Former Douglas County GOP chair Craig Steiner elected Colorado party chairman

Craig Steiner’s election as Colorado Republican Party chairman put a former Douglas County GOP leader at the top of a party still trying to steady itself before primary ballots go out and statewide nominations begin.

Steiner won the post Saturday in Buena Vista after two rounds of voting, finishing with 54% in the final round. His final opponents were El Paso County Republican Jeremy Goodall and podcaster and former gubernatorial candidate Joe Oltmann, with Douglas County business owner Curtis McCrackin drawing a handful of votes before backing Steiner after the first round failed to produce a majority.

For Douglas County Republicans, the result is bigger than a change in title. Steiner is not only a former county chair; he is also a software engineer who built apps the state party uses to manage voter turnout and delegate selection. That gives him a rare blend of local credibility and operational control at a time when the Colorado GOP needs both candidates and money for races up and down the ballot.

The party will nominate candidates for governor, U.S. Senate, attorney general, secretary of state and state treasurer before the June 30 primary, a schedule that leaves little room for more infighting. Steiner’s supporters said his record in Douglas County showed he could turn out Republicans efficiently. Former state Sen. Ted Harvey said Steiner produced a 97.2% Republican turnout when he led the Douglas County party, a figure Harvey said was likely a state record.

Steiner’s election also reflects the balance of power inside the party. Former House Speaker Frank McNulty, former Secretary of State Scott Gessler and former House Minority Leader Patrick Neville all lined up behind him, suggesting support that stretches across different factions of Colorado Republicans. That coalition may matter as the party tries to rebuild donor confidence and decide whether its message is better shaped by suburban organizing, message discipline or ideological confrontation.

The state party has spent months consumed by exactly that fight. Brita Horn announced March 12 that she would step down after the state assembly, citing an “enduring divide” marked by “vitriol and hostility,” and her resignation took effect in April. The state central committee then voted 241-63 to approve a no-confidence resolution against her. Eric Grossman served as interim chairman for six weeks before Steiner took over, making Steiner the party’s third chairman in a little more than a year.

The stakes are high because Colorado’s electorate is dominated by unaffiliated voters, who made up 51% of registered voters in one cited analysis. With Republicans accounting for 22% and Democrats 24%, the party’s next chairman has to do more than calm a bruised organization. Steiner now has to turn Douglas County’s style of Republican politics into a statewide machine that can recruit candidates, raise money and compete in a June primary where every vote will matter.