The frank truth is that Republicans at the state and county level have put almost no effort into registration activities and the Democrats and left-leaning groups have significantly invested in registration activities. Let me share some numbers from a presentation that some of you have seen me give.

Wait a minute, you say…

…certainly, registration is not a problem in Weld County?! This is Weld County! We’re Republican! Let me share the registration trends from the past decade…

To further break down those numbers…

• In ten years, the Democrats added 8,739 registered voters for an increase of 23.9%
• In the same 10 years, Republicans added 17,336 registered voters for an increase of 30.6%.

And what about population growth?!

• Weld grew by 74,108 to 344,213 persons.
• That’s an increase of 24.1%.
• The Unaffiliateds added 45,887 registered voters.
• That’s an increase of 63.4%.

Let’s take a look at ten years of registration trends in Colorado…

To further break down these numbers…

• In ten years, the Democrats added 159,647 registered voters for an increase of 17.8%.
• In the same 10 years, Republicans added 421 registered voters for an increase of 0.04%.

And what about population growth?!

• Colorado grew by 646,265 to 5,839,925 persons.
• That’s an increase of 12.4%.
• The Unaffiliateds added 749,905 registered voters.
• That’s an increase of 76.5%.

Simply put, we must register new Republicans and convert conservative-leaning unaffiliated voters back to registered Republicans. The Weld County GOP is working on a plan to do just that and I will be sharing that plan as we roll out our strategic plan for 2024 over the next two months.

For now, we need interested Republicans to study Registration Drives through the Colorado Secretary of State and take the online training. Learn what a Voter Registration Drive (VRD) is and take note of the approved VRDs for 2023 in Colorado. None of these groups are exactly right-leaning.

While the registration outlook is not positive, we can turn that around with effort. Let’s begin today. I will share more in the weeks to come.

The Lincoln Day Dinner aside, Nila was discussing her many projects and requests in an email to me this morning. Her great concern was to get the many activities we are planning into “the newsletter.” “The Newsletter” is just one of the many tools we have in our toolkit which we will utilize to accomplish the Executive Officers’ primary goal of improving communication.

At the Executive Committee meeting held last Tuesday March 21, I formalized my appointments to the PR Committee. Led by 1st Vice Chair Hunter Rivera, I am excited by the talent on that committee and will task them with reinvigorating the monthly newsletter which, beginning in April, you will receive in your mailbox by the 10th of each month.

This would be a good time to remind you to put some email addresses in your address book: info@weldcountygop.com, scott@weldcountygop.com, and weldgopcolorado@gmail.com. The spam filters of the major email providers (GMail, Outlook, Yahoo, Proton, AOL, etc.) are becoming increasingly picky. Official communication from the Weld GOP will come from one of these three email addresses and adding them to your address book means info from the Weld GOP won’t be banished to your spam folder.

But once a month just ain’t enough…

We really do have a lot going on. As the battle intensifies for our state and as we gear up for 2024 and our concerted effort to #KeepWeldRed, there seems to be so much info to relay. Checking our website HERE, paying special attention to the Calendar Section, are great ways to stay informed. But as much as we kindly ask that you come to us, we (the Weld GOP) needs to come to you!

That’s why I am launching The Chairman’s Monday Memo. Today I begin a weekly effort to keep you informed of what’s happening in our party, our county, and our state. I may have just one or two links or I may have pages, but every Monday I want to personally see to it that you hear from your Grand Old Party and that we give you a snapshot of what’s going on.

Your content suggestions are greatly appreciated – drop me an email HERE.

I can barely remember my own anniversary…

So I am unsure why I regret missing – just last week – the anniversary of a speech most of us read as grade schoolers and middle schoolers. It was at the Second Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775, that Patrick Henry rose to address the Convention’s president, Peyton Randolph of Williamsburg. We all know the crescendo of that speech – “give me liberty or give me death” – but do you remember reading the words leading up to that rallying cry? Let me share a few here, because they are still startlingly applicable to the times in which we now live.

This is no time for ceremony. The question before the house was one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the majesty of heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.

Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those, who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.

Patrick Henry

When you view with a critical eye the actions of democrats in the state legislature, evoking a little know and seldom used rule that stifles debate while they endeavor to take our constitutionally protected rights, the only conclusion to which you can arrive is that the time is now to get involved before they deem every right God gave you “a matter of statewide concern.” It is my hope that the Chairman’s Monday Memo will provide some insight and opportunities for you to join the Weld County GOP as we fight for our county and our state.