Colorado state Sen. Kevin Priola was a Republican for 32 years. On Monday, he announced that he couldn’t be one any longer.
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 switch: Many Republicans 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 Capitol since 2009, first as a representative and then, starting in 2017, as a senator. He won a second term in the state Senate in 2020 and is up for reelection in 2024. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post late Monday.
The change in Priola’s party registration does not affect the balance of power in Colorado’s Senate; Democrats already controlled the chamber but now enjoy an even greater 21-14 majority as Republicans gear up to try to wrest control in November, the Colorado Sun reported.
On the whole, Republicans are in the midst of an internal battle between two factions vying to control the party: candidates loyal to former president Donald Trump who are willing to parrot his false election claims, versus rivals who want to move the party past all that, The Post has reported.
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