Republican and Democratic caucuses around La Plata County had low turnout on Saturday compared with years past – and Super Tuesday, a confusing process and the balmy 60-degree weather may have had something to do with it.
The 2020 election season continued this weekend at dozens of locations around the county where registered voters gathered to elect community representatives who will chose each party’s candidates for upcoming local, state and national elections.
But Colorado’s first presidential primary election this month overshadowed the caucus process, members of both parties said at precinct locations in Durango and Bayfield. The state this year changed how Republicans and Democrats allot delegates to vote for presidential nominees at the Republican and Democratic national conventions later this year.
The rule change allowed any registered voter to chose a nominee for president by mail-in ballot rather than go to a caucus to elect delegates to represent them at county, district, state and national party conventions.
There are 32 precincts in La Plata County. Each precinct has a chairperson and is assigned a number of delegates to represent communities at party conventions. The number of delegates in each precinct is determined by the number of registered party members in each community.
Voters on Saturday chose precinct chairpeople and delegates.
Delegates chosen at precinct caucuses represent their communities at the La Plata County Assembly, where they’ll chose nominees for La Plata County commissioner and district attorney. The county assembly is also where either party chooses delegates to send to state, Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District and national assemblies.
La Plata County Democrats chose and assigned delegates to nominees for a candidacy to challenge Republican Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner. Nominees include: former Gov. John Hickenlooper, former State House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, Stephany Rose Spaulding, Erik Underwood and Trish Zornio.
Results were not immediately available Saturday afternoon. Republicans met in the morning at seven locations, and Democrats gathered in the afternoon at 17 places around the county.
Republicans’ county assembly is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Democrats’ county assembly is scheduled for March 28 at Miller Middle School. Doors open at 8:15 a.m. and the meeting will be called to order at 9 a.m.
Two seats will be vacant on the La Plata County Board of Commissioners. District Attorney Christian Champagne is running unopposed. Democrats will also nominate a candidate for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, a seat held by Republican Rep. Scott Tipton.
The change to a primary system for presidential candidates made for “a lot less incentive to turn out today,” Dave Peters said to a group of 16 Republicans who stood Saturday morning in the Durango VFW Post 4031 for the La Plata County Republican caucus. The VFW served as a caucus location for 16 of La Plata County’s 32 precincts.
Democrats in every precinct considered a resolution to abolish the caucus system for all state offices, said Jean Walter, chairwoman for La Plata County Democrats.
“I suspect that removing caucus will pass,” Walter said. “People seemed to love the presidential primary.”
Dick White, Democratic chairman of La Plata County precinct 2 encompassing north Durango, said Saturday’s turnout at Durango Public Library would have been considered a “good crowd” for an off-year election. But in 2016, more than 100 people attended the precinct 2 Democratic Caucus, he said. He was re-elected to his chairman position this year by a group of 15 people.
The caucus system is on its way out, said Marc West, a 24-year-old Democrat. It’s outdated and the technology is available to make the process much more equitable, he said. But he attended his precinct caucus and even got a resolution passed to eliminate super delegates at the Democratic National Convention.
“Every little bit helps,” he said.
But being chosen as a delegate to represent a precinct is empowering, Rachell Carlson said at the Pine Valley Church in Bayfield, which served as a Republican caucus venue for six precincts. Her children inspired her, Carlson said. Their interest in American history and her desire for their best future drove her to participate.
There is still value in the caucus process, said Marsha Porter-Norton, who is running unopposed for a Democratic nomination as a candidate for the District 2 seat on the La Plata County Board of Commissioners. It’s a grassroots process that gives people a chance to participate in the political process, she said.
“We need to have a dialogue with people,” she said. “There’s nothing that replaces that part of the process.”
bhauff@durangoherald.com
An earlier version of this story gave in incorrect time for the La Plata County Democratic assembly.
