December 3, 2025 • 34 mins
John Brooks, 2026 Republican candidate for Colorado governor, joins Sheriff Reams to discuss the finer points of his campaign platform - with particular regard to his economic background.
Home | Brooks for Colorado Governor | Official Campaign Site
Richard Holtorf, vice-chair of the Colorado Republican Party, joins Sheriff Reams on an update on the GOP's strategy going forward for races in 2026.
Home - Colorado Republican Party
Home | Brooks for Colorado Governor | Official Campaign Site
Richard Holtorf, vice-chair of the Colorado Republican Party, joins Sheriff Reams on an update on the GOP's strategy going forward for races in 2026.
Home - Colorado Republican Party
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Dan Capless and welcome to today's online podcast
edition of The Dan Caplis Show. Please be sure to
give us a five star rating if you'd be so kind,
and to subscribe, download and listen to the show every
single day on your favorite podcast platform.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome back to the Dan Capless Show. Here with Welcounty
Sheriff Steve Reams filling in on day two of two
and our two of this show, and we've been continuing
the discussion about the governor's race and the state of
Colorado and the crowded field of Republican candidates. We had
a no show in the first hour, which I will
continue to highlight that individual as a no show candidate.
(00:37):
That's Jim Runberg. He just flat out disconnected his phone,
I guess. But our next person is that not of
that ilk. He is definitely on the line and definitely
has an opinion on this governor's race because he's in
the mix, and that's John Brooks. John, are you with us?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
I am John.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Thanks for being on the show, and thanks for answer
and your phone. That's a critical component for coming on
the radio and telling us about why you're running for governor.
But you know, if you would. I don't know a
ton about you, and I'm assuming not all of our
listeners know a ton about you. So if you would
start out by just giving a little bit about your background, John,
(01:18):
what brings you, what brings you forward? In the state
of Colorado, Okay.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
First of all, thanks for having me on this show.
Bet appreciated all this enjoyable and to talk with you
and give you a little bit of background on me.
First of all, I grew up in the state. I
moved to Colorado was a little boy seven years old
in the very early seventies. My family was an agriculture
and technology family. We had dairy farms through my grandparents,
and my grandfather started inventing a lot of things and
(01:47):
one of the most computer systems, and we sold our
dairy We gave our dairy farms to the NAVO down
in Quartes, Okay, and then we went into technology. And
so for the last several decades I've served as a
chief emergency services, a paramedic, firefighter, member of the Air
Force Reserves, and for the last twenty five years I've
been an executive in the data technology sector. So you
(02:11):
know a little bit of fact around why I'm running.
You know, really the state needs fresh visions, fresh to use,
fresh approaches to issues that really have been increasingly building
in our state. You know, I've never been elect of
the government, but i have run government agencies before, bringing
executive experience from both public and private organizations, including leading
(02:31):
enterprise government agencies back to profitability and leading programs worth
hundreds and millions of dollars around the world. My Michael,
is to bring that same level of intensity and experience
to the governor's office and frankly to the state operations.
So you know, in reality, I'm not a politician, and
in fact, a politician is really not what we need
in this time in our history. We seem to have
(02:52):
plenty of them. What we do need is what I
refer to as a colorad and common coloraden with uncommon sense.
And over the years, as I've watched our roads get worse,
our energy become more expensive, our education continue to decline,
our affordability that is going far away, rural community being prioritized,
and we've got district attorneys that are enforcing and creating
(03:14):
policies that are frankly encouraging crime. We need to bring
these issues back under reasonable control. So what differentiates me.
First of all, I'm not campaigning on emotion or ideology.
I'm not that guy. I am focused on urging Colorado
issues that when we resolve, then will decrease cost to
Colorado's and will increase prosperity. That's lowering healthcare costs, lowering
(03:37):
energy costs, increasing economic growth. And then, you know, one
of the more interesting things potentially about me, and one
of the oddention on who you talk to, one of
the more aligning things that you could say is I
grew up Republican and I grew up in Boulder.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
So that's kind of a unicorn, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
You know, you say, and you wait to see who's
still standing aftern you say that, right, right, But what
that does is that lets me understand because I grew
up with these guys, they're some of my best friends
for the last fifty sixty years. I understand how democrats
and independence view issues in our state. I understand how
to work with the tripartisan nature of our state, and
(04:20):
really the major metro area that's going to be driving
this selection, which is that US thirty six corridor, and
defense of my backyard was on that corridor. So you know,
I was a bit of a lown wolf growing up
as a conservative in Boulder County and are especially in Boulder.
But what's really fascinating from my perspective, and one of
the things that got me into the race, is that
(04:41):
my non Republican friend asked me to get in.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Okay, and just to reset it gives a kind of
an idea.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Okay, we have John Brooks on the line with us.
He's running for He's a candidate for governor. Background is
out of Boulder, Colorado, of all places, and he's actually
running as a Republican. You know, you've been talking a
little bit about your priorities, your background. I want to
drill down on a specific that's near and dear to
my heart, and that's the crime rate in Colorado. As
a governor's candidate, as you know, if you if you're
(05:09):
elected into that seat, what do you think that the governor,
how can the governor move the needle in making this
state this state safe? And let's say the first one
hundred days, right.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
And that crosses over into several different policy areas that
I have, one of them being legislative reviews, because you know,
the three thousand different bills that they're on track to
have signed into law in the last eight years. There's
plenty in there around crime that need to be revisited.
But you know, as I wanted to raise, the crime,
especially bilid crimes, remain far too high in the state.
(05:42):
You know, we have shootings, especially school shootings, that are
still a thing, and they should never have been in
the first place. Right we have soft on crime policies
that are really having a negative impact on terrence. Law
enforcement is as you're well aware, there's a lot of
staffing and recruitment challenges that we're still facing right now.
And we have law enforcement in my family as well,
so it's not just emergency services from the paramedic firefighter side.
(06:05):
So this is close to me as well, you know.
But the net is coloraud is still the second most
dangerous state for violent and property crimes. As of July,
we're the seventh lease state to live in.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
What a terrible statistic. I mean, you're running for governor
and how many times have you had to repeat that?
That is a terrible statistic.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Absolutely, and so we you know, my administration will absolutely
go up against any district attorneys that want to continue
to soft on crime policies. Recidivism is ringing way too high.
We really need to focus on punishment and things that
make crime very undesirable. Crime needs to hurt. Just to
(06:43):
put it blidly, and right now, it's not well. We
have people that are being released back into society, like
what you just had to do up there recently up
in Well County, right, that's ridiculous that that should even
be happening.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Well, on that note, so when a person is sentenced
to the Department of Corrections, I have a very specific example,
but we just had a person who was sentenced to
four years in the Department of Corrections that was released
in I think two hundred and fifty six days. You know,
he was in the middle of a big drug issue
right back in Weld County while he's out on parole.
(07:17):
As the governor, you have you have explicit authority to
decide how funding and how the mechanisms of the Department
of Corrections are going to function. And I can tell
you right now, under Governor Polos's air quote leadership, the
Department of Corrections has been gutted. Do you see that
as a as an area where funding needs to be
(07:38):
prioritized If you want to be hard on crime, you
got to figure out how to keep prisoners inside of
our prisons. Is that a priority under a John Brooks administration.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Absolutely, it's a priority. And let's go step further. Let's
talk about reforming the training of corrections officers. Let's talk
about the extremely low pay, Let's talk about the minimal training,
Let's talk about the susceptibility of those corrections in staff
under those conditions. So, you know, we absolutely need to
look at rehabilitation reforms of the people that are currently incarcerated,
(08:09):
but we also need to look at the staffing and
the funding that's happening in the corrections right now. In
the first license, you know, we have mental health issues
that must be aggressively managed. We've got community policing support
that need to be dealt with. But frankly, if crime
is going to be something that is less desirable than
the initial pieces of that are really going to focus
(08:30):
on incarceration to make people less prone to receive it,
less prone to recommit. So that means we have to
absolutely increase our funding and look at the training within
the Department of Corrections in general. There's a massive amount
of needs in those areas right now.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Sure, so John, stick with us. We're going to cut
to a break. But when we come back on the
other side, there's two distinct areas I want to talk
to you about. One is police says we're not a
sanctuary state. I believe we are under a Brooks governorship,
under a John Brooks governorship, would we take that? Would
we take that sanctuary title away? And also are we
(09:08):
going to fix our dang roads. So we'll go to break,
give you a little chance to chew on that. When
we come back, let's dive into it. But you're listening
to Dan Kapla's show right now with Well County Sheriff
Steve Riams as your guest host. And we come back,
we'll continue on with John Brooks Governor's candidate.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
And now back to the Dan Kaplis Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Welcome back to the Dan Caplis Show. And as always,
Ryan comes up with the best the best music for
any of these candidates. They're just going to have to
make it their their walk up song as they continue
on the campaign trail. He's got a knack for that.
You're with Well County Sheriff Steve Riams as a guest
host today and When we went to Break, we had
John Brooks, candidate for governor, on and I challenged him with, Hey,
(09:53):
where are you going to stand on this whole idea?
Is Colorado a sanctuary state? And how are you going
to fix our dang roads. John, you had to come
Marcial Break to kind of chew that up. But I'm
sure you've got an opinion on both of those things. Anyways,
let's tackle the concept of sanctuary state first. What's your
opinion on that? As the perspective governor of Colorado, how
do you tackle that?
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Well, there's some different ways to unpacked that. First of all, though,
is that there are conflicts that exist between sanctuary policies
and federal law. They don't rationalize together. So we're not
a sanctuary state. Sanctuary city should not be a thing.
First of all, we will support federal law. We're going
to support the removal and capture of criminally illegal aliens.
(10:36):
All that stuff we're going to support. Now that said,
we also need to look at this issue very holistically
and understand things like DAKA the dreamers. We need a
resolution there. We need Congress to step up, We need
to get that done. We need to get that resolution
in place, So that's one area that needs to be
looked at. We also have to look at the fact
that Colorado industries have a significant dependence on immigrant workers,
(11:00):
not all of them are legal, and that covers agriculture, tourism, hospitality,
quick serve, restaurant service industries, landscapers, I mean all of it,
you know, the entire employment spectrum. In the blue collar
areas especially, we have some dependencies there. So what my
administration will do because that we will immediately work with
surrounding agricultural states and the HS and CBP to enhance
(11:23):
seasonal and temporary these access to those in your H
two base, your H two b's, those visa processes. We're
going to further digitalize applicants in the vetting process that
we can get this process intact and running. You know,
and I understand my last twenty five years, I've come
from a digital background. This is not rocket science. Why
this isn't done yet, I have Well, it's government, So I.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
I think I have an answer for you exactly.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
But you know, we need to be able to match
resource needs with views as issue, and that's difficult for
especially our smaller employers out there. A lot of the
family farms out there, that's more difficult for them to
do it is for the bigger ag for producers out there.
We need to clean that up. So, you know, the
net on this is that you know, we absolutely are
going to support federal law. Okay, we absolutely are not
(12:11):
going to support sanctuary policies. But this is a complex issue.
It's been made more complex by the last four years
of the previous administration that really mucked things up with
flooding and already congested and broken system in the first place. Right,
But that net is now we need to fix it. Yeah,
what are our pathways to get it done that are
(12:31):
not going to hurt Colorado's economy? And also keep in
mind that we've got some decent call out of families
that we need to watch out for. So that's that's
the long answer. Actually there's a longer answer, but I
don't want to take up.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
All your Yeah, well you got you got to tackle
this next one. And that's the road conditions are, you know,
just general road maintenance in Colorado. I know we've this
state because it's sanctuary policies, has spent a ton of
money on illegal immigration. They spend a ton of money
on supporting those folks that probably shouldn't be in this state.
(13:04):
That money could obviously be spent somewhere else on our roadways,
but that still wouldn't be nearly enough to bring our
roads up to the conditions that they need to be in,
especially in their current state. As the governor in the
state of Colorado, I mean, the people that come here
on vacation. Tourism is a big deal, but if it
rattles your teeth out while you're trying to get up
into the mountains, you know it's not a good experience.
(13:26):
It It can't promote tourism in the state of Colorado.
Our roadways are fundamental. How do you see the governor's
role being and getting our roadways back to a condition
that is at least passable.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Well, and this gets back into some of my enterprise background, Okay,
and not just in public in private sector, but also
in the public site to where I took enterprise model
and made it profitable for government and we got it
off the back of the taxpayers. So translate that into roadways.
I think we need to re imagine our revenue models
for a lot of our roadways right now, and we
(14:00):
need to look at things like commercial Oiute of State
Transportation to help fund some of that. We're a hub
right now. And so you talk about rattling teeth going
up in the mountains. You go almost anywhere on I
seventy outside of the metro area, you're going to be
rattling teeth east or west. We have perpetual construction on
North Bye twenty five. As you're probably well aware of
what decade now that that's been going on. You know,
(14:23):
we've got significant issues across the spectrum of ICE seventy,
I seventy six, I twenty five to eighty seven. I mean,
I can just go on on on twenty four fifty.
You know, all of these highways are in really poor
shape generally speaking, and our projects has beurter reacted. So
let's look at reimagining those revenue models. Number one, Number two,
(14:44):
we've belong to the lines of reimagining revenue models. Let's
also look at the metro area where Sea DOT has
dumped a ton of money into expansions on things like
the Southern Corridor around four seventy where we've got our
road is arguably darn clost to ten lanes wide, but
only four are being used for non toll traffic, right,
and the other four are being used for toll traffic
and they're virtually abandoned because we have variable tolls that
(15:07):
pretty much say you can drive home for a month
in these lanes, or you can send your kids to college.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Yeah, I mean, I get you, I get your point.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
So we need to rethink how that money is being
used because I'm pretty sure that we're nowhere close to
meeting the financial obligations that we took in to build
that compared to what our variable tools are bringing in.
So now we've got se DOT resources and people are
paying taxes in Montros for roads that.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
They can't do anything with it.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
That money is into sea DOT in downtown Denver. That's
not right. So there's a lot of things that we
need to be looking at for consumption based funding. We
need to look at commercial transit revenues. We need to
look at self sustaining roadways. We need to look at
realigning toll ways. We also need to look at where
state infrastructure fees are going because a lot of that
money may not be going into transportation infrastructure as a
(15:59):
probably should be. And I don't fully appreciate or understand
the show game that's been happening with a lot of
those fees. That's why one of my plans is to
actually digitize the state budget. So at that point people
can see as a taxpayers, you can go to work
place and see.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Makes good sense that money's after.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Where it's going.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
So, John, in just a few minutes we have left,
you know, one of the big issues, and I listed
off what I thought were the top six candidates. I
didn't list your name because of name recognition, and obviously
that's something that you have to overcome. Yeah, I think
you have a great grasp of the issues. How do
you get your message out to the voters? How do
you get up in that upper echelon of name recognition? Yeah?
(16:40):
How can people find out more about you? And how
do you overcome that that hurdle?
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Well, the first way is rather painful, and that's driving
Colorado roads all over the place to go to my
name out. Yeah, oh tomorrow, I'm on my way to
southwestern Colorado. Okay, Sunday, on my way to Durango. I was
just down in La Huonta and Las Anymous a week
and a half weeks ago. It's it's really grassroots and
pushing the small and the larger meetings to get names
(17:06):
out there. There's also going to be as as much
exposure that we can get on shows like yours. Sure absolutely,
So you know, as much name recognition and build that
we can do, we are going to be doing because
we understand, you know, I nobody knows who John Brooks is.
So we having a great deal of ground to cover
between now and April and then now in June and
(17:27):
so on to be able to change that around and
let people know who we are and to know that
we're not going.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Let's get your website out there real quick. John, We
have to go to break in just a few seconds.
But what's your website?
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Absolutely our website is Brooks for the Number four, CEO
guv dot com, Brooks for cotogov dot com.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Awesome, thank you for coming on the show. We've got
to take a hard break here. But you're listening to
Dan Caplis Show here on six point thirty k haw
with Well Kunny Sheriff Steve Riams as your guest host.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
You're listening to the Dan Kapliss Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Well, welcome back to the Dan Caplis Show here with welcomety.
Sheriff Steve Reims in the guest seat, and we're just
gonna go straight to our guest. This guy really doesn't
need an introduction, but I'm going to give him a
brief one. Here we have Richard Holtorf on the line.
He's a rancher, former state rep and current, I believe,
the vice chair of the state GOP Party. Richard, how
are you doing this evening?
Speaker 6 (18:28):
I'm doing great. Sheriff reams twenty five degrees out here
in eastern Colorado on a cold moonlit Nike. The cattle
don't like it, and the cattleman don't like it either.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
I can only imagine, Richard, you're always bring the fire. Hey,
when I texted you, I just I've been texting you
and Bretta Horne, who's the chairwoman of the state party.
She wasn't available to come on the radio. And not
that you're second fiddle, but you're a fun interview. Hey,
I want to get an idea from you where we
ye with the state party or we're going to be
(19:02):
able to run a state Assembly. Do you feel confident
in that ability? Because I got to tell you some
of our listeners are a little skeptical about how a
state Assembly might look, and I know you'll give us
the straight dirt.
Speaker 6 (19:16):
Well, the you know, the state parties is having some challenges, sure, undeniably,
but you know Americans have a unique ability to pull
things off by hooker by crook at the last minute
and make things, make good things happen. I'm one hundred
percent confident we're going to have a State Assembly. Now.
(19:39):
It might be at the fairgrounds in Lincoln County, it
might be up in Weld County and somebody's roping arena.
I'm all joking aside. We're going to host this thing.
It might be very conservative on a shoestring budget, but
one of the most important things state party does his
(20:00):
host the State Assembly, invite the delegates from all the
counties and let them determine the direction of the Colorado GOP.
So we're gonna figure it out in the next week
or two. I think there's gonna be some announcement that
may put people's concerns at ease. Okay, good, but you know,
(20:21):
we're not where we want to be on this train track,
but we're gonna get there and we're gonna.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Make it happen. One way or another.
Speaker 6 (20:30):
So I will tell people please kind of just hold on.
Let's get through December comes January. If we don't have
everything in our saddle bags, we need to brighten this
thing into the sunset. Then you can start blowing the
fireworks off and wring any alarms.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Richard, I love your I love your analogies. Look, I
have confidence that, especially with you on board, things are
gonna get done. But again, you know, we have some
some folks that are either aligned with certain candidates or
working for certain candidates, or just individual voters that say,
you know, hey, this doesn't feel like it's not confidence
(21:09):
inspiring yet. But again that's the whole reason we're having
you on. What can people do to help the party
right now, you know, either volunteering, can they make donations?
How can they best help your efforts in making sure
this state Assembly goes off without a hitch.
Speaker 6 (21:27):
So that's a very good question. Let me back up
just a little bit. I've had candidates call me, gubernatorial candidates,
trasial candidates, and other candidates, and there is a concern
and the concern is not unfounded because we are behind.
We need to announce the delegate distribution. There are several
(21:48):
different formula, and I think less is better, but that's
because I'm a rural legislator formerly and I represent rural Colorado.
If you're in the urban quarter, you think more is
better because it gives you more influence in these assemblies.
That's a debate we don't need to have right now.
But I'm asking people to have a little bit of patience.
(22:10):
It's going to come together. I think in a few
weeks there's gonna be some announcement that will help everybody
feel better about where we're at.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
Now.
Speaker 6 (22:18):
Let's talk about what we can do to help. First
of all, counties and county chairs and the county central committees.
You've got a lot of work to do. This is
a grassroots organization. State party doesn't do it all. Big
Brother is not you know all knowing all doing.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
It's a bottom up process.
Speaker 6 (22:35):
So counties get energized. We're going to have this crackice
system available. Start looking at how and when you're going
to have your meetings. There's this new zoom requirement. There's
some people that are out there putting together resolutions telling
the state leadership and the Secretary of State that we
don't want to have these zoom meetings for all our
(22:58):
precinct caucus meetings in our county assemblies. It's unresourced mandates.
There is some serious truth to that, but I think
for helping disabled veterans and others that would like to
have access under certain criteria, I don't have an issue
with that. And it's pretty easy to set up a
zoom on a computer with one young person sitting there
(23:18):
talking to the people and if they've got a question,
raise your hand and they compare it the question and
kind of navigate that. There's some guidances come out from
state Party on that. I also want to talk about.
You know, if people want to help the state party
and they want to donate some funds, that would be great.
Have people go to our Facebook, have people go to
(23:40):
our website Colorado GOP. Let's have people if they want
to help contribute some resources.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
To help us move this along.
Speaker 6 (23:51):
I think that would be grand go to our social media.
There's a lot going on. We've got Holly Horn, the
Leadership Institute, long time conservative organization back in Washington, DC.
She's doing some training for precinct and the county. The
schedule has been put on the COEGOP website.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
So there's some.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
Upcoming training that's going to help. I'm leading an outreach,
a coordination team, and we've got people on my team.
Every Wednesday, we're having a meeting.
Speaker 4 (24:23):
For the County Central Committee.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
Okay, it's happening with our outreach on Thursdays. We're looking
into how we can do an affiliated outreach to get
more Republicans that have left our party because they're sick
of all the bs and there's a lot of it.
We are a dysfunctional family.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
Oftentimes in it.
Speaker 6 (24:41):
When I was a kid, if I got invited to
one of my friends' houses, that was a dysfunctional family.
You know what I said. Now I don't want to go.
I'm busy, buddy, Sorry, birthday party? Now your dad's a drunk.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
You know it's crazy.
Speaker 6 (24:54):
I don't want to do that. So people want to
stay away from this. So we have to try to
figure out how we can be functional relevant do the
blocking and tackling. Now I do have something, Steve, I
need your help with candidates running for office need to
understand it's not state party's job to help.
Speaker 4 (25:11):
Them win their race entirely.
Speaker 6 (25:14):
They have to carry I spend.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
A lot of time in the military.
Speaker 6 (25:17):
They got to carry most of the weight in that
rough sack, and they got to carry their own fricking
machine gun with their basic load and maybe extra hammle
if they want to go into a good gunfight against
the progressive left, radical democrat freak show that's got purple
hair and wants everybody to be queer LGBTQ excuse me, Okay,
So you know we got to deal with that as
(25:39):
Colorado Onans and Republicans, right because I got kids.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
I got grand kids.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
You do too.
Speaker 6 (25:44):
We don't want this is not the Colorado we screw
up in, and this is not the color of that
ninety percent of Colorado.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
Onans want to live in, with a few exceptions.
Speaker 6 (25:55):
The radical progressive left has it hijacked.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Brother, Well, I think you're you're leading to a point here.
You know, we're gonna, i mean, iron sharpens iron. I've
been saying that over and over again. We're gonna get
to a very heated primary battle. Uh, things are gonna
happen at the state Assembly. You know, people are gonna
go after one another. But when it's all said and done,
the lesson here is, and I keep preaching this, sometimes
you got to just hold your nose a little bit
(26:18):
and support that Republican candidate, because what's on the other
side of the aisle, which is I think is what
you're saying, it's far worse than anybody that's going to
come out of this Republican primary. In my opinion, I
think we have far better talent on our side of
the aisle. We've got to make sure we get behind
those folks, and we've got to make sure we help
be competitive against that far left crowd.
Speaker 5 (26:41):
Am I am?
Speaker 2 (26:42):
I summarizing that in a little different language for you.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
You were saying it very eloquently and also like a
public servant that is very popular and knows his audience.
Now I'm gonna say a little different way is I'm
no longer an elected official, but we do, in fact
need to quit eating each other up and stop the
circular firing squads. We need to stop stabbing each other
(27:09):
in the back. Because you're absolutely right.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
When we have more.
Speaker 6 (27:14):
Or at least half of the Democrat caucus in the
House when I served, e cheuse me, I think it
was if you took it, the Republican caucus nineteen members
when I was in there.
Speaker 4 (27:25):
Started at twenty four went down to nineteen.
Speaker 6 (27:28):
There were literally six card carrying members and many sympathizers
of the Democrat Socialist Party of America Colorado.
Speaker 4 (27:38):
Wake up when.
Speaker 6 (27:39):
You have card carrying socialists that espouse and beat their
chests and are proud to be socialists.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
When you have a.
Speaker 6 (27:46):
Timmy Hernandez who is a communist activist that's in front
of the House Chamber beating his chest and raising his
fist like a communist and pushing back on the American
capitalist system.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
Like it is all wrong and it provides.
Speaker 6 (28:01):
Us everything we have and has in an economy and
our standard of living for decades.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
We've got a problem.
Speaker 6 (28:09):
And you're so right, sir. The Republican that you don't
like that might be a social socially more liberal, but
he's fiscally conservative and is a you know, a centrist
Republican or maybe a confused Republican. I don't care. Some
of them get a little confused when they get to
the State House and the Democrats start rutting all their
(28:31):
their their love on them and all that special voodoo
and pixie dust and communist socialist progressive sauce that they
got going on up there.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
That they're putting on all their food. That happens.
Speaker 6 (28:44):
But even those people nine times out of ten, ten
times out of ten will be better for Colorado and
will be better for our party than these radicals. Sure,
and I'm talking radicals. When I go through the parking
lot in the state Capitol and there's he makes California
license plates around there. Of legislators, two or three of
them are expired because they don't even have the decency
(29:06):
to renew their license plates.
Speaker 5 (29:08):
Yeah, that's a problem.
Speaker 6 (29:09):
I wonder why Colorado it's been californicated.
Speaker 4 (29:12):
I just look at that and I go, wow.
Speaker 5 (29:14):
It's right here, Richard.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
We got it right here in frunt of everybody.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Sir, we got to get to a break. But hey,
I really appreciate you coming on. You always bring the fire.
Speaking of fire, maybe you can make one out there
when you're out huddling with the cattle in the twenty
five degree heat. Again, Richard, thanks for being on the show.
Thanks for giving us the update, and I've rest a
little more assured that the State Assembly will happen with
your words, So thank you, sir. With that, we got
(29:40):
to go to break. But you're listening to Dan capless
show here on six point thirty k how with Well
Kunty Sheriff Steve Riams.
Speaker 5 (29:46):
And now back to The Dan Kaplis Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Welcome back to The Dan Kaplis Show and our final
segment here as we clean up a few text messages
and finish out some of our conversations. We just finished
talking with Richard Holtorf, who's always a fun character talk
to if you ever get a chance to meet that
guy in person, if you haven't, he's an entertaining conversationalist
to say the least. He definitely is not shy on opinions,
(30:11):
and having him as the GOP vice chair is it's
been fun to watch because the guy, whether you like
his methods or not, he does get stuff done. So
some of the texts coming in and I really appreciate
this one, Alexai. You're hoping that I have a boring
drive home. Me too, but based on the way I've
seen people driving throughout the day today, I'm not thinking
(30:33):
that's going to be very likely. But there's a lot
of idiots on the road, as your tech says. Another
one here says, I hope all these Republicans running for
governor will eventually align behind one candidate and not splinter
off as independent candidates. And that's Steven Lyttleton are retired
law enforcement officer. And you know what, Steve, You're right,
you know, as we've watched this state kind of spiral
(30:53):
out of control. Yeah, we maybe some of our folks
on the conservative side Republican side have necessarily enjoyed the
candidates we've put forward, but I sure haven't enjoyed the
rule of Governor Jared Poulis or hicken Looper before him. Man,
it's been it's been a rough it's been a rough road,
and especially for those of us that work in law enforcement.
(31:15):
You know, Steve, I know you're retired, but that's probably
one of the reasons why the law enforcement ranks have
just been gutted over the last few years, and that
Democrat rule has been tough. Another one here says if
a Republican thinks, quote I can just I can't, I
just can't get behind that candidate close quote, all they
have to do is think about how bad, even crazy
(31:36):
the Democrats are. And that's the truth. I mean, you know,
pick a name, any name on this list of twenty
one except for this Jim Runberg, guy that didn't even
answer the phone. If you get a candidate that's gonna yeah,
sticks in my craw. You know, I worked hard to
try to make contact with this guy and then he
just goess this. But anyways, so twenty of these twenty
(31:58):
one candidates, they got to be better than what we're
sitting on right now with Governor Polis at the helm.
I mean, he Polis just you know, for lack of
better terms, he sucks as a governor. I mean, I'm
just not a fan in case you can't tell. Uh.
And then this one from David our Texters are the best. Uh,
(32:19):
they just put it as uh as as blunt as possible.
My dead dog would have been a would would have
been a better governor than Polist done damage. Most certainly, so, yes,
most certainly so. You know, Brian, I had the pleasure
of sitting next to you this morning at the Well
County Republican Breakfast. It happens every Wednesday morning up and
(32:41):
up in Greeley, and there was a presentation today that
really made me. It made me take a hard look
at just how good we have it here in the
United States, even in Colorado, despite how bad things may
be with a with a Democrat rule, and it was
a young lady who was presenting about her i'm a
call it her escape from the Ukraine about eight years ago,
(33:02):
and how she had made a new life for herself
here in the United States and is still building upon
that life, and just how grateful she is to be
in this country and having an opportunity to become, you know,
hopefully eventually become a citizen, vote in our elections and
pick her path, you know, in this country that I
think we take for granted. Her stories of you know,
(33:26):
our family's history, her own history, some of it was
just horrific, to be honest with you. And she's younger
than I am by a bit, and you know, has
seen so much more in her short life than most
of us will ever see in a lifetime. And for
her to be in this country and understand what it is,
(33:47):
I mean, it was amazing to me. I don't know
what you think, Ryan.
Speaker 5 (33:49):
Oh, yeah, she's an amazing story.
Speaker 7 (33:51):
I've been encouraging her ever since I met her, which
was at the Wild County Hodown. I was standing next
to you, and she showed up all by herself, taking
an interest in local politics and her name is Dasha
Zuzanska and she's just an inspiring story, an inspiring person
for me personally. I've become very close with her, as
you know, and looking forward to her sharing more of
her story, maybe not my program, maybe on this one
(34:12):
at some point, but that'll be up to her. And
I thought it was a very big step for her,
and she said so afterwards, just to get that out,
to share that and everything that she went through, and
like you said, it was truly an escape from Ukraine
occupied by Russia.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
Yeah, she told a story about getting on a train
and fleeing at particular area and that train station being
blown up shortly after she left. That that's a reality
that I can't even imagine facing. So with that, be
proud of this country that you live in, because there
are people that desperately want to be here. Thanks for
tuning in today. Tomorrow will continue on with some of
the Governor saga and we'll talk a little Tina Peters
(34:46):
tomorrow as well. This is a dan Kapla show with
Well Kenny Sheriff Steve Riams as your guest host.
This is Dan Capless and welcome to today's online podcast
edition of The Dan Caplis Show. Please be sure to
give us a five star rating if you'd be so kind,
and to subscribe, download and listen to the show every
single day on your favorite podcast platform.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome back to the Dan Capless Show. Here with Welcounty
Sheriff Steve Reams filling in on day two of two
and our two of this show, and we've been continuing
the discussion about the governor's race and the state of
Colorado and the crowded field of Republican candidates. We had
a no show in the first hour, which I will
continue to highlight that individual as a no show candidate.
(00:37):
That's Jim Runberg. He just flat out disconnected his phone,
I guess. But our next person is that not of
that ilk. He is definitely on the line and definitely
has an opinion on this governor's race because he's in
the mix, and that's John Brooks. John, are you with us?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
I am John.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Thanks for being on the show, and thanks for answer
and your phone. That's a critical component for coming on
the radio and telling us about why you're running for governor.
But you know, if you would. I don't know a
ton about you, and I'm assuming not all of our
listeners know a ton about you. So if you would
start out by just giving a little bit about your background, John,
(01:18):
what brings you, what brings you forward? In the state
of Colorado, Okay.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
First of all, thanks for having me on this show.
Bet appreciated all this enjoyable and to talk with you
and give you a little bit of background on me.
First of all, I grew up in the state. I
moved to Colorado was a little boy seven years old
in the very early seventies. My family was an agriculture
and technology family. We had dairy farms through my grandparents,
and my grandfather started inventing a lot of things and
(01:47):
one of the most computer systems, and we sold our
dairy We gave our dairy farms to the NAVO down
in Quartes, Okay, and then we went into technology. And
so for the last several decades I've served as a
chief emergency services, a paramedic, firefighter, member of the Air
Force Reserves, and for the last twenty five years I've
been an executive in the data technology sector. So you
(02:11):
know a little bit of fact around why I'm running.
You know, really the state needs fresh visions, fresh to use,
fresh approaches to issues that really have been increasingly building
in our state. You know, I've never been elect of
the government, but i have run government agencies before, bringing
executive experience from both public and private organizations, including leading
(02:31):
enterprise government agencies back to profitability and leading programs worth
hundreds and millions of dollars around the world. My Michael,
is to bring that same level of intensity and experience
to the governor's office and frankly to the state operations.
So you know, in reality, I'm not a politician, and
in fact, a politician is really not what we need
in this time in our history. We seem to have
(02:52):
plenty of them. What we do need is what I
refer to as a colorad and common coloraden with uncommon sense.
And over the years, as I've watched our roads get worse,
our energy become more expensive, our education continue to decline,
our affordability that is going far away, rural community being prioritized,
and we've got district attorneys that are enforcing and creating
(03:14):
policies that are frankly encouraging crime. We need to bring
these issues back under reasonable control. So what differentiates me.
First of all, I'm not campaigning on emotion or ideology.
I'm not that guy. I am focused on urging Colorado
issues that when we resolve, then will decrease cost to
Colorado's and will increase prosperity. That's lowering healthcare costs, lowering
(03:37):
energy costs, increasing economic growth. And then, you know, one
of the more interesting things potentially about me, and one
of the oddention on who you talk to, one of
the more aligning things that you could say is I
grew up Republican and I grew up in Boulder.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
So that's kind of a unicorn, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
You know, you say, and you wait to see who's
still standing aftern you say that, right, right, But what
that does is that lets me understand because I grew
up with these guys, they're some of my best friends
for the last fifty sixty years. I understand how democrats
and independence view issues in our state. I understand how
to work with the tripartisan nature of our state, and
(04:20):
really the major metro area that's going to be driving
this selection, which is that US thirty six corridor, and
defense of my backyard was on that corridor. So you know,
I was a bit of a lown wolf growing up
as a conservative in Boulder County and are especially in Boulder.
But what's really fascinating from my perspective, and one of
the things that got me into the race, is that
(04:41):
my non Republican friend asked me to get in.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Okay, and just to reset it gives a kind of
an idea.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Okay, we have John Brooks on the line with us.
He's running for He's a candidate for governor. Background is
out of Boulder, Colorado, of all places, and he's actually
running as a Republican. You know, you've been talking a
little bit about your priorities, your background. I want to
drill down on a specific that's near and dear to
my heart, and that's the crime rate in Colorado. As
a governor's candidate, as you know, if you if you're
(05:09):
elected into that seat, what do you think that the governor,
how can the governor move the needle in making this
state this state safe? And let's say the first one
hundred days, right.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
And that crosses over into several different policy areas that
I have, one of them being legislative reviews, because you know,
the three thousand different bills that they're on track to
have signed into law in the last eight years. There's
plenty in there around crime that need to be revisited.
But you know, as I wanted to raise, the crime,
especially bilid crimes, remain far too high in the state.
(05:42):
You know, we have shootings, especially school shootings, that are
still a thing, and they should never have been in
the first place. Right we have soft on crime policies
that are really having a negative impact on terrence. Law
enforcement is as you're well aware, there's a lot of
staffing and recruitment challenges that we're still facing right now.
And we have law enforcement in my family as well,
so it's not just emergency services from the paramedic firefighter side.
(06:05):
So this is close to me as well, you know.
But the net is coloraud is still the second most
dangerous state for violent and property crimes. As of July,
we're the seventh lease state to live in.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
What a terrible statistic. I mean, you're running for governor
and how many times have you had to repeat that?
That is a terrible statistic.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Absolutely, and so we you know, my administration will absolutely
go up against any district attorneys that want to continue
to soft on crime policies. Recidivism is ringing way too high.
We really need to focus on punishment and things that
make crime very undesirable. Crime needs to hurt. Just to
(06:43):
put it blidly, and right now, it's not well. We
have people that are being released back into society, like
what you just had to do up there recently up
in Well County, right, that's ridiculous that that should even
be happening.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Well, on that note, so when a person is sentenced
to the Department of Corrections, I have a very specific example,
but we just had a person who was sentenced to
four years in the Department of Corrections that was released
in I think two hundred and fifty six days. You know,
he was in the middle of a big drug issue
right back in Weld County while he's out on parole.
(07:17):
As the governor, you have you have explicit authority to
decide how funding and how the mechanisms of the Department
of Corrections are going to function. And I can tell
you right now, under Governor Polos's air quote leadership, the
Department of Corrections has been gutted. Do you see that
as a as an area where funding needs to be
(07:38):
prioritized If you want to be hard on crime, you
got to figure out how to keep prisoners inside of
our prisons. Is that a priority under a John Brooks administration.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Absolutely, it's a priority. And let's go step further. Let's
talk about reforming the training of corrections officers. Let's talk
about the extremely low pay, Let's talk about the minimal training,
Let's talk about the susceptibility of those corrections in staff
under those conditions. So, you know, we absolutely need to
look at rehabilitation reforms of the people that are currently incarcerated,
(08:09):
but we also need to look at the staffing and
the funding that's happening in the corrections right now. In
the first license, you know, we have mental health issues
that must be aggressively managed. We've got community policing support
that need to be dealt with. But frankly, if crime
is going to be something that is less desirable than
the initial pieces of that are really going to focus
(08:30):
on incarceration to make people less prone to receive it,
less prone to recommit. So that means we have to
absolutely increase our funding and look at the training within
the Department of Corrections in general. There's a massive amount
of needs in those areas right now.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Sure, so John, stick with us. We're going to cut
to a break. But when we come back on the
other side, there's two distinct areas I want to talk
to you about. One is police says we're not a
sanctuary state. I believe we are under a Brooks governorship,
under a John Brooks governorship, would we take that? Would
we take that sanctuary title away? And also are we
(09:08):
going to fix our dang roads. So we'll go to break,
give you a little chance to chew on that. When
we come back, let's dive into it. But you're listening
to Dan Kapla's show right now with Well County Sheriff
Steve Riams as your guest host. And we come back,
we'll continue on with John Brooks Governor's candidate.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
And now back to the Dan Kaplis Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Welcome back to the Dan Caplis Show. And as always,
Ryan comes up with the best the best music for
any of these candidates. They're just going to have to
make it their their walk up song as they continue
on the campaign trail. He's got a knack for that.
You're with Well County Sheriff Steve Riams as a guest
host today and When we went to Break, we had
John Brooks, candidate for governor, on and I challenged him with, Hey,
(09:53):
where are you going to stand on this whole idea?
Is Colorado a sanctuary state? And how are you going
to fix our dang roads. John, you had to come
Marcial Break to kind of chew that up. But I'm
sure you've got an opinion on both of those things. Anyways,
let's tackle the concept of sanctuary state first. What's your
opinion on that? As the perspective governor of Colorado, how
do you tackle that?
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Well, there's some different ways to unpacked that. First of all, though,
is that there are conflicts that exist between sanctuary policies
and federal law. They don't rationalize together. So we're not
a sanctuary state. Sanctuary city should not be a thing.
First of all, we will support federal law. We're going
to support the removal and capture of criminally illegal aliens.
(10:36):
All that stuff we're going to support. Now that said,
we also need to look at this issue very holistically
and understand things like DAKA the dreamers. We need a
resolution there. We need Congress to step up, We need
to get that done. We need to get that resolution
in place, So that's one area that needs to be
looked at. We also have to look at the fact
that Colorado industries have a significant dependence on immigrant workers,
(11:00):
not all of them are legal, and that covers agriculture, tourism, hospitality,
quick serve, restaurant service industries, landscapers, I mean all of it,
you know, the entire employment spectrum. In the blue collar
areas especially, we have some dependencies there. So what my
administration will do because that we will immediately work with
surrounding agricultural states and the HS and CBP to enhance
(11:23):
seasonal and temporary these access to those in your H
two base, your H two b's, those visa processes. We're
going to further digitalize applicants in the vetting process that
we can get this process intact and running. You know,
and I understand my last twenty five years, I've come
from a digital background. This is not rocket science. Why
this isn't done yet, I have Well, it's government, So I.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
I think I have an answer for you exactly.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
But you know, we need to be able to match
resource needs with views as issue, and that's difficult for
especially our smaller employers out there. A lot of the
family farms out there, that's more difficult for them to
do it is for the bigger ag for producers out there.
We need to clean that up. So, you know, the
net on this is that you know, we absolutely are
going to support federal law. Okay, we absolutely are not
(12:11):
going to support sanctuary policies. But this is a complex issue.
It's been made more complex by the last four years
of the previous administration that really mucked things up with
flooding and already congested and broken system in the first place. Right,
But that net is now we need to fix it. Yeah,
what are our pathways to get it done that are
(12:31):
not going to hurt Colorado's economy? And also keep in
mind that we've got some decent call out of families
that we need to watch out for. So that's that's
the long answer. Actually there's a longer answer, but I
don't want to take up.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
All your Yeah, well you got you got to tackle
this next one. And that's the road conditions are, you know,
just general road maintenance in Colorado. I know we've this
state because it's sanctuary policies, has spent a ton of
money on illegal immigration. They spend a ton of money
on supporting those folks that probably shouldn't be in this state.
(13:04):
That money could obviously be spent somewhere else on our roadways,
but that still wouldn't be nearly enough to bring our
roads up to the conditions that they need to be in,
especially in their current state. As the governor in the
state of Colorado, I mean, the people that come here
on vacation. Tourism is a big deal, but if it
rattles your teeth out while you're trying to get up
into the mountains, you know it's not a good experience.
(13:26):
It It can't promote tourism in the state of Colorado.
Our roadways are fundamental. How do you see the governor's
role being and getting our roadways back to a condition
that is at least passable.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Well, and this gets back into some of my enterprise background, Okay,
and not just in public in private sector, but also
in the public site to where I took enterprise model
and made it profitable for government and we got it
off the back of the taxpayers. So translate that into roadways.
I think we need to re imagine our revenue models
for a lot of our roadways right now, and we
(14:00):
need to look at things like commercial Oiute of State
Transportation to help fund some of that. We're a hub
right now. And so you talk about rattling teeth going
up in the mountains. You go almost anywhere on I
seventy outside of the metro area, you're going to be
rattling teeth east or west. We have perpetual construction on
North Bye twenty five. As you're probably well aware of
what decade now that that's been going on. You know,
(14:23):
we've got significant issues across the spectrum of ICE seventy,
I seventy six, I twenty five to eighty seven. I mean,
I can just go on on on twenty four fifty.
You know, all of these highways are in really poor
shape generally speaking, and our projects has beurter reacted. So
let's look at reimagining those revenue models. Number one, Number two,
(14:44):
we've belong to the lines of reimagining revenue models. Let's
also look at the metro area where Sea DOT has
dumped a ton of money into expansions on things like
the Southern Corridor around four seventy where we've got our
road is arguably darn clost to ten lanes wide, but
only four are being used for non toll traffic, right,
and the other four are being used for toll traffic
and they're virtually abandoned because we have variable tolls that
(15:07):
pretty much say you can drive home for a month
in these lanes, or you can send your kids to college.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Yeah, I mean, I get you, I get your point.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
So we need to rethink how that money is being
used because I'm pretty sure that we're nowhere close to
meeting the financial obligations that we took in to build
that compared to what our variable tools are bringing in.
So now we've got se DOT resources and people are
paying taxes in Montros for roads that.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
They can't do anything with it.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
That money is into sea DOT in downtown Denver. That's
not right. So there's a lot of things that we
need to be looking at for consumption based funding. We
need to look at commercial transit revenues. We need to
look at self sustaining roadways. We need to look at
realigning toll ways. We also need to look at where
state infrastructure fees are going because a lot of that
money may not be going into transportation infrastructure as a
(15:59):
probably should be. And I don't fully appreciate or understand
the show game that's been happening with a lot of
those fees. That's why one of my plans is to
actually digitize the state budget. So at that point people
can see as a taxpayers, you can go to work
place and see.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Makes good sense that money's after.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Where it's going.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
So, John, in just a few minutes we have left,
you know, one of the big issues, and I listed
off what I thought were the top six candidates. I
didn't list your name because of name recognition, and obviously
that's something that you have to overcome. Yeah, I think
you have a great grasp of the issues. How do
you get your message out to the voters? How do
you get up in that upper echelon of name recognition? Yeah?
(16:40):
How can people find out more about you? And how
do you overcome that that hurdle?
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Well, the first way is rather painful, and that's driving
Colorado roads all over the place to go to my
name out. Yeah, oh tomorrow, I'm on my way to
southwestern Colorado. Okay, Sunday, on my way to Durango. I was
just down in La Huonta and Las Anymous a week
and a half weeks ago. It's it's really grassroots and
pushing the small and the larger meetings to get names
(17:06):
out there. There's also going to be as as much
exposure that we can get on shows like yours. Sure absolutely,
So you know, as much name recognition and build that
we can do, we are going to be doing because
we understand, you know, I nobody knows who John Brooks is.
So we having a great deal of ground to cover
between now and April and then now in June and
(17:27):
so on to be able to change that around and
let people know who we are and to know that
we're not going.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Let's get your website out there real quick. John, We
have to go to break in just a few seconds.
But what's your website?
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Absolutely our website is Brooks for the Number four, CEO
guv dot com, Brooks for cotogov dot com.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Awesome, thank you for coming on the show. We've got
to take a hard break here. But you're listening to
Dan Caplis Show here on six point thirty k haw
with Well Kunny Sheriff Steve Riams as your guest host.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
You're listening to the Dan Kapliss Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Well, welcome back to the Dan Caplis Show here with welcomety.
Sheriff Steve Reims in the guest seat, and we're just
gonna go straight to our guest. This guy really doesn't
need an introduction, but I'm going to give him a
brief one. Here we have Richard Holtorf on the line.
He's a rancher, former state rep and current, I believe,
the vice chair of the state GOP Party. Richard, how
are you doing this evening?
Speaker 6 (18:28):
I'm doing great. Sheriff reams twenty five degrees out here
in eastern Colorado on a cold moonlit Nike. The cattle
don't like it, and the cattleman don't like it either.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
I can only imagine, Richard, you're always bring the fire. Hey,
when I texted you, I just I've been texting you
and Bretta Horne, who's the chairwoman of the state party.
She wasn't available to come on the radio. And not
that you're second fiddle, but you're a fun interview. Hey,
I want to get an idea from you where we
ye with the state party or we're going to be
(19:02):
able to run a state Assembly. Do you feel confident
in that ability? Because I got to tell you some
of our listeners are a little skeptical about how a
state Assembly might look, and I know you'll give us
the straight dirt.
Speaker 6 (19:16):
Well, the you know, the state parties is having some challenges, sure, undeniably,
but you know Americans have a unique ability to pull
things off by hooker by crook at the last minute
and make things, make good things happen. I'm one hundred
percent confident we're going to have a State Assembly. Now.
(19:39):
It might be at the fairgrounds in Lincoln County, it
might be up in Weld County and somebody's roping arena.
I'm all joking aside. We're going to host this thing.
It might be very conservative on a shoestring budget, but
one of the most important things state party does his
(20:00):
host the State Assembly, invite the delegates from all the
counties and let them determine the direction of the Colorado GOP.
So we're gonna figure it out in the next week
or two. I think there's gonna be some announcement that
may put people's concerns at ease. Okay, good, but you know,
(20:21):
we're not where we want to be on this train track,
but we're gonna get there and we're gonna.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Make it happen. One way or another.
Speaker 6 (20:30):
So I will tell people please kind of just hold on.
Let's get through December comes January. If we don't have
everything in our saddle bags, we need to brighten this
thing into the sunset. Then you can start blowing the
fireworks off and wring any alarms.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Richard, I love your I love your analogies. Look, I
have confidence that, especially with you on board, things are
gonna get done. But again, you know, we have some
some folks that are either aligned with certain candidates or
working for certain candidates, or just individual voters that say,
you know, hey, this doesn't feel like it's not confidence
(21:09):
inspiring yet. But again that's the whole reason we're having
you on. What can people do to help the party
right now, you know, either volunteering, can they make donations?
How can they best help your efforts in making sure
this state Assembly goes off without a hitch.
Speaker 6 (21:27):
So that's a very good question. Let me back up
just a little bit. I've had candidates call me, gubernatorial candidates,
trasial candidates, and other candidates, and there is a concern
and the concern is not unfounded because we are behind.
We need to announce the delegate distribution. There are several
(21:48):
different formula, and I think less is better, but that's
because I'm a rural legislator formerly and I represent rural Colorado.
If you're in the urban quarter, you think more is
better because it gives you more influence in these assemblies.
That's a debate we don't need to have right now.
But I'm asking people to have a little bit of patience.
(22:10):
It's going to come together. I think in a few
weeks there's gonna be some announcement that will help everybody
feel better about where we're at.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
Now.
Speaker 6 (22:18):
Let's talk about what we can do to help. First
of all, counties and county chairs and the county central committees.
You've got a lot of work to do. This is
a grassroots organization. State party doesn't do it all. Big
Brother is not you know all knowing all doing.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
It's a bottom up process.
Speaker 6 (22:35):
So counties get energized. We're going to have this crackice
system available. Start looking at how and when you're going
to have your meetings. There's this new zoom requirement. There's
some people that are out there putting together resolutions telling
the state leadership and the Secretary of State that we
don't want to have these zoom meetings for all our
(22:58):
precinct caucus meetings in our county assemblies. It's unresourced mandates.
There is some serious truth to that, but I think
for helping disabled veterans and others that would like to
have access under certain criteria, I don't have an issue
with that. And it's pretty easy to set up a
zoom on a computer with one young person sitting there
(23:18):
talking to the people and if they've got a question,
raise your hand and they compare it the question and
kind of navigate that. There's some guidances come out from
state Party on that. I also want to talk about.
You know, if people want to help the state party
and they want to donate some funds, that would be great.
Have people go to our Facebook, have people go to
(23:40):
our website Colorado GOP. Let's have people if they want
to help contribute some resources.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
To help us move this along.
Speaker 6 (23:51):
I think that would be grand go to our social media.
There's a lot going on. We've got Holly Horn, the
Leadership Institute, long time conservative organization back in Washington, DC.
She's doing some training for precinct and the county. The
schedule has been put on the COEGOP website.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
So there's some.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
Upcoming training that's going to help. I'm leading an outreach,
a coordination team, and we've got people on my team.
Every Wednesday, we're having a meeting.
Speaker 4 (24:23):
For the County Central Committee.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
Okay, it's happening with our outreach on Thursdays. We're looking
into how we can do an affiliated outreach to get
more Republicans that have left our party because they're sick
of all the bs and there's a lot of it.
We are a dysfunctional family.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
Oftentimes in it.
Speaker 6 (24:41):
When I was a kid, if I got invited to
one of my friends' houses, that was a dysfunctional family.
You know what I said. Now I don't want to go.
I'm busy, buddy, Sorry, birthday party? Now your dad's a drunk.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
You know it's crazy.
Speaker 6 (24:54):
I don't want to do that. So people want to
stay away from this. So we have to try to
figure out how we can be functional relevant do the
blocking and tackling. Now I do have something, Steve, I
need your help with candidates running for office need to
understand it's not state party's job to help.
Speaker 4 (25:11):
Them win their race entirely.
Speaker 6 (25:14):
They have to carry I spend.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
A lot of time in the military.
Speaker 6 (25:17):
They got to carry most of the weight in that
rough sack, and they got to carry their own fricking
machine gun with their basic load and maybe extra hammle
if they want to go into a good gunfight against
the progressive left, radical democrat freak show that's got purple
hair and wants everybody to be queer LGBTQ excuse me, Okay,
So you know we got to deal with that as
(25:39):
Colorado Onans and Republicans, right because I got kids.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
I got grand kids.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
You do too.
Speaker 6 (25:44):
We don't want this is not the Colorado we screw
up in, and this is not the color of that
ninety percent of Colorado.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
Onans want to live in, with a few exceptions.
Speaker 6 (25:55):
The radical progressive left has it hijacked.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Brother, Well, I think you're you're leading to a point here.
You know, we're gonna, i mean, iron sharpens iron. I've
been saying that over and over again. We're gonna get
to a very heated primary battle. Uh, things are gonna
happen at the state Assembly. You know, people are gonna
go after one another. But when it's all said and done,
the lesson here is, and I keep preaching this, sometimes
you got to just hold your nose a little bit
(26:18):
and support that Republican candidate, because what's on the other
side of the aisle, which is I think is what
you're saying, it's far worse than anybody that's going to
come out of this Republican primary. In my opinion, I
think we have far better talent on our side of
the aisle. We've got to make sure we get behind
those folks, and we've got to make sure we help
be competitive against that far left crowd.
Speaker 5 (26:41):
Am I am?
Speaker 2 (26:42):
I summarizing that in a little different language for you.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
You were saying it very eloquently and also like a
public servant that is very popular and knows his audience.
Now I'm gonna say a little different way is I'm
no longer an elected official, but we do, in fact
need to quit eating each other up and stop the
circular firing squads. We need to stop stabbing each other
(27:09):
in the back. Because you're absolutely right.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
When we have more.
Speaker 6 (27:14):
Or at least half of the Democrat caucus in the
House when I served, e cheuse me, I think it
was if you took it, the Republican caucus nineteen members
when I was in there.
Speaker 4 (27:25):
Started at twenty four went down to nineteen.
Speaker 6 (27:28):
There were literally six card carrying members and many sympathizers
of the Democrat Socialist Party of America Colorado.
Speaker 4 (27:38):
Wake up when.
Speaker 6 (27:39):
You have card carrying socialists that espouse and beat their
chests and are proud to be socialists.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
When you have a.
Speaker 6 (27:46):
Timmy Hernandez who is a communist activist that's in front
of the House Chamber beating his chest and raising his
fist like a communist and pushing back on the American
capitalist system.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
Like it is all wrong and it provides.
Speaker 6 (28:01):
Us everything we have and has in an economy and
our standard of living for decades.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
We've got a problem.
Speaker 6 (28:09):
And you're so right, sir. The Republican that you don't
like that might be a social socially more liberal, but
he's fiscally conservative and is a you know, a centrist
Republican or maybe a confused Republican. I don't care. Some
of them get a little confused when they get to
the State House and the Democrats start rutting all their
(28:31):
their their love on them and all that special voodoo
and pixie dust and communist socialist progressive sauce that they
got going on up there.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
That they're putting on all their food. That happens.
Speaker 6 (28:44):
But even those people nine times out of ten, ten
times out of ten will be better for Colorado and
will be better for our party than these radicals. Sure,
and I'm talking radicals. When I go through the parking
lot in the state Capitol and there's he makes California
license plates around there. Of legislators, two or three of
them are expired because they don't even have the decency
(29:06):
to renew their license plates.
Speaker 5 (29:08):
Yeah, that's a problem.
Speaker 6 (29:09):
I wonder why Colorado it's been californicated.
Speaker 4 (29:12):
I just look at that and I go, wow.
Speaker 5 (29:14):
It's right here, Richard.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
We got it right here in frunt of everybody.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Sir, we got to get to a break. But hey,
I really appreciate you coming on. You always bring the fire.
Speaking of fire, maybe you can make one out there
when you're out huddling with the cattle in the twenty
five degree heat. Again, Richard, thanks for being on the show.
Thanks for giving us the update, and I've rest a
little more assured that the State Assembly will happen with
your words, So thank you, sir. With that, we got
(29:40):
to go to break. But you're listening to Dan capless
show here on six point thirty k how with Well
Kunty Sheriff Steve Riams.
Speaker 5 (29:46):
And now back to The Dan Kaplis Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Welcome back to The Dan Kaplis Show and our final
segment here as we clean up a few text messages
and finish out some of our conversations. We just finished
talking with Richard Holtorf, who's always a fun character talk
to if you ever get a chance to meet that
guy in person, if you haven't, he's an entertaining conversationalist
to say the least. He definitely is not shy on opinions,
(30:11):
and having him as the GOP vice chair is it's
been fun to watch because the guy, whether you like
his methods or not, he does get stuff done. So
some of the texts coming in and I really appreciate
this one, Alexai. You're hoping that I have a boring
drive home. Me too, but based on the way I've
seen people driving throughout the day today, I'm not thinking
(30:33):
that's going to be very likely. But there's a lot
of idiots on the road, as your tech says. Another
one here says, I hope all these Republicans running for
governor will eventually align behind one candidate and not splinter
off as independent candidates. And that's Steven Lyttleton are retired
law enforcement officer. And you know what, Steve, You're right,
you know, as we've watched this state kind of spiral
(30:53):
out of control. Yeah, we maybe some of our folks
on the conservative side Republican side have necessarily enjoyed the
candidates we've put forward, but I sure haven't enjoyed the
rule of Governor Jared Poulis or hicken Looper before him. Man,
it's been it's been a rough it's been a rough road,
and especially for those of us that work in law enforcement.
(31:15):
You know, Steve, I know you're retired, but that's probably
one of the reasons why the law enforcement ranks have
just been gutted over the last few years, and that
Democrat rule has been tough. Another one here says if
a Republican thinks, quote I can just I can't, I
just can't get behind that candidate close quote, all they
have to do is think about how bad, even crazy
(31:36):
the Democrats are. And that's the truth. I mean, you know,
pick a name, any name on this list of twenty
one except for this Jim Runberg, guy that didn't even
answer the phone. If you get a candidate that's gonna yeah,
sticks in my craw. You know, I worked hard to
try to make contact with this guy and then he
just goess this. But anyways, so twenty of these twenty
(31:58):
one candidates, they got to be better than what we're
sitting on right now with Governor Polis at the helm.
I mean, he Polis just you know, for lack of
better terms, he sucks as a governor. I mean, I'm
just not a fan in case you can't tell. Uh.
And then this one from David our Texters are the best. Uh,
(32:19):
they just put it as uh as as blunt as possible.
My dead dog would have been a would would have
been a better governor than Polist done damage. Most certainly, so, yes,
most certainly so. You know, Brian, I had the pleasure
of sitting next to you this morning at the Well
County Republican Breakfast. It happens every Wednesday morning up and
(32:41):
up in Greeley, and there was a presentation today that
really made me. It made me take a hard look
at just how good we have it here in the
United States, even in Colorado, despite how bad things may
be with a with a Democrat rule, and it was
a young lady who was presenting about her i'm a
call it her escape from the Ukraine about eight years ago,
(33:02):
and how she had made a new life for herself
here in the United States and is still building upon
that life, and just how grateful she is to be
in this country and having an opportunity to become, you know,
hopefully eventually become a citizen, vote in our elections and
pick her path, you know, in this country that I
think we take for granted. Her stories of you know,
(33:26):
our family's history, her own history, some of it was
just horrific, to be honest with you. And she's younger
than I am by a bit, and you know, has
seen so much more in her short life than most
of us will ever see in a lifetime. And for
her to be in this country and understand what it is,
(33:47):
I mean, it was amazing to me. I don't know
what you think, Ryan.
Speaker 5 (33:49):
Oh, yeah, she's an amazing story.
Speaker 7 (33:51):
I've been encouraging her ever since I met her, which
was at the Wild County Hodown. I was standing next
to you, and she showed up all by herself, taking
an interest in local politics and her name is Dasha
Zuzanska and she's just an inspiring story, an inspiring person
for me personally. I've become very close with her, as
you know, and looking forward to her sharing more of
her story, maybe not my program, maybe on this one
(34:12):
at some point, but that'll be up to her. And
I thought it was a very big step for her,
and she said so afterwards, just to get that out,
to share that and everything that she went through, and
like you said, it was truly an escape from Ukraine
occupied by Russia.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
Yeah, she told a story about getting on a train
and fleeing at particular area and that train station being
blown up shortly after she left. That that's a reality
that I can't even imagine facing. So with that, be
proud of this country that you live in, because there
are people that desperately want to be here. Thanks for
tuning in today. Tomorrow will continue on with some of
the Governor saga and we'll talk a little Tina Peters
(34:46):
tomorrow as well. This is a dan Kapla show with
Well Kenny Sheriff Steve Riams as your guest host.
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