Durango forum brings together Republican candidates ahead of caucus and assembly season

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice

Southwest Colorado Republicans won’t have to travel far to see candidates vying for statewide and federal races this month.

On Feb. 13, in Durango, candidates will gather weeks ahead of the caucus and assembly season.

The VFW Post 4031 will open its doors at 5:30. And the forum begins at 6.

RMV, Southwest Republican Women and the La Plata County Republican Central Committee organized the event.

No advance sign-up is required to attend.

The night is split into three panels, covering statewide offices, the U.S. Senate race and the governor’s race.

The forum will feature three separate panels, allowing voters to hear directly from candidates seeking different offices ahead of the Republican primary.

“This forum is about giving voters a clear look at where candidates stand on the issues,” said RMV founder Heidi Ganahl. She said the forum is meant to stay focused on policy rather than candidate sparring.

Three panels, focused format

The forum will be emceed by Clark Craig and moderated by RMV founder Heidi Ganahl, with candidates rotating through questions under visible time cues.

La Plata County Republican Party Vice Chair Lisa Zimmerman said voters have made one thing very clear: “We want to hear directly from the candidates.” That feedback helped shape how the forum came together.

The night will open with a panel focused on statewide races.

Michael Allen is running for attorney general after years working in courtrooms as a federal prosecutor.

Kevin Grantham is running for state treasurer after previously serving as Colorado Senate president and now serving as a Fremont County commissioner.

James Wiley is running for secretary of state. An attorney by trade, he previously served as executive director of the Libertarian Party of Colorado and now serves as secretary of the Chainsaw Caucus. In December, Wiley switched to the Republican Party and published a letter detailing his decision to leave the Libertarians behind.

Grantham is the only one in that group who won’t face a primary opponent.

Four candidates will then share the U.S. Senate panel stage: State Sen. Mark Baisley from Colorado Springs, a tech veteran who’s made his mark in the legislature on public safety and wildfires; Sean Pond, Montrose County commissioner, U.S. Navy vet, and fifth-generation Coloradan with strong energy sector ties; Dr. Janak Joshi, the physician who previously served in the state House; and George Markert, retired Marine bringing real command experience.

Come fall, the GOP pick will challenge Sen. John Hickenlooper, the Democrat looking to keep his seat for another six years.

The closing panel covers the governor’s race, the most packed contest this cycle.

State Rep. Scott Bottoms, the Colorado Springs pastor with deep ministry experience and a second term under his belt, centers his campaign on school choice, fiscal discipline and defending life.

Sharing the panel is Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell, voted in back in 2020 after years rising through the ranks—training top military teams, handling executive security and founding a company that delivers end-to-end safety for schools.

Bob Brinkerhoff adds his voice too, shaped by more than 20 years working inside Colorado’s executive agencies and centered on bringing back real law and order.

Joe Oltmann will join the panel, and is a Conservative podcaster and Conservative Daily host, founder of FEC United, Colorado entrepreneur with roots in firearms and technology businesses.

Maria Orms rounds out the field—an Air Force veteran and technologist running on government accountability and digital privacy protections.

Jason Clark had previously been expected to participate in the forum but withdrew from the governor’s race earlier this week and is backing Bottoms.

Attendees will hear opening and closing remarks from each candidate and see them take turns answering questions throughout the forum.

“At the end of the day, this is a primary, and we want to remind people that we’re still on the same team,” said Amber Morris, vice president of Southwest Republican Women. “Southwest Colorado doesn’t always get this level of access, and that matters.”

Questions invited ahead of time

RMV and the forum’s co-hosts are inviting the public to submit questions in advance through an online form. Submitted questions may be selected and asked during the forum.

The question submission form is available at: https://forms.gle/qjCac5H23Smpc6Zd8 

How the forum fits into Colorado’s primary timeline

The forum lands just as the field is about to start narrowing. Caucuses and county assemblies follow in the weeks ahead, before delegates meet at the state assembly on April 11 in Pueblo.

All of it leads up to the Republican primary on June 30.