Comment Colorado State Senator Kevin Priola has been a Republican for 32 years. On Monday, he announced that he couldn’t be anyone else. So he defected to the Democrats. “There is too much at stake right now for Republicans to be in charge,” Priola wrote in a two-page letter explaining his decision, adding, “Simply put, we need Democrats in charge.” Priola cited two reasons for the change: Many Republicans are peddling false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, and the party’s efforts to block legislation that would fight climate change. Priola has served in the Colorado State Capitol since 2009, first as a representative and then, beginning in 2017, as a senator. He won a second term in the state Senate in 2020 and is up for re-election in 2024. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post late Monday. Priola’s change in party registration does not affect the balance of power in the Colorado Senate. Democrats already controlled the chamber, but now enjoy an even larger 21-14 majority as Republicans prepare to try to take control in November, the Colorado Sun reported. Overall, Republicans are in the middle of an internal battle between two factions vying for control of the party: candidates loyal to former President Donald Trump who are willing to parrot his false electoral claims and opponents who want to outflank the party. The Post reported. The final stretch of the primary will feature a divided GOP Priola decided to leave the GOP altogether. In the letter released Monday morning, Priola said he became a Republican in 1990, enamored with Ronald Reagan’s willingness to stand up to the Soviet Union and work with Democrats on immigration. “I haven’t changed much in 30 years. but my party has,” he wrote. Priola said he watched in horror on Jan. 6, 2021, as rioters rampaged through the U.S. Capitol. He thought the rebellion would lead his Republican colleagues to distance themselves from Trump, he wrote. Instead, Republicans turned to a handful of their own — including Vice President Mike Pence, who confirmed Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory, and Reps. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (Ill.), who voted to impeach him Trump after the uprising. “I cannot continue to be a member of a political party that is okay with a violent attempt to subvert free and fair elections and continues to make claims that the 2020 election was stolen,” Priola wrote. He then moved on to the second way the GOP has let him down: its inaction on climate change. Republicans have repeatedly denied that humans are causing climate change and continue to block legislative efforts to combat it, even as Coloradans endure “almost year-round” wildfires and “a seemingly never-ending drought,” Priola wrote . “I think it’s unethical to burden the next generation of Coloradans with even worse consequences,” he added. The surprising political changes that led to the passage of the climate bill Colorado politicians on both sides of the aisle reacted to Priola’s party switch. Gov. Jared Polis (D) called the senator a “strong leader on climate issues,” and Senate President Steve Feinberg (D) hailed Priola as someone who “chose his constituents and the future of Colorado over partisan politics.” Senate Minority Leader John Cook (D) told the Colorado Sun that, given Priola’s recent voting record, he was not shocked by his defection. He also dismissed its impact on Republicans’ bid to take control of the state Senate in November. “This event will not change the trajectory of this election cycle, nor the outcome of this year’s state Senate race,” Cook told the paper, adding that Priola voters “may be exploring their options for new representation.” Kristi Burton Brown, chairwoman of the Colorado GOP, also cited Priola’s record of voting with Democrats on some issues, accusing him of “lying” to voters about being a Republican. “It is clear that Priola has selfishly chosen to make history for himself at the expense of the people of Coloradans for whom he was elected to fight,” he wrote in a statement. “He will regret this decision when he is in the minority in January 2023.” Priola doesn’t think so, saying he remains committed to serving and fighting for his constituents rather than getting involved in tribal politics. “Coloradans cannot afford for their leaders to give credence to election conspiracies and climate denial,” he wrote, adding, “Our planet and our democracy depend on it.”
