By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice
DENVER — A brief heated exchange between Deborah Flora and Richard Holtorf highlighted what otherwise was a 4th District congressional debate which seemed to center on everything but those appearing on stage Saturday during the Republican Rumble here at the Grizzly Rose.
Lauren Boebert chose not to attend the Republican Rumble debate, and instead focus her final weekend prior to ballots being received on campaigning. Yet, she was the focus of the first question of the debate when candidates were asked to consider differences between them and the top-line candidate on the ballot.
“We hear a whole bunch of rhetoric that doesn’t actually discuss results,” said Mike Lynch, adding criticism of Boebert’s move from the 3rd to the 4th District, asking when he was going to get a definition for carpetbagger from Boebert.
Flora, who won the Republican Rumble straw poll in the 4th District debate over Lynch, noted both her ability to campaign to a broad spectrum of the district and also criticized Boebert on Israel.
“I will never back down on supporting our top ally,” said Flora, who has won a number of straw polls on the campaign trail.
Peter Yu claimed he could “count on one hand” those supporting Boebert from among 35,000 in the district he has spoken with, but Boebert got the top-line support of delegates at the Colorado Republican Assembly. Yu joined Jerry Sonnenberg in calling to place a worker in the office.
“You need someone in Congress that won’t embarrass you, someone who will get things done,” Sonnenberg said.
It led Holtorf to make a case he is that person, because of his experience as a colonel in the U.S. Army.
“You need more than a fighter in Washington, D.C., you need a warrior,” he said. “She is the wrong fit for this district.”
Boebert points to her perfect Liberty Scorecard grade, while others in the race all have failing Liberty grades.
Holtorf held up the book Boebert authored for the first of several times during the debate.
“I am not going to Washington, D.C., to write a book,” he said, something ex-Congressman Ken Buck also did. “You don’t want someone to write a book, you want someone to serve you.”
He later returned to the subject of Buck, before a heated discussion with Flora.
“Ken Buck is a failed congressman,” Holtorf said. “Ken, its not about you. It’s not about your law degree from Yale.”
When the debate turned to an opportunity for candidates to question each other, Holtorf quizzed Flora on her non-profit which he noted has a low cash flow. His ranching operation does better financially than Flora’s non-profit, Holtorf said.
“It is not all about the money,” Flora said. “I believe in the cause.”
When it was her turn, Flora fired back on a remark Holtorf had previously made toward “Department of Defense dependents”. She asked Holtorf to explain. He reiterated a position that service, and deployments, is that of the active duty personnel, and not that of the dependents “back at home”.
The debate was otherwise filled with discussion of President Donald Trump and returned to Boebert’s endorsement from the Colorado GOP.
“I disagree with it,” Sonnenberg said.
Added Yu: “Picking and choosing winners is unacceptable.”
It is an unsurprising course for Dave Williams, Lynch said.
“He has not stood behind elected officials ever,” he said. “He simply doesn’t understand the function of a party. It is not to pick winners and losers.”
Among the five candidates on the stage, Holtorf had publicly called for Williams to resign as the state party chair.
“The Colorado GOP is to support all candidates,” he said. “Dave, you got it wrong.”
It is a point to which there was unison among the five candidates on the stage.
“This is a drastic change and I think very troubling,” Flora said.
The candidates were asked to discuss Trump’s tariffs and also whether they would change position on him following his conviction on 34 felonies in New York. None of the candidates indicated they had moved in their support of Trump.
“We are seeing our government be weaponized in the political arena,” Lynch said. “Is Trump perfect, no.”
Added Flora: “This past week was an incredibly troubling time in this country. We have to get back to a place where we can trust there is equal justice under the law.”
Holtorf offered personal contempt for the process, likely sharing the sentiment of most the 4th District.
“We don’t live in a Banana Republic, but its starting to feel that way. This was a kangaroo court,” he said. “All of these cases are trumped up to keep Trump off the ballot. If Trump is on the ballot, I’m voting for him.”
Added Sonnenberg: “He is our Republican candidate. I’m a Trump supporter. I look forward to supporting him through thick and thin.”
One of the few areas of the debate not centered on Boebert, Buck or Trump was related to immigration and the potential for the federalizing of the National Guard.
“That is a huge deal for the federal government to come to our state and tell our citizens what to do,” Lynch said, showing opposition to the National Guard proposal.
While he didn’t indicate support of federalization of the Colorado National Guard, Sonnenberg supports other means to address immigration.
“We’re in a war, a crisis with illegal immigrants coming to Colorado,” he said. “Let’s secure our border and secure our country.”
The candidates offered pointed remarks in their closing statements, such as Flora saying “our country is dysfunctional and our party is divided.”
Similarly, Sonnenberg laid out the qualities voters should seek in a member of Congress.
“It’s important we have integrity and character, experience and leadership,” he said. “I have a proven track record of getting things done. I won’t embarrass you.”
Holtorf, who had moderators laughing at one point and calling for a timeout at another, closed the debate: “We are in a battle to preserve the Republic. What do you need as a congressman, you need veteran leadership. I’m tough, I’m hard-hitting, I’m battle tested.”