Colorado’s ‘politically homeless’ voters: Who’s showing up—and who’s not

By RMV Staff

Erin Brantley doesn’t see Colorado politics from a campaign office or a party meeting.

She sees it in real time—through thousands of conversations with voters who aren’t sure where they belong, or whether their vote even matters.

That disconnect came up quickly in a recent episode of Unleashed, where Heidi Ganahl sat down with Brantley, a northern Colorado content creator known online as Logic & Liberty, to talk through what she’s hearing from voters—and where she thinks things are headed.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1S5jWsmvB2BHVH2RbHYfOg?si=k26GeEXwR--LiNz_W0tnlg 
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gFKYRROCAww
📺 Watch on Rumble: https://rumble.com/v785e4i-unleashed-with-heidi-ganahl-cos-politically-homeless-voters-with-erin-brant.html 

A different kind of political voice

The episode also reflects a shift in format for Unleashed, with Ganahl bringing in voices from outside traditional political circles.

Brantley is part of that shift.

She first gained national attention during the COVID era, organizing protests and helping spark school walkouts. But after stepping back, she turned her focus to Colorado—where she says frustration with politics runs deeper than party lines.

“There’s so much mess on the right within the GOP in Colorado that it’s turned a lot of people off,” Brantley said. “And so I think there’s a lot of politically homeless people in Colorado, and they don’t even know where to start.”

She describes those voters as disengaged, not necessarily disengaged from issues—but from the system itself.

Voters who aren’t showing up

That disconnect is showing up in turnout.

Colorado makes voting accessible, with mail ballots and relatively high participation compared to other states. But Brantley says many voters she interacts with don’t feel informed enough—or motivated enough—to take part.

“I don’t know if they’re fully informed… maybe they look at the ballot and don’t know anything that’s going on,” she said.

Others say they’re not sure their vote changes anything.

She says the same pattern keeps playing out: the most engaged voters show up, while others stay home—even in elections that directly shape state policy.

A map that doesn’t favor conservatives

When the conversation shifted to 2026, Ganahl and Brantley didn’t stay on strategy for long—they came back to the math. And the math isn’t on Republicans’ side.

There are about 4 million active voters in Colorado, and the biggest group is unaffiliated—voters who have, in recent statewide races, leaned toward Democrats.

That reality makes turnout and messaging critical.

“I don’t think it’s looking good if we had to hold them tomorrow.” Brantley pointed to competitive congressional districts and the risk of losing ground.

She also pointed to infighting and unclear messaging as barriers to reaching the voters who ultimately decide elections.

Who controls the message

Even when campaigns focus on issues like cost of living or crime, Ganahl said those messages often struggle to break through.

Media coverage, she argued, tends to shift attention toward other issues, shaping how candidates are perceived.

That dynamic has helped fuel the growth of alternative platforms.

Creators like Logic & Liberty and Free State Colorado on X, accounts like @free.as.can.be on TikTok and outlets like RMV are building their own audiences—bypassing traditional media in the process.

Brantley, who built her following through livestreams and short-form video, said the shift is happening—but hasn’t fully taken hold.

“The right… hasn’t quite gotten with the times,” she said.

From attention to action

Still, awareness alone doesn’t change outcomes.

The bigger challenge, Brantley said, is turning attention into action.

“People have to feel the hurt… before they’re motivated to get involved,” she said.

But waiting for that moment can come at a cost.

Both she and Ganahl emphasized that engagement has to move beyond screens—into local involvement, community connections and turnout efforts.

“Self-governance is not a spectator sport.”

Showing up—or sitting out

Brantley doesn’t offer a roadmap—just a place to begin.

Not with perfect information or a perfect candidate—but with participation.

Because in Colorado, the outcome won’t be decided by who is paying attention.

It will be decided by who shows up.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1S5jWsmvB2BHVH2RbHYfOg?si=k26GeEXwR–LiNz_W0tnlg

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gFKYRROCAww

📺 Watch on Rumble: https://rumble.com/v785e4i-unleashed-with-heidi-ganahl-cos-politically-homeless-voters-with-erin-brant.html