{"id":539,"date":"2025-09-29T15:38:19","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T15:38:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.greenville-nc.com\/?p=539"},"modified":"2025-09-30T10:27:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T10:27:40","slug":"krista-kafer-these-top-notch-republicans-have-a-shot-next-year-lets-not-spoil-it-with-my-endorsement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.greenville-nc.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/29\/krista-kafer-these-top-notch-republicans-have-a-shot-next-year-lets-not-spoil-it-with-my-endorsement\/","title":{"rendered":"Krista Kafer: These top notch Republicans have a shot next year, let\u2019s not spoil it with my endorsement"},"content":{"rendered":"

As an unapologetic Trump critic and so-called RINO (Republican in Name Only)<\/a>, my endorsement could cost a good Republican candidate votes, so I don\u2019t endorse good candidates.<\/p>\n

Thus, I will not be endorsing the intelligent, hard-working State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer for Colorado governor<\/a>. Sensible, principled, and conservative but able to work across the aisle, Kirkmeyer is the best Republican candidate to run for governor in years.<\/p>\n

Likewise, I will not be endorsing the smart, affable, and fabulously mustached former president of the State Senate and current Fremont County Commissioner Kevin Grantham for state treasurer. Both of these candidates have solid platforms and neither one raves hysterically on social media, so do not look for my name on their list of endorsements. They have a chance in 2026, albeit a slim one, so I won\u2019t risk it. Although Colorado is solidly blue, weakened support for Democrats and a softening economy may give these two Republicans the chance they need to take a statewide office.<\/p>\n

A recent Magellan Strategies poll<\/a> finds that of those who voted for Kamala Harris last year, 47% now have an unfavorable view of the Democratic Party. The same poll shows 52% have an unfavorable opinion of Gov. Jared Polis\u2019 job as governor. Forty-four percent disapprove of U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and 49% U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper. As a recent Denver Post editorial noted, \u201cAfter years of enjoying popularity, Colorado\u2019s top Democrats are\u00a0now showing a remarkable drop in their approval ratings\u00a0among voters.\u201d Democrats cannot coast through the next election and a strong Republican may have a chance.<\/p>\n

Given this possibility and the risks associated with a Kafer endorsement, I will not endorse the strongest candidates but the weakest for the position they are best suited.<\/p>\n

I endorse State Rep. Scott Bottoms, who is also running for governor, to play the next Church Lady on Saturday Night Live. Of all his colleagues, he most frequently mentions Satan on the dais. Comfortable as he is with calling everything socialist and Marxist, he could also play Sen. Joe McCarthy in a dramatization for the History Channel, if he shaved his beard that is. Bottoms is an election conspiracy theorist who plans to release former County Clerk Tina Peters from prison if elected. With the Magellan Strategies poll showing 59% disapproval of Trump, choosing a full tilt MAGA candidate is the best strategy for keeping Colorado solidly in the Democratic column.<\/p>\n

If that\u2019s the goal, State Sen.\u00a0Mark Baisley, another gubernatorial candidate, would also fit the bill. He once blamed Antifa for the Jan. 6 insurrection and once wrote that having hit their \u201csocialist stride\u201d the Democratic Party\u2019s ultimate goal was \u201cSharia.\u201d Keep Colorado blue, vote Baisley!<\/p>\n