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Former State Rep. Dave Williams partakes in a debate for the state Republican Party leadership position on Feb. 25, 2023, in Hudson, Colo.
Former State Rep. Dave Williams partakes in a debate for the state Republican Party leadership position on Feb. 25, 2023, in Hudson, Colo.David Zalubowski / AP file

Colorado is the latest state Republican Party to tap election denier as chair

“I do believe that Trump won nationally,” new Colorado Republican Chairman Dave Williams said in February.

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Colorado's Republican Party just tapped former state Rep. Dave Williams to lead it, becoming the latest in a string of state party leaders who have cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election.

Williams won on the third ballot during votes this past weekend, according to the Associated Press. Among the Republicans Williams beat for the chairmanship was Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, who was indicted last year and accused of tampering with election equipment. The AP also reports that Peters endorsed Williams after she fell short in her own bid.

The former state lawmaker trumpeted his false claims about the 2020 election during his campaign to lead the party.

During a February event with the Republican Women of Weld, a local GOP county organization, Williams said, "I was one of the only few elected Republicans that publicly said that Joe Biden was not a legitimate president."

"I do believe that Trump won nationally," he added.

Colorado is not the first state to hand over its top leadership spot to a candidate who has — at the very least — cast doubt on the 2020 election results.

Michigan Republicans tapped Kristina Karamo, fresh off an unsuccessful bid for secretary of state, as their party leader in February. Karamo rose to prominence as a vocal critic of the 2020 election who echoed false claims about that election and the 2021 attack on the Capitol, among other controversial comments.

And the Associated Press reported last month on how new Kansas Republican Party chairman Mike Brown fits the bill too — he has repeatedly cast doubt on the integrity of the state's elections, including the 2020 presidential race.