Colorado’s unaffiliated majority is waiting for someone to lead

By Russ Minary | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

“Elections are won by men and women chiefly because most people vote against somebody rather than for somebody,”  Franklin P. Adams.

Sadly, Colorado politics is ruled largely by ideologues with agendas and pet projects who engage in personal attacks. Statesmanship seems to be a lost art. 

So, both Republicans and Democrats are losing influence and votes – and the largest and fastest growing voter bloc in the State is ‘Unaffiliated’. This would indicate that both ‘majority parties’ (D and R) are divided and have lost sight of those things that are important to the average CO voter and taxpayer to whom they are responsible. The data speaks plainly for anyone willing to look at it. 

Out of 3,996,931 registered voters in 64 CO counties, here’s the breakdown by party registration: Democrat:  993,052 (24.86%); Republican: 898,159 (22.47%); Independent/Other: 2,105,720 (52.68%). Neither R nor D holds a majority, but the middle segment has grown steadily. 

Yet both R and D parties still think and act as if they’re in charge. Voters apparently don’t agree. 

Most CO citizens, taxpayers and voters have had enough. They deserve better. It’s time to ask hard questions, demand accountability and make some changes. 

I believe that Conservatives can win by telling people what we will do and are FOR, rather than what (or who) we dislike or are AGAINST – and by using time-tested methods and principles. My hope is that some changes in politics will benefit CO citizens and taxpayers, the majority of whom are dissatisfied, frustrated and angry with the current political status quo. 

These NINE IDEAS can help any political, business or sports organization SUCCEED. Even the GOP in Colorado.

1. Start by identifying and agreeing upon the basic purpose of the organization. Neither ‘mainstream’ party has agreed upon nor articulated a platform for a very long time. As a result, CO voters are confused about what either party (D or R) represents, or why they should vote for them. Thus, the increase of Unaffiliated voters. 
2. Establish the governing ground rules, expectations and desired results – and stick to them. For example, the Founders wrote the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence which have served us well in the governance of our nation for 250 years. Every sport has rules and criteria for determining how the game is played and what is allowed or disallowed. Any organization without rules will descend into infighting, confusion, chaos and failure.
3. Determine what specific problems you want to solve, how you will solve them and who needs these solutions. I humbly submit that the Colorado GOP has failed to do this for the last 2 to 3 decades, and the result is losses in many elections.
4. Clearly define the qualifications, expectations, experience and performance criteria necessary for those who serve in leadership positions (executives, roles, elected positions, board members and officers). For example, a CFO must be financially competent and accountable, a CEO must be a responsible leader skilled in communication and working with people; and a Coach or GM must have a record of winning by producing results through their team-members. If the leaders won’t work together, it is unreasonable to expect the team to work together. 
5. Identify who your desired customers are, what they want and will buy, and then make certain that they are well-served and satisfied with the products, services and value that you deliver. Every organization must listen and respond to their customers and constituents. If you won’t serve your customers, your competition will happily do that. 
6. Establish clear standards and expectations of accountability, performance and meritocracy for all people in all positions within the organization. This article explains how to do that in any organization: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/08/07/minary-why-merit-beats-seniority-and-dei-in-hiring-and-leadership/
7. Expect and demand only best efforts and performance, first from the leaders, and then the team. For example, a coach must have a plan to recruit, train and win games with the players on their team. If the coach cannot do this, they can no longer be the coach. Consistently losing is cause for a change in leadership. 
8. Manage by results. NO individual at any level is beyond accountability or exempt from scrutiny of their results. Mistakes and unforeseen circumstances happen, but constant excuses and underperformance are not acceptable. Remember, top performers find a way to produce top results. Keep track of what’s important.
9. Set very ambitious and specific goals for the organization, every team and all individuals – and immediately start working every day to achieve them. Perfection is not required, but excellence is. Make it clear that the status quo is no longer acceptable. If attitudes, goals and behavior don’t change, expect more of what you’ve been getting. If your team cannot think differently, then you probably need a different team or different leaders – or both. 

Sports and politics share some striking similarities. In sports, you keep score, and measure both individual and team performance. At the end of the game, there’s a winner and a loser. Some fans are happy; some fans are unhappy. Same as in politics.

One of my favorite sports movies is Moneyball. It’s a must-watch for anyone who is tired of losing and needs to transform an organization, think differently and succeed. One of the best scenes [WARNING: language] is when Billy Beane asks his assistants and scouts some really hard questions – for which they have no answer. It’s a wake-up call. 

Spoiler Alert: Money was not the solution to the problem; a great team was the solution.

The last Superbowl also provided some great lessons for Colorado conservatives who dislike losing.

This article explains: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2026/02/12/what-superbowl-lx-can-teach-us-about-colorado-politics/

There’s another example in American politics with which every person is familiar, regardless of their political perspective.

When Donald Trump ran for his second term, he made 20 very specific “Core Promises”. As a result, most Americans voted for him. As soon as he took office, he started working to keep them. A bit more than one year later, some people love him and some hate him. His results, however, are clear for all to see. 

FINAL THOUGHT: If you do what is suggested above, some people will dislike you and be angry, and some may leave the team. That’s OK. But other people will enthusiastically join and support your team. I think a lot of people who will decide to vote for Conservatives could be unaffiliated voters, but I could be wrong. 

Russ Minary is a retired sales executive, marketing consultant, small business owner, conservative and veteran. He has lived in CO for 50 years and resides in Douglas County. 

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.