unaffiliated voters that fully want someone it is a
(13:25):
problem solver. But only time will tell, and I respect
your opinion, but I am looking to be the governor
of this great state. It's not about titles, it's not
about labels. It's about doing the right thing for everyone,
both on the western slope and the eastern plains. I've
traveled this state. There are sixty four counties. I've seen
the frustration in people's eyes. I've heard her in their voices.
(13:49):
They're struggling every single day, and they want someone that
can actually solve problems and not play the political rhetoric.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
Thank you Jennifer Parker for that call. If you'd like
to join her at three zero three seven one, three
eight two five five with a question for Greg Lopez,
now independent candidate for governor here in Colorado.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
You can do just that.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
This Texter, Greg, I think probably speaks for a lot
of concerned voters out there.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
So I just want to have you address it as well.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
At five seven seven three nine, Ryan, it's great to
tune into your new show. Please let mister Lopez know
that I was looking forward to supporting him in caucus
and voting for him in the primary, but I won't
be able to support him as an unaffiliated I'm not
a diehard Republican, but I'm a student of Mike Rosen
party Trump's person.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Greg.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Your response, well, I want to tell him that you
know what for me and I respect his position. I
believe the people of the state trump party for too long.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
We have seen both sides.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
When they're looking at how they're going to manage the state,
I'm looking at it that the state of Colorado is
more important than party labels, and I truly believe that's
what the unaffiliated voters are saying.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Fifty percent of the active.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Voters, and I know a lot of people don't like
to hear this, but they are actually deciding who gets elected.
It's no longer Democrats that are deciding. It's no longer
the Republicans that are deciding it is the unaffiliated voters.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Greig Lopez, our guest and Greg.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
One of the things that I think plays to your
advantage and would have in a Republican primary is name recognition.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
People know who you are.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
You've served in Congress or mayor Parker, You've been involved
in Republican Party politics or in Colorado for many years.
So you had that kind of leg up maybe on
some of these other candidates where people hear the name
and not real share who that is. So a lot
about you, perception and otherwise good, bad, are indifferent.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Is baked into the cake. They know who Greg Lopez is.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
Maybe they supported you in the previous primary in twenty
twenty two, which a lot.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Of people did.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
But for an unaffiliated voter out there, let's say it's
a center left unaffiliated and they know you, but they
don't agree with a lot of your policies, and they
know you as a Republican, and they might not be
inclined to vote for you anyway. Whether there's an art
next to your name or an affiliate, what changes.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
It's up to them. They get to listen to my message.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Look, I'm not here to convince individuals on how they're
going to vote.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
I'm here to share with them the.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Vision of what Colorado is going to look like under
my administration. The good thing about this is I can
work with anybody. Now, I don't have to carry a
party label. So when I'm in working with the legislatures,
I can sit down with Democrats, I could sit down
with Republicans, and no one can accuse me that I'm
playing poly political games. You know, the path that I've
(16:36):
chosen is not easy. It's not simple. It's probably the
most hardest path that any candidate can choose to take.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
But I truly believe that our future here.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
In Colorado deserves true leadership, and I believe that I
am the one that can lead Colorado back to a
state that we can all be proud of. Greg you
left office almost exactly a year ago to the day.
Speaker 4 (17:00):
I just looked this up. It was January third of
last year. It's now January fifth of twenty twenty six.
President Trump was sworn in. In the meantime, you came
on this program, and you raise some eyebrows. I must say,
with a response from our listeners about President Trump's comments
regarding ilan Omar Somali Americans being garbage, and you.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Push back against that.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
I'm just trying to get to the trigger point between
when you left office US House of.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Representatives as the Republican in the fourth.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
District to now not quite a year later, declaring yourself
to be unaffiliated.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
What was the tipping point for you?
Speaker 4 (17:37):
Was there a specific incident, Was there a collection of
incidents that happened over the last calendar year that made
you say, you know what, I can't do this anymore.
I I can't run as a Republican anymore.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
No. Look, I'm not running against Republicans. I'm not running
against Democrats. I'm running for Colorado and the people of Colorado.
As I travel the entire state, they share with me
their frustrations. They share with me that sick and tired
of the big green between the parties. They don't like
people pointing fingers at each other about who did what
(18:07):
they did it. If they hadn't done it, we'd be better.
They want someone to come in and bring us a
solution to the problems. How are we going to help
our streets, How are we going to stop the crime?
How are we going to make affordable housing affordable again?
How are we going to make that American dream accessible
to everybody? That's what I'm going to focus in on.
(18:28):
I'm going to focus on the problems that every Colorado
is facing because I'm here to make life better, not
for just some of us, but for.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
All of us.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Your final decision when you posted that video and one
of your campaign associates sent that to me, was this
the result of a direct conversation with your wife, Lisa?
Was that the final strong because you both registered and affiliated?
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Yes, the two of you together. Yes? Was it a
joint decision in that way?
Speaker 3 (18:55):
It is.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Look, we've been married thirty eight years, you know, and
so we always make decisions together because a campaign like
this impacts the entire family.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
It's not just the candidate.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
You've seen how these campaigns can really put a lot
of pressure on couples, on families, and so, yes, you
are looking at a couple that makes decisions together. We
are very spiritual in our decisions, and most importantly, we
are going to be once again a couple of the
state of Colorado. She's going to make a fantastic first lady.
(19:30):
I can assure you of that.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Got a lot more questions for Greg Lopez, and he's
kind enough to spend the entire hour with us, including
your calls you hear from Jennifer three zero three seven, one,
three eight two five five. Got an interesting text to
come back with as well at five seven seven three nine.
You can send your questions there for Greg Lopez, now
an unaffiliated candidate for governor here in Colorado. In calendar
you're twenty twenty six more with him after this on
(19:53):
Ryan Schuling Live.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
That's the secretary who is in charge?
Speaker 5 (19:56):
Are you running Venezuela right now?
Speaker 6 (20:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (20:01):
I mean, I keep people fixating on that.
Speaker 6 (20:04):
Here's the bottom line on it is.
Speaker 7 (20:06):
We expect to see changes in Venezuela, changes of all
kinds long term, short term. We'd love to see all
kinds of changes, but the most immediate changes are the
ones that are in the national interest of the United States.
That's why we're involved here because of how it applies
and has a direct.
Speaker 6 (20:19):
Impact on the United States. Okay, we are not going.
Speaker 7 (20:21):
To be able to allow in our hemisphere a country
that becomes a crossroads for the activities of all of
our adversaries.
Speaker 6 (20:28):
Around the world, which just can't allow it.
Speaker 7 (20:30):
We can't have a country where the people in charge
of its military and in charge of its police department
are openly cooperating with drug trafficking organizations. We're not going
to allow that these are These things are direct threats
to the United States, and we intend to use every
element of leverage that we have to ensure that that changes.
The one I would point everyone too, is that our
military is helping the Coastguard conduct a law enforcement function
(20:52):
which is not just the capture of Maduro, but the
enforcement of our sanctions. We go to court, we get
a warrant, we seize the boats, and we think that's
tremendous leverage, incredible crippling leverage which we intend to continue
to use until we see the changes that we need
to see that are benefit to the American people and,
by the way, we believe to the people of Venezuela
as well.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the wake of the
weekend invasion of Venezuela, in which Nicholas Maduro, the dictator
of that country, was apprehended, arrested, brought back to the
United States and now he has a court appointed attorney
waiting for him as he faces charges in an agreement. Today,
Greg Lopez, you just heard their independent candidate for governor
(21:33):
joining us in studio on Ryan Schuling Live.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Greg.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
Part of the new realignment for the Trump run Republican
Party America first was getting ourselves out of the bush
doctrine of foreign wars of misadventure. Regime changed wars that
often end in failure, like we've seen perhaps in Iraq
and certainly in Afghanistan. What changed here because I got
to admit I was a little surprised that President Trump
(21:57):
went through with this. I'm not saying I necessarily disagree
with that, but it certainly opens up a Pandora's box
of now, what do we do with the Venezuela That
we've cut off the head of the snake, but a
lot of the snake, in the form of the Maduro
regime remains.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
You know, when I was in Congress, there was a
lot of discussions about what was going on across the
world and some of the challenges the America's facing. People
need to remember that the role of the president is
to protect the borders of the United States and trenda
ragua that's here in Aurora, that's a Venezuelan gang and
the fentanyl that's coming in, that's killing young people, it's
(22:34):
killing a lot of individuals. It's coming from Venezuela. So
when you look at what is the role of the president,
what is the role of the United States, is to
protect our citizens, to protect our borders. And some people
think that, well, it's only if there is actually a
will invasion. We have been been invaded by a lot
of different groups and organizations, and so I think this
(22:57):
is send in a strong message not only do the tell,
but to others to say, you know what, you start
doing something to our American citizens, we are going to
take action.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
And really, when you.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
Listen to it, Secretary saying is look, we want them
to do certain things. The people of Venezuela's are dancing
in the streets. They're excited about what's going on, you know,
and so it really is a time for us to
reflect that what's happening, what is the future going to
look like for America? But more importantly, like he said,
(23:29):
what's happening in this western hemisphere, because we are the
ones that are responsible to make sure that American citizens
are protected.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Find out more about his campaign.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
Greg Lopez dot Co, formerly a Republican, now registered unaffiliated
and remaining in the race for governor. He will now
be part of the primary for the GOP or any
other events along those lines.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
He's going to petition his way on.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
And there are a couple of texts along these lines,
Greg that are lucky to respond to this. One says
the only chance and it's slim of a d not
winning a statewide election Colorado is if the opponent is
a slightly moderate, charismatic libertarian leaning unaffiliated. How much of
that description do you fit, Craig, if any, Well, let
(24:12):
me tell you this.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
You know what's interesting, Ryan, is that a lot of
people think I'm a Democrat because of my ethnicity. I
go into Denver, I go to Adams, I go into
Jefferson County, and I can walk into any Democrat meeting
and they think I'm a Democrat. You know, after a while,
they after they're talking to me, they slow down the
(24:34):
bay It's like, what whoa what party are you? And
I would share with them, right and they would say,
you know what, we didn't know that that philosophy existed.
So I've always been talking to these people, I've been
in those communities, and this is what people forget. I
am not your typical candidate. I have been I was
raised as a Democrat, I've been a Republican. All these
(24:57):
experience make me unique, and so voters are thirsty for
a true voice. Voters in Colorado are needing a leader
that focuses on their lives, not what's going on in Washington,
not what the political pundits want to hear, not what's
popular on social media. They want someone to focus on
(25:18):
their lives every single day. And I prove that when
I stop Governor Polis from bringing more wolves into Colorado
in the Western Slope. No other candidate got involved on
either side of the aisle. I got involved, and I
stopped the wolves from being brought more into Colorado.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
Greg Lopez, our guests joining us here, kind of building
on what you just said there, Greg, part of your
calculus was it that you view And I think a
lot of people do, a lot of our Texters believe this.
But just having the AR next to your name is
a scarlet letter. I mean, I guess pun intended with
Republicans being read and Democrats being blue. But what's that
(25:59):
part of your calculus that you felt it was just
weighing you down to have that are next to your name.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Look, we got to be honest, right, The Republican brand
here in Colorado is not the best president Trump did
not win Colorado, No, he lost it by eleven points.
But the counties that he did win, he win Pueblo, right, correct.
Pueblo is sixty three percent Hispanic, and so yes, any
any candidate has to look at the tapestry of what
(26:25):
is the path to victory, what is the path to
make a difference. I looked at it, and I truly
believe that you know what unaffiliated voters are going to
make the final decision and who gets selected. But I
am not changing my values. I am not changing who
I am. I am just changing who I'm answering to.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
Three zero three seven one, three eight two five five
If you want to ask a question a real time
via the phone line, and you can send your text
as well with questions at five seven seven three nine.
This one says I'm taking this opportunity to begin a
text thread with your new show, well, thank you, and
to say that as an unaffiliated voter, Greg's decision makes
this campaign more compelling to me, not less. The Republican
(27:05):
Party left me long before I finally left it.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
How many people have you run into like.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
That, which I guess you've kind of followed that same
path saying that you know what the party left me,
I'm going to do my own thing. There are a
lot of voters out there that seem to believe the
same thing.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
You know, it's happening every day you look at But
it's also happening to.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
The Democrat Party.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
You know, it's happening to both parties, correct, And so yeah,
I've had a lot of people call me and say,
you know, Greg, I'm a strong support of you. I
was thinking about doing the same thing. Do you think
I need to do this just to support you? And said, no,
you don't need to do anything. You get to vote.
You get to cast your vote in November. But I
think there is a lot of frustration because of what's
happening within the political parties themselves. You know, they're both
(27:48):
are struggling. You know, for anybody to believe that one
is struggling more than the other, they truly don't understand
that they're both struggling with their message. They're both struggling
with their narrative because they're focused on raising money they're
not focusing on solving problems. They're focusing on division instead
of listening. They're focusing on all the other things. And
(28:10):
because of that, they're getting further and further and further
away from the actual people that they claim that they're representing.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
One of the allures of your campaign now, Greg, I
feel and kind of goes part and parcel of what
your decision was is that people know now they're not
answering to any higher ups, any donors, any backroom deals,
any special interests. You are literally, Greg Lopez, kind of
on an island running as a candidate for governor. And
I think a lot of people are excited at the
(28:39):
potential of that, but we've never seen it really break through.
I mean in recent history, I recall Jesse Ventura, the
farther pro wrestler running rogue is a third party candidate
in a similar demographic state in Minnesota, and how that
breaks down and winning back in the late nineties against
both a Republican and a Democratic candidate. Is that one
maybe example that you would play and say, hey, it
(29:00):
can happen.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Well, Look, the one thing I will tell you Ryan
never say never, right, because you never know how the
voters are going to vote even when you think you
know what the poles are saying, even when you think
you have excuse me, you're handing the poles. I have
confidence in the voters of this state that they're looking
for character, They're looking for someone that can actually listen
(29:23):
to them, that is willing to sit down, hear what
they're saying and come up with options. Again, this allows
me to not worry about who's bringing the best solution
to the table. If it's the right thing to do,
we're going to do it. You know, We're going to
do what's in the best interest of this state. And
that's what I'm saying, and you heard it in my video.
(29:44):
I'm going to wake up every single day and say
what is in the best interest of the people of Colorado.
My agenda and my governing philosophy is pretty simple. People
over politics and do no harm. We're going to make
sure that we're making good, informed decisions for the betterment
of all.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
Greg Lopez dot Co. You can find out more about
his campaign there. We'll take a break here, and I
know Festivus has passed us, but I got a lot
of problems with things going on here in the State
of Colorado. I know our listeners do too. You touched
on one of them, the issue of wolves. But there
have been so many missteps by the Colorado Governor's office
Jared Polis. Things he signed into law problematic at best
(30:25):
laws and absolutely devastating laws. In addition to that, we'll
rapid fire that when we come back closing out along
with your tax five seven seven, three nine. We'll get
you on the phone line if you want that too.
During this break three zero three seven to one, three
eighty two fifty five, Greg Lopez, Independent candidate for Colorado Governor,
with us for the full hour here on Ryan Schuling Life.
Try not to take this personally, and I hope Mandy
(30:47):
doesn't either. But we have a forum scheduled for Saturday,
one thirty to three thirty pm in Greeley.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
And then there were three.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
As my guest Greg Lopez told me during one of
the breaks, Senator Mark Baisley is announcing today at a
noon press conference that he will be shifting his race
from governor to US Senate to run against John Hickenlooper.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
So on Saturday it will be down.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
To Representative Scott Bohams Senator Barb Kirkmeyer and Sheriff Jason
Mike sel So down to three. It's like musical chairs.
Greg Lopez stopped dancing to the tune entirely. He just
decided he's going rogue. He's running independent, he's unaffiliated, he
and his wife both registering that way, and he's kind
of spend the full hour with us here on Ryan
(31:30):
Schuling Live. You can find them more about his campaign
Greg Lopez dot co, or send your questions at five
seven seven three nine by phone three zero three seven
one three eight two five five.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
Greg, you talked about the wolves.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
There's a few other issues, particularly I would say gun related,
in which there were unprecedented I think infringements on the
Second Amendment rights of color rodden's that were passed in
the law that will go into effect, I believe in
August of this year. In addition to that, this is
the one where I almost went full Greg Lopez because
Republicans the Senate, namely Barb kirk Meyer Mark Baisley was
(32:02):
now running for US Senate signed on. I still can't
figure out the reasons why, other than the kind of
gobbledygook behind the scenes of you know, we're trying to
pass something constitutional for competency requirements for defendants in Colorado.
We've seen some absolutely horrifying examples. Oh yeah, of defendants
skirting the system, going to shrink shopping, finding a psychiatrist.
(32:24):
You're not fit to stand trial. You're off the hook,
you don't have to go to court. Where do you
stand on these issues? You can pick either one dole
of cart there and how you would address them as governor, Well, let.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Me tell you, you know what you had. You're so
spot on and everything that's going on at the Capitol legislature.
Just last night, Ryan, I attended a meeting on Senate
Bill twenty five zero zero three. Correct, Okay, the one
you just mentioned. It takes an effect on August first. CPW,
as you know, is responsible for these courses, and so
(32:54):
they were going to educate. They publicly stood in front
of an audience and said, we still haven't figured out
how we're going to do this.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
We're so behind the eight ball.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
We don't even have a database really ready to go.
Most of the questions that you're going to ask us,
we probably don't have answers for. But this is a
way Governor Polus has been running the government. So inefficient,
so unpredictable as to how they're going to do what
the right thing for the people of Colorado. They're making
up the rules as they go, and this is why
(33:27):
Colorado is in this crisis that it's in, you know.
So I am going to make sure that as the
voice of the people, I will keep people informed as
to what is happening in the legislature. I will have
an opportunity to have and ask those questions. Because remember
I am no longer associated with a party. I can
ask those tough questions and fight for those that are
(33:50):
hurting Colorado and its communities and the people of this state,
and also support those that are doing the right thing.
I could care less whether it's a Democrat idea Republican idea.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
If it's the right thing to do for this state,
We're going.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
To do it.
Speaker 4 (34:04):
You mentioned earlier in this hour, and if people missed it,
you can catch it on the podcast Ryan Schuling Live
Greg Lopez for the full hour about the infiltration of Colorado,
specifically Aurora, by the Venezuelan gang trendy Aragua. In with
that drug card tells entering into the state of Colorado,
proliferation of illegal substances, notably fentanyl collig causing deaths here
(34:25):
of especially the youth of Colorado. Crime as skyrocketed here
on Jared Poulos's watch over the last eight years, and
the Democrats watch in the General Assembly soft on crime
policies for prosecutors.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
With their hands tied for sheriffs.
Speaker 4 (34:39):
In the same way, I had that conversation with Steve
Reams in Weld County, cost of living off the charts,
property taxes out of control. Gallagher Amendment repealed no replacement
for that.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
Greg.
Speaker 4 (34:49):
I could go on, I know you could too, but
just where do you start here in just how badly
this state has been mismanaged over this last decade or so.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
Well, you know what, one of the things that makes
me different from all the other candidates is I have
been not only a mayor but also a city manager
dealing with all these departments. I oversaw ten different departments.
I was responsible for the budget. I was basically the
governor of Parker as it was growing right, all the
(35:20):
water issues, and so the first thing we got to
get our hands on is really the budget.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Where are we spending our money?
Speaker 2 (35:26):
Because that dictates the priorities on where we're going to
first shift some of the decisions. And so this is
not going to happen overnight bringing Colorado back to where
it needs to be. But in the eight years that
I'll be there, we're going to make a lot of changes.
We're going to roll it back, We're going to make
sure that people again, people over politics. We're going to
(35:48):
do no harm, but we're definitely going to make sure
that Colorado is a state that we can be proud
of once again. And like you said, Governor Poulis has
done a lot of different things that have done nothing
but hurt the families of this state, specifically the poor,
specifically the seniors, those that are struggling. Is time that
(36:08):
we step up and protect them. One of the things
that I want to do a shout out before we
get out of here. Sure, my wife and I we
were part of the first group that started to protect
Kiss Colorado, and so I want everybody to know that
there are petitions out there. I encourage you to sign
them for protect Kiss Colorado because these three issues are
(36:29):
very important to the future of our state and to
the future of our children.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
So please go out there and sign those.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
I've already done that myself. I encourage all of our
listeners to do the same. Greg Lopez our guests for
these final few moments now he will be in attendance
as an observer at the Double Tree by Hilton Greeley
at Lincoln Park. That'll be this Saturday, one thirty to
three thirty PM for the Republican candidate forum. Down to
three are Kirk Myer, Scott Bottoms, Jason Mike Sold the
sheriff also be participating. Mandy Connell. You'res truly serving as
(36:59):
moderators for that. Greg, I want to give you an opportunity,
along with your website, Greg Lopez dot Co, to tell
the people where it goes from here for your campaign.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Where are you going to be? Where can people find you?
Speaker 2 (37:09):
You know what, I'm going to be traveling the state
once again this week. I'm going to be up in
Eagle County. I'm going to be up in elbert I'm
going to be traveling. I actually I'm going to be
attending a forum for the candidates at the Democrat site
on Saturday night, you know, so I'm out there in
(37:30):
the public, so you know, go to my website, folks.
This only works when we all band together for those
on affiliated voters that feel a little politically homeless.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
I see you, I hear you. I am now one
of you.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
Together, we're going to make Colorado a state that we
can all be proud of. And I will be that
governor that every day wakes up and says, what are
we doing that it's in the best interest of all voters,
not just some, but all of us, because the future
of our state really lies in your hands, and you
(38:05):
get to make the decision. I'm looking forward to talking
to you. Go to my website call me anytime. I
won't even I'm gonna give you my phone number. If
my cell number is three zero three five nine six
three three six four you want to talk to me,
I will definitely talk to you. I'm gonna listen, and
(38:26):
we're going to do some things that we've never done before.
We're gonna set history. This year is one hundred and
fifty years for the state of Colorado, and the unaffiliated
voters are going to make history in the state.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
Now running a populist campaign for the unaffiliateds and everybody
in Colorado.
Speaker 1 (38:43):
Greg Lopez, one more time. That phone number you just
gave it out, three zero.
Speaker 4 (38:45):
Three five three three six four and Greg Lopez dot
col Greg, thanks as always for your time, best.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
Luckiing for Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Bryan joining us next Adam Dorito
KRFX HD two Denver, khow Denver they say six thirty
k ow Denver's talk station, Niheart Radio station.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Guaranteed Human And December thirtieth, twenty twenty five, my wife
Lisa and I changed our party affiliation to unaffiliated. Not
because it was convenient, not because it was safe, but
because it was honest. I'm not changing my values. I'm
staying true to who I've always been. I'm simply changing
(00:34):
who I answered to.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Why now?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Because unaffiliated voters are now the largest voice in Colorado
and the problems we face won't wait for another cycle
of partisan excuses. This means I won't appear in a
primary ballot. I won't have party machines behind me. I
will have to earn every ounce of trust directly from you.
(00:59):
And I'm willing to do that, and it's a little
bit scary. Colorado doesn't need another politician who answers to
party bosses or national talking points. Colorado needs a governor
who wakes up every day asking one question, what actually
works for the people of this state. I believe in
(01:21):
public safety, affordable living, strong schools, thriving small businesses, and
a government that remembers who it works for those aren't
Democratic values or Republican values. There are Colorado values. This
campaign isn't about left versus right. It's about people versus
(01:41):
a system that has forgotten them. I'm not running to
divide Colorado. I'm running to united Colorado is bigger than
any party in our future. Is worth fighting for.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Our next guest, Greg Lopez, you heard right there here
on Ryan Schuling Live for the full hour and access
for you via phone three zero three seven to one
three eight two five five and via text at five
seven seven three nine. Lots of questions, Greg, I appreciate
you being here, and I bet you during the break,
the first of which is what facilitated this change. I'm
(02:15):
going to start here because you've ran a couple of
times for governor. In the last time in twenty twenty two,
rather successfully in a primary in which you got down
to head to head against Heidi Ganal and you lost
by a little over seven points fifty three forty six.
Extremely competitive, strong basis support within the Republican Party. We
watched Danielle Neuschwanger break off from the party and run
(02:36):
as a third party candidate as the Constitution Party nominee
and a lot of people criticized her for that. What
makes your decision different from what Daniel Nuschwanger did back
in twenty two.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Well, know, Ryan, before I answer that question, I just
want to let all my Republican friends out there throughout
the state. You know, I have a lot of good friends,
a lot of strong supporters, you know, and like I
just want to remind them I'm not changed my values.
I'm just changing who I answer to. And you know,
I always make myself available to wherever they want me
to come out and talk to them and visit with them.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
So that.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Invitations out there, I will go wherever they want me
to go, because that's what we need to do. Now,
here's the difference between what the Neil Newschweanger did and
what I'm doing. If you notice, you know, she did
it out of Spike. She went to the State Assembly,
and she didn't come out of the State Assembly. And
so because she felt whatever reason that she could, she
(03:33):
deserved to be on the ballot. You know, she went
on as a third as a third party. I'm coming
in as an unaffiliated and she only got twenty one
thousand votes in that election, right, so she really didn't
impact the outcome right unfortunately hiding gan Aal she lost
by four hundred and eighty five thousand votes. I'm not
(03:54):
participating in the primaries for the Republican Party. I'm starting
new this new year, so everybody has ten months to decide,
you know, to get their message out there, to make
sure people understand their vision. And I'm going straight to
the general election and I'm going to take my message
to the people in November, you know, And I'm looking
(04:17):
to be competitive in November and not do a performance
in June.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Now, there seems to be a pattern of this if
we go back to say twenty ten, in which Dan
Mays was Republican nominee and that went horribly wrong, and
Tom tan Crado came in right like you had conservative
Republican values and decided to run third party. A lot
of people know the history behind that, but it was divided.
(04:45):
He also, at that time, very coincidentally, with Daniel Newschringer
ran on the Constitutional Party ticket.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Well, you have to affiliate with some third party in
order to get on the ballot.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Are you planning to get on as an independent, as
an unaffiliated and if so, how will that happen?
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
No, I am not going to be on as a
minor party. I'm not joining a party. I will be
an unaffiliated candidate, So I will not be needing to
respond or to answer to any political bosses, any ideology.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
I get to represent the people.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
I get to keep my hand on the pulse of
what's happening here in the state of Colorado. And so
the way that's going to happen is I got a
petition onto the ballot, and I have to petition right
to the general election.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
For November three zero three seven one three eight two
five five.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
You're a question for Greg Lopez or by text five
seven seven three nine. So again, Greg, You've been a
very strong member of the Republican.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Party for many years.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
You and I've talked about this about you leaving the
Democratic Party back. You know, it was over thirty years
ago in the midst of your term such as the
mayor of Parker and you became a Republican. You served
as a Republican yes in the US House of Representatives,
And I said this during the break in a very
critical time when ken Buck left that seat, there was
a narrow mark the House Republicans, and you helped hold
(06:02):
the line there. So you have bona fides, you have
history of loyalty to the Republican Party writ large. Is
it a problem for you with the Republican Party in
the state of Colorado, how it's being led, how it's
being run.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Is that something that pushed you away?
Speaker 3 (06:20):
I can tell you this.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Look, if you look at the totality of what's happening
here in Colorado from the political landscape, right, we now
know it's very clear that fifty percent of the registered
voters are unaffiliated, correct, you know, and those are the
people that are sending us a message. The other thing
I'll remind you Ryan, in twenty twenty two, the Democrat
Party spent two million dollars against me in the primary
(06:45):
because they did not want me to go to the general.
If you remember, they sent out mailers saying I was
too conservative for this state. I missed going to the
general by forty nine thousand votes. Like you said, this
time around, they will not be able to stop me
from going to the general because I will not have
a primary. And so I'm looking to be the governor
(07:06):
of the state. I'm looking to make sure that the
entire population of the state of Colorado gets to hear
my message, gets to hear my vision, and they get
to decide what type of governor do they want.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Greg Lopez, an affiliated candidate for governor, formerly Republican, now
not involved in that primary, and much to my chagrin,
he won't be part of the candidate forum coming up
on Saturday. I was looking for that and Greeley along
the Mandy Connell. But you're not Republicans, so you're not
going to.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
See you because I'll be in the audience. I'll be
in the audience.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Okay, well, I'll definitely see you there and look for
you then. Greg.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
But so let's just look at this as like three
different silos. Would you agree that on the Democratic side,
Michael Bennett is a prohibitive favorite even against Phil Wiser,
the other candidates the okay, so strong Democratic presidence, strong
unaffiliated lean left presence. We've seen that play out not
only in elections with candidates on the ballot, but on
ballot measures addition to that, So you're trying to occupy
(08:02):
a lane, like you're talking about unaffiliated voters who make
up a plurality, if not an outright majority of voters
in this state. The concern is that I'm hearing from
conservatives like yourself. From Republicans is that while you may
stand a chance, Let's say if you went rogue and
ran an affiliated and it was head to head you
versus Bennett, you feel you would have a strong chance
(08:22):
to win. But there's going to be a Republican nominee yes,
and whoever that is is going to siphon off votes
presumably then would otherwise go to you.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
So how do you triangulate the race and win it?
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Well, first of all, they're not going to take votes
away from me, because what's going to happen. Look, the
Republican Party for the last twenty years has lost statewide elections.
The votes that I'm going to get there were not
going to vote for any Republican. So when you look
at it, I do am a threat to the Democrat
(08:55):
Party because I will siphon off a lot of the
votes in the urban corps. I will take the working
class votes, I will take the Hispanic vote away from
the Democrat Party, and I will also have to hold
them accountable for how they've been governing in the establishment. Access. Now,
I'll tell you a quick story. When I went to Congress,
(09:17):
I had to sit down meeting with Senator Michael Bennett.
He was in the congressional delegation. I had just arrived,
so I wanted to visit with him because we all
represent the state of Colorado, and you know Ryan. The
first time I sat down with him, he says, you know, Greg,
I am so happy you came to visit with me.
Because I went to his office. He goes, you know what,
I never want to see you run against me for
(09:39):
the United States Senate. I said, we you know, Senator,
I'm only here for six months. Your term doesn't expire
until twenty twenty eight, so I don't think you have
anything to worry about. And we had a great conversation,
but a great conversation with what was happening in Congress
and so forth.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
I know him as a person.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
I've been to his house when I was a head
of the United States Small Businessdministration and also the president
of the Denver Hispanic Chamber and Commerce. But I can
tell you he cannot connect and he's not connecting.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
With the voters.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Greig Lopez our guest, formerly Republican candidate for governor, now
running unaffiliated as an independent. He will not be joining
a third party of any kind, so he's going to
have to petition his way onto the ballot. Looks like
we have a caller here, Shan. Who is this?
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Where are they're from?
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Jennifer and Parker with a question for Greg Lopez here
on Ryan Schruling Live.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Jennifer, welcome, Hey, good morning.
Speaker 5 (10:33):
First of all, Ryan, congratulations on the show. I'm an
avid listener and I appreciate everything you do.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (10:41):
Your question I want yeah, my question for Greg is this,
And first I want to preface it by saying, I
understand Greg your frustration with the Republican Party. I too,
am a register I am a registered Republican. I refuse
to be run off by the chaos that's going on
in this party. Here's my concern. You need a thousand
(11:05):
signatures per district to even get on the ballot. What
is your plan to get on the ballot, and how
do you justify splitting a conservative vote in the first
time in I don't know how long that we actually
have a competitive opportunity here to have a governor in
(11:25):
Colorado that is not a Democrat.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Well know, Jennifer, that's a great question, But let me
just tell you this.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
You know what.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
If the voters If a party loses an election, and
it's because voters choose a different path, that's not splitting
the vote. That's democracy and that's what this country is
all about. So I'm giving people a real choice between
(11:56):
the two parties and someone that's focusing on making in
Colorado a state that we can all be proud of.
As far as how do I go about getting the signatures,
just like every Republican candidate is doing currently right now,
like every Democrat that's going to petition under the ballot,
it's not like it's never done before. And more importantly,
(12:17):
you may not know this, but I have to get
less signatures than any other major party candidate. While they
have to get fifteen hundred signatures per congressional district, I
only have to get a thousand. And anybody can sign
my petition. It can be a Democrat, it can be
an affiliated, it can even be a Republican.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
So it shouldn't be a big issue for me.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
We have a plan, we know how we're going to
do it, and you will see my name on the
general election in November.
Speaker 5 (12:50):
Well, sir, I think your evaluation is incredibly naive that
you won't split the ballot and at twenty dollars a signature.
I hope you have the fundraising ability to accomplish that.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Well, you know what, Again, like I said, I am
not going to take away any votes that are going
to be staying with the Republican Party. I am taking
votes from individuals that are either frustrated with the Republican Party,
frustrated with how the Democrats are overseeing this state, and
those unaffiliated voters that fully want someone it is a
(13:25):
problem solver. But only time will tell, and I respect
your opinion, but I am looking to be the governor
of this great state. It's not about titles, it's not
about labels. It's about doing the right thing for everyone,
both on the western slope and the eastern plains. I've
traveled this state. There are sixty four counties. I've seen
the frustration in people's eyes. I've heard her in their voices.
(13:49):
They're struggling every single day, and they want someone that
can actually solve problems and not play the political rhetoric.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
Thank you Jennifer Parker for that call. If you'd like
to join her at three zero three seven one, three
eight two five five with a question for Greg Lopez,
now independent candidate for governor here in Colorado.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
You can do just that.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
This Texter, Greg, I think probably speaks for a lot
of concerned voters out there.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
So I just want to have you address it as well.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
At five seven seven three nine, Ryan, it's great to
tune into your new show. Please let mister Lopez know
that I was looking forward to supporting him in caucus
and voting for him in the primary, but I won't
be able to support him as an unaffiliated I'm not
a diehard Republican, but I'm a student of Mike Rosen
party Trump's person.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Greg.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Your response, well, I want to tell him that you
know what for me and I respect his position. I
believe the people of the state trump party for too long.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
We have seen both sides.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
When they're looking at how they're going to manage the state,
I'm looking at it that the state of Colorado is
more important than party labels, and I truly believe that's
what the unaffiliated voters are saying.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Fifty percent of the active.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Voters, and I know a lot of people don't like
to hear this, but they are actually deciding who gets elected.
It's no longer Democrats that are deciding. It's no longer
the Republicans that are deciding it is the unaffiliated voters.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Greig Lopez, our guest and Greg.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
One of the things that I think plays to your
advantage and would have in a Republican primary is name recognition.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
People know who you are.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
You've served in Congress or mayor Parker, You've been involved
in Republican Party politics or in Colorado for many years.
So you had that kind of leg up maybe on
some of these other candidates where people hear the name
and not real share who that is. So a lot
about you, perception and otherwise good, bad, are indifferent.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Is baked into the cake. They know who Greg Lopez is.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
Maybe they supported you in the previous primary in twenty
twenty two, which a lot.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Of people did.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
But for an unaffiliated voter out there, let's say it's
a center left unaffiliated and they know you, but they
don't agree with a lot of your policies, and they
know you as a Republican, and they might not be
inclined to vote for you anyway. Whether there's an art
next to your name or an affiliate, what changes.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
It's up to them. They get to listen to my message.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Look, I'm not here to convince individuals on how they're
going to vote.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
I'm here to share with them the.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Vision of what Colorado is going to look like under
my administration. The good thing about this is I can
work with anybody. Now, I don't have to carry a
party label. So when I'm in working with the legislatures,
I can sit down with Democrats, I could sit down
with Republicans, and no one can accuse me that I'm
playing poly political games. You know, the path that I've
(16:36):
chosen is not easy. It's not simple. It's probably the
most hardest path that any candidate can choose to take.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
But I truly believe that our future here.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
In Colorado deserves true leadership, and I believe that I
am the one that can lead Colorado back to a
state that we can all be proud of. Greg you
left office almost exactly a year ago to the day.
Speaker 4 (17:00):
I just looked this up. It was January third of
last year. It's now January fifth of twenty twenty six.
President Trump was sworn in. In the meantime, you came
on this program, and you raise some eyebrows. I must say,
with a response from our listeners about President Trump's comments
regarding ilan Omar Somali Americans being garbage, and you.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Push back against that.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
I'm just trying to get to the trigger point between
when you left office US House of.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Representatives as the Republican in the fourth.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
District to now not quite a year later, declaring yourself
to be unaffiliated.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
What was the tipping point for you?
Speaker 4 (17:37):
Was there a specific incident, Was there a collection of
incidents that happened over the last calendar year that made
you say, you know what, I can't do this anymore.
I I can't run as a Republican anymore.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
No. Look, I'm not running against Republicans. I'm not running
against Democrats. I'm running for Colorado and the people of Colorado.
As I travel the entire state, they share with me
their frustrations. They share with me that sick and tired
of the big green between the parties. They don't like
people pointing fingers at each other about who did what
(18:07):
they did it. If they hadn't done it, we'd be better.
They want someone to come in and bring us a
solution to the problems. How are we going to help
our streets, How are we going to stop the crime?
How are we going to make affordable housing affordable again?
How are we going to make that American dream accessible
to everybody? That's what I'm going to focus in on.
(18:28):
I'm going to focus on the problems that every Colorado
is facing because I'm here to make life better, not
for just some of us, but for.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
All of us.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Your final decision when you posted that video and one
of your campaign associates sent that to me, was this
the result of a direct conversation with your wife, Lisa?
Was that the final strong because you both registered and affiliated?
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Yes, the two of you together. Yes? Was it a
joint decision in that way?
Speaker 3 (18:55):
It is.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Look, we've been married thirty eight years, you know, and
so we always make decisions together because a campaign like
this impacts the entire family.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
It's not just the candidate.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
You've seen how these campaigns can really put a lot
of pressure on couples, on families, and so, yes, you
are looking at a couple that makes decisions together. We
are very spiritual in our decisions, and most importantly, we
are going to be once again a couple of the
state of Colorado. She's going to make a fantastic first lady.
(19:30):
I can assure you of that.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Got a lot more questions for Greg Lopez, and he's
kind enough to spend the entire hour with us, including
your calls you hear from Jennifer three zero three seven, one,
three eight two five five. Got an interesting text to
come back with as well at five seven seven three nine.
You can send your questions there for Greg Lopez, now
an unaffiliated candidate for governor here in Colorado. In calendar
you're twenty twenty six more with him after this on
(19:53):
Ryan Schuling Live.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
That's the secretary who is in charge?
Speaker 5 (19:56):
Are you running Venezuela right now?
Speaker 6 (20:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (20:01):
I mean, I keep people fixating on that.
Speaker 6 (20:04):
Here's the bottom line on it is.
Speaker 7 (20:06):
We expect to see changes in Venezuela, changes of all
kinds long term, short term. We'd love to see all
kinds of changes, but the most immediate changes are the
ones that are in the national interest of the United States.
That's why we're involved here because of how it applies
and has a direct.
Speaker 6 (20:19):
Impact on the United States. Okay, we are not going.
Speaker 7 (20:21):
To be able to allow in our hemisphere a country
that becomes a crossroads for the activities of all of
our adversaries.
Speaker 6 (20:28):
Around the world, which just can't allow it.
Speaker 7 (20:30):
We can't have a country where the people in charge
of its military and in charge of its police department
are openly cooperating with drug trafficking organizations. We're not going
to allow that these are These things are direct threats
to the United States, and we intend to use every
element of leverage that we have to ensure that that changes.
The one I would point everyone too, is that our
military is helping the Coastguard conduct a law enforcement function
(20:52):
which is not just the capture of Maduro, but the
enforcement of our sanctions. We go to court, we get
a warrant, we seize the boats, and we think that's
tremendous leverage, incredible crippling leverage which we intend to continue
to use until we see the changes that we need
to see that are benefit to the American people and,
by the way, we believe to the people of Venezuela
as well.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the wake of the
weekend invasion of Venezuela, in which Nicholas Maduro, the dictator
of that country, was apprehended, arrested, brought back to the
United States and now he has a court appointed attorney
waiting for him as he faces charges in an agreement. Today,
Greg Lopez, you just heard their independent candidate for governor
(21:33):
joining us in studio on Ryan Schuling Live.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Greg.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
Part of the new realignment for the Trump run Republican
Party America first was getting ourselves out of the bush
doctrine of foreign wars of misadventure. Regime changed wars that
often end in failure, like we've seen perhaps in Iraq
and certainly in Afghanistan. What changed here because I got
to admit I was a little surprised that President Trump
(21:57):
went through with this. I'm not saying I necessarily disagree
with that, but it certainly opens up a Pandora's box
of now, what do we do with the Venezuela That
we've cut off the head of the snake, but a
lot of the snake, in the form of the Maduro
regime remains.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
You know, when I was in Congress, there was a
lot of discussions about what was going on across the
world and some of the challenges the America's facing. People
need to remember that the role of the president is
to protect the borders of the United States and trenda
ragua that's here in Aurora, that's a Venezuelan gang and
the fentanyl that's coming in, that's killing young people, it's
(22:34):
killing a lot of individuals. It's coming from Venezuela. So
when you look at what is the role of the president,
what is the role of the United States, is to
protect our citizens, to protect our borders. And some people
think that, well, it's only if there is actually a
will invasion. We have been been invaded by a lot
of different groups and organizations, and so I think this
(22:57):
is send in a strong message not only do the tell,
but to others to say, you know what, you start
doing something to our American citizens, we are going to
take action.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
And really, when you.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
Listen to it, Secretary saying is look, we want them
to do certain things. The people of Venezuela's are dancing
in the streets. They're excited about what's going on, you know,
and so it really is a time for us to
reflect that what's happening, what is the future going to
look like for America? But more importantly, like he said,
(23:29):
what's happening in this western hemisphere, because we are the
ones that are responsible to make sure that American citizens
are protected.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Find out more about his campaign.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
Greg Lopez dot Co, formerly a Republican, now registered unaffiliated
and remaining in the race for governor. He will now
be part of the primary for the GOP or any
other events along those lines.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
He's going to petition his way on.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
And there are a couple of texts along these lines,
Greg that are lucky to respond to this. One says
the only chance and it's slim of a d not
winning a statewide election Colorado is if the opponent is
a slightly moderate, charismatic libertarian leaning unaffiliated. How much of
that description do you fit, Craig, if any, Well, let
(24:12):
me tell you this.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
You know what's interesting, Ryan, is that a lot of
people think I'm a Democrat because of my ethnicity. I
go into Denver, I go to Adams, I go into
Jefferson County, and I can walk into any Democrat meeting
and they think I'm a Democrat. You know, after a while,
they after they're talking to me, they slow down the
(24:34):
bay It's like, what whoa what party are you? And
I would share with them, right and they would say,
you know what, we didn't know that that philosophy existed.
So I've always been talking to these people, I've been
in those communities, and this is what people forget. I
am not your typical candidate. I have been I was
raised as a Democrat, I've been a Republican. All these
(24:57):
experience make me unique, and so voters are thirsty for
a true voice. Voters in Colorado are needing a leader
that focuses on their lives, not what's going on in Washington,
not what the political pundits want to hear, not what's
popular on social media. They want someone to focus on
(25:18):
their lives every single day. And I prove that when
I stop Governor Polis from bringing more wolves into Colorado
in the Western Slope. No other candidate got involved on
either side of the aisle. I got involved, and I
stopped the wolves from being brought more into Colorado.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
Greg Lopez, our guests joining us here, kind of building
on what you just said there, Greg, part of your
calculus was it that you view And I think a
lot of people do, a lot of our Texters believe this.
But just having the AR next to your name is
a scarlet letter. I mean, I guess pun intended with
Republicans being read and Democrats being blue. But what's that
(25:59):
part of your calculus that you felt it was just
weighing you down to have that are next to your name.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Look, we got to be honest, right, The Republican brand
here in Colorado is not the best president Trump did
not win Colorado, No, he lost it by eleven points.
But the counties that he did win, he win Pueblo, right, correct.
Pueblo is sixty three percent Hispanic, and so yes, any
any candidate has to look at the tapestry of what
(26:25):
is the path to victory, what is the path to
make a difference. I looked at it, and I truly
believe that you know what unaffiliated voters are going to
make the final decision and who gets selected. But I
am not changing my values. I am not changing who
I am. I am just changing who I'm answering to.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
Three zero three seven one, three eight two five five
If you want to ask a question a real time
via the phone line, and you can send your text
as well with questions at five seven seven three nine.
This one says I'm taking this opportunity to begin a
text thread with your new show, well, thank you, and
to say that as an unaffiliated voter, Greg's decision makes
this campaign more compelling to me, not less. The Republican
(27:05):
Party left me long before I finally left it.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
How many people have you run into like.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
That, which I guess you've kind of followed that same
path saying that you know what the party left me,
I'm going to do my own thing. There are a
lot of voters out there that seem to believe the
same thing.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
You know, it's happening every day you look at But
it's also happening to.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
The Democrat Party.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
You know, it's happening to both parties, correct, And so yeah,
I've had a lot of people call me and say,
you know, Greg, I'm a strong support of you. I
was thinking about doing the same thing. Do you think
I need to do this just to support you? And said, no,
you don't need to do anything. You get to vote.
You get to cast your vote in November. But I
think there is a lot of frustration because of what's
happening within the political parties themselves. You know, they're both
(27:48):
are struggling. You know, for anybody to believe that one
is struggling more than the other, they truly don't understand
that they're both struggling with their message. They're both struggling
with their narrative because they're focused on raising money they're
not focusing on solving problems. They're focusing on division instead
of listening. They're focusing on all the other things. And
(28:10):
because of that, they're getting further and further and further
away from the actual people that they claim that they're representing.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
One of the allures of your campaign now, Greg, I
feel and kind of goes part and parcel of what
your decision was is that people know now they're not
answering to any higher ups, any donors, any backroom deals,
any special interests. You are literally, Greg Lopez, kind of
on an island running as a candidate for governor. And
I think a lot of people are excited at the
(28:39):
potential of that, but we've never seen it really break through.
I mean in recent history, I recall Jesse Ventura, the
farther pro wrestler running rogue is a third party candidate
in a similar demographic state in Minnesota, and how that
breaks down and winning back in the late nineties against
both a Republican and a Democratic candidate. Is that one
maybe example that you would play and say, hey, it
(29:00):
can happen.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Well, Look, the one thing I will tell you Ryan
never say never, right, because you never know how the
voters are going to vote even when you think you
know what the poles are saying, even when you think
you have excuse me, you're handing the poles. I have
confidence in the voters of this state that they're looking
for character, They're looking for someone that can actually listen
(29:23):
to them, that is willing to sit down, hear what
they're saying and come up with options. Again, this allows
me to not worry about who's bringing the best solution
to the table. If it's the right thing to do,
we're going to do it. You know, We're going to
do what's in the best interest of this state. And
that's what I'm saying, and you heard it in my video.
(29:44):
I'm going to wake up every single day and say
what is in the best interest of the people of Colorado.
My agenda and my governing philosophy is pretty simple. People
over politics and do no harm. We're going to make
sure that we're making good, informed decisions for the betterment
of all.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
Greg Lopez dot Co. You can find out more about
his campaign there. We'll take a break here, and I
know Festivus has passed us, but I got a lot
of problems with things going on here in the State
of Colorado. I know our listeners do too. You touched
on one of them, the issue of wolves. But there
have been so many missteps by the Colorado Governor's office
Jared Polis. Things he signed into law problematic at best
(30:25):
laws and absolutely devastating laws. In addition to that, we'll
rapid fire that when we come back closing out along
with your tax five seven seven, three nine. We'll get
you on the phone line if you want that too.
During this break three zero three seven to one, three
eighty two fifty five, Greg Lopez, Independent candidate for Colorado Governor,
with us for the full hour here on Ryan Schuling Life.
Try not to take this personally, and I hope Mandy
(30:47):
doesn't either. But we have a forum scheduled for Saturday,
one thirty to three thirty pm in Greeley.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
And then there were three.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
As my guest Greg Lopez told me during one of
the breaks, Senator Mark Baisley is announcing today at a
noon press conference that he will be shifting his race
from governor to US Senate to run against John Hickenlooper.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
So on Saturday it will be down.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
To Representative Scott Bohams Senator Barb Kirkmeyer and Sheriff Jason
Mike sel So down to three. It's like musical chairs.
Greg Lopez stopped dancing to the tune entirely. He just
decided he's going rogue. He's running independent, he's unaffiliated, he
and his wife both registering that way, and he's kind
of spend the full hour with us here on Ryan
(31:30):
Schuling Live. You can find them more about his campaign
Greg Lopez dot co, or send your questions at five
seven seven three nine by phone three zero three seven
one three eight two five five.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
Greg, you talked about the wolves.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
There's a few other issues, particularly I would say gun related,
in which there were unprecedented I think infringements on the
Second Amendment rights of color rodden's that were passed in
the law that will go into effect, I believe in
August of this year. In addition to that, this is
the one where I almost went full Greg Lopez because
Republicans the Senate, namely Barb kirk Meyer Mark Baisley was
(32:02):
now running for US Senate signed on. I still can't
figure out the reasons why, other than the kind of
gobbledygook behind the scenes of you know, we're trying to
pass something constitutional for competency requirements for defendants in Colorado.
We've seen some absolutely horrifying examples. Oh yeah, of defendants
skirting the system, going to shrink shopping, finding a psychiatrist.
(32:24):
You're not fit to stand trial. You're off the hook,
you don't have to go to court. Where do you
stand on these issues? You can pick either one dole
of cart there and how you would address them as governor, Well, let.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Me tell you, you know what you had. You're so
spot on and everything that's going on at the Capitol legislature.
Just last night, Ryan, I attended a meeting on Senate
Bill twenty five zero zero three. Correct, Okay, the one
you just mentioned. It takes an effect on August first. CPW,
as you know, is responsible for these courses, and so
(32:54):
they were going to educate. They publicly stood in front
of an audience and said, we still haven't figured out
how we're going to do this.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
We're so behind the eight ball.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
We don't even have a database really ready to go.
Most of the questions that you're going to ask us,
we probably don't have answers for. But this is a
way Governor Polus has been running the government. So inefficient,
so unpredictable as to how they're going to do what
the right thing for the people of Colorado. They're making
up the rules as they go, and this is why
(33:27):
Colorado is in this crisis that it's in, you know.
So I am going to make sure that as the
voice of the people, I will keep people informed as
to what is happening in the legislature. I will have
an opportunity to have and ask those questions. Because remember
I am no longer associated with a party. I can
ask those tough questions and fight for those that are
(33:50):
hurting Colorado and its communities and the people of this state,
and also support those that are doing the right thing.
I could care less whether it's a Democrat idea Republican idea.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
If it's the right thing to do for this state,
We're going.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
To do it.
Speaker 4 (34:04):
You mentioned earlier in this hour, and if people missed it,
you can catch it on the podcast Ryan Schuling Live
Greg Lopez for the full hour about the infiltration of Colorado,
specifically Aurora, by the Venezuelan gang trendy Aragua. In with
that drug card tells entering into the state of Colorado,
proliferation of illegal substances, notably fentanyl collig causing deaths here
(34:25):
of especially the youth of Colorado. Crime as skyrocketed here
on Jared Poulos's watch over the last eight years, and
the Democrats watch in the General Assembly soft on crime
policies for prosecutors.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
With their hands tied for sheriffs.
Speaker 4 (34:39):
In the same way, I had that conversation with Steve
Reams in Weld County, cost of living off the charts,
property taxes out of control. Gallagher Amendment repealed no replacement
for that.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
Greg.
Speaker 4 (34:49):
I could go on, I know you could too, but
just where do you start here in just how badly
this state has been mismanaged over this last decade or so.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
Well, you know what, one of the things that makes
me different from all the other candidates is I have
been not only a mayor but also a city manager
dealing with all these departments. I oversaw ten different departments.
I was responsible for the budget. I was basically the
governor of Parker as it was growing right, all the
(35:20):
water issues, and so the first thing we got to
get our hands on is really the budget.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Where are we spending our money?
Speaker 2 (35:26):
Because that dictates the priorities on where we're going to
first shift some of the decisions. And so this is
not going to happen overnight bringing Colorado back to where
it needs to be. But in the eight years that
I'll be there, we're going to make a lot of changes.
We're going to roll it back, We're going to make
sure that people again, people over politics. We're going to
(35:48):
do no harm, but we're definitely going to make sure
that Colorado is a state that we can be proud
of once again. And like you said, Governor Poulis has
done a lot of different things that have done nothing
but hurt the families of this state, specifically the poor,
specifically the seniors, those that are struggling. Is time that
(36:08):
we step up and protect them. One of the things
that I want to do a shout out before we
get out of here. Sure, my wife and I we
were part of the first group that started to protect
Kiss Colorado, and so I want everybody to know that
there are petitions out there. I encourage you to sign
them for protect Kiss Colorado because these three issues are
(36:29):
very important to the future of our state and to
the future of our children.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
So please go out there and sign those.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
I've already done that myself. I encourage all of our
listeners to do the same. Greg Lopez our guests for
these final few moments now he will be in attendance
as an observer at the Double Tree by Hilton Greeley
at Lincoln Park. That'll be this Saturday, one thirty to
three thirty PM for the Republican candidate forum. Down to
three are Kirk Myer, Scott Bottoms, Jason Mike Sold the
sheriff also be participating. Mandy Connell. You'res truly serving as
(36:59):
moderators for that. Greg, I want to give you an opportunity,
along with your website, Greg Lopez dot Co, to tell
the people where it goes from here for your campaign.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Where are you going to be? Where can people find you?
Speaker 2 (37:09):
You know what, I'm going to be traveling the state
once again this week. I'm going to be up in
Eagle County. I'm going to be up in elbert I'm
going to be traveling. I actually I'm going to be
attending a forum for the candidates at the Democrat site
on Saturday night, you know, so I'm out there in
(37:30):
the public, so you know, go to my website, folks.
This only works when we all band together for those
on affiliated voters that feel a little politically homeless.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
I see you, I hear you. I am now one
of you.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
Together, we're going to make Colorado a state that we
can all be proud of. And I will be that
governor that every day wakes up and says, what are
we doing that it's in the best interest of all voters,
not just some, but all of us, because the future
of our state really lies in your hands, and you
(38:05):
get to make the decision. I'm looking forward to talking
to you. Go to my website call me anytime. I
won't even I'm gonna give you my phone number. If
my cell number is three zero three five nine six
three three six four you want to talk to me,
I will definitely talk to you. I'm gonna listen, and
(38:26):
we're going to do some things that we've never done before.
We're gonna set history. This year is one hundred and
fifty years for the state of Colorado, and the unaffiliated
voters are going to make history in the state.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
Now running a populist campaign for the unaffiliateds and everybody
in Colorado.
Speaker 1 (38:43):
Greg Lopez, one more time. That phone number you just
gave it out, three zero.
Speaker 4 (38:45):
Three five three three six four and Greg Lopez dot
col Greg, thanks as always for your time, best.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
Luckiing for Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Bryan joining us next Adam Dorito
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