DENVER – Colorado Republicans this week lost a key option to challenge U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet but gained a candidate with statewide recognition.
Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler announced Wednesday he would not seek his party’s nomination to challenge Bennet in 2016 in what could be a contentious U.S. Senate race against the Denver Democrat.
But conservative stalwart Tim Neville, a state senator from Littleton, announced this week that he will seek his party’s endorsement.
The GOP had been struggling to find a formidable opponent. Several other attractive contenders passed on the opportunity, including state Sen. Ellen Roberts of Durango and U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman of Aurora.
With Brauchler out of the way, Neville is left with an advantage.
“When I take a look into the eyes of my kids and grandkids, the opportunities that I had as a child and growing up as a young adult ... current leadership is not doing anything to make sure those opportunities are there to future generations,” Neville said of why he is entering the race, adding that it is now in the hands of “God and the voters.”
Even if Neville faces a crowded primary field, one thing for sure is that his presence will push the race to the right. Several other lesser-known Republicans have filed paperwork to run, and more announcements are expected.
Neville, 59, has long upheld conservative values, including opposing gun control and abortion, while upholding religious freedom. This year at the Legislature, he raised concerns about vaccinations and student assessments. Neville also comes from a well-known political family with powerful ties, including to Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, which has a strong record of winning divisive Republican primaries in Colorado.
The question is whether Neville can be elected as a conservative. In last year’s U.S. Senate race, Republican Cory Gardner successfully defeated Democrat incumbent Mark Udall by moving more to the center.
There’s also the issue of fundraising. Bennet has more than $4.3 million in the bank as of the last quarter.
Left-leaning interests were quick to pounce on Neville, suggesting that he is “one of the state’s most dangerous far-right politicians.”
“Tim Neville’s candidacy should be a wake-up call to everyone with an interest in a better Colorado,” said Amy Runyon-Harms, executive director of ProgressNow Colorado.
“He’s a leader of one of the most powerful factions in the Colorado Republican Party today, and his ability to mobilize the Republican grass-roots in a primary makes him a threat.”
pmarcus@durangoherald.com
