Chuck and Julie Show with Chuck Bonniwell and Julie Hayden Colorado GOP Turmoil, Weld County's AI Data Center Fight, and a Leaderless Party with Trent Leisy VIDEO: 1. School Walkout 2. German Election Cheering Promo: Grassroots warrior Trent Leisy joins the show to talk about his new column, Red, White and Real. Plus CD5 Rep. Jeff Crank calls on DOJ to investigate just who was behind the so-called “student” walkouts and ICE protests and who are the adults and NGOs who encouraged the kids to violently attack counter protesters. Chuck Bonniwell hosts solo this week, joined by returning guest and Colorado Republican activist Trent Leisy for a wide-ranging tour of state GOP politics, from a pay-to-play midterm convention in Dallas to Weld County's fight over a new AI data center, plus a caller's questions about Elon Musk's campaign money. Chuck Flies Solo, Welcomes Trent Leisy Chuck Bonniwell opens the show without his usual co-host, joking that he is "missing my better half" but ready to soldier on, and welcomes back Trent Leisy, a former Congressional District 4 candidate who has stayed active in Colorado Republican circles. Bonniwell recalls how Leisy encountered "the underbelly of politics" during that race but kept going afterward. Leisy explains that once Scott Bottoms lost the primary, he spent a couple of weeks reflecting on what he wanted to do next. He describes the result: weekday Substack columns under the name Red, White, and Red that highlight pro-Trump stories the mainstream media tends to bury, plus a new podcast he is preparing to launch called Red, White, and Real. He says he simply enjoys researching and writing about politics every morning. The two settle into an easy, familiar rapport as they turn to the Colorado Republican Party's recent midterm convention and the fight ahead for the 2026 elections. A Pay-To-Play Convention In Dallas Bonniwell describes the Colorado Republican Party's midterm convention, held in Dallas rather than a true statewide gathering, as more of a rally than a convention, noting that Colorado effectively sold its delegate seats to California attendees willing to pay, raising roughly $14,000 for a cash-strapped party. Leisy calls the event a good idea for keeping Republicans motivated heading into a midterm year that historically favors the party out of power, warning that two years of a Democrat-controlled House would mean daily impeachment attempts against Trump. He says the message from Trump is essentially to stay unified behind Republican candidates, even imperfect ones, to protect the House majority. Leisy also criticizes the pay-to-play structure itself, noting that attendees had to pay the already troubled Colorado GOP for a ticket, and questions whether that money represents genuine grassroots support or simply funds an organization he describes as "a complete mess" and "a train wreck." Victor Marx, Closed Primaries, and Down-Ballot Math Asked about gubernatorial candidate Victor Marx, Leisy admits mixed feelings: he backed Scott Bottoms, served as his communications director, and remains unenthusiastic about Marx, yet he urges Weld County Republicans not to skip voting, arguing the party cannot afford to fall into a legislative supermajority under Democrat Phil Weiser. Bonniwell agrees, calling Marx "incredibly interesting, crazy, crooked" but arguing Republicans who refuse to vote over disliking a nominee only help Democrats pass a progressive tax structure. Leisy contends the primary would have gone to Bottoms outright under a closed primary system, blaming unaffiliated voters who lean Democrat for steering the nomination toward a weaker candidate, and noting every other step of the Republican process, caucuses, assemblies, petitions, requires party registration except the final vote. Bonniwell traces the state's semi-open primary back to 2016, partly credited to Weld County figures like Barbara Kirkmeyer, and hopes a pending court order restoring a caucus-only path might reinvigorate a moribund party organization. An Absent Chair and Dave Williams' Legacy The conversation turns to the state party's current leadership vacuum. Bonniwell complains that the sitting Colorado GOP chair, a first-time office holder out of Buena Vista named Craig Steiner, never reaches out, joking that "they don't even send us flowers." Leisy says he rarely sees the chair in interviews or on television and barely notices him in the news. Both men predict the mild-mannered new chair will accomplish little, while former chair Brita Horn quietly benefits by comparison after what they call a disastrous tenure marked by lingering legal bills and ethics complaints. The two repeatedly praise former chair Dave Williams, now working in Washington on human-trafficking issues at the State Department, as the sharpest and most effective chair either can remember, crediting him with actually growing the party's legislative seats despite fierce internal opposition from establishment figures. Bonniwell contrasts Williams' intelligence with predecessors he considers intellectually limited, arguing that big donors like Anschutz and Coors have abandoned traditional party politics in favor of controllable jungle primaries instead. Weld County's AI Data Center and Justice Center Fights The discussion shifts to Weld County, where Leisy describes two flashpoints reshaping local politics. County commissioners face an imminent vote, originally expected Wednesday, on a large AI data center after public pushback prompted them to pause and slow the project; Bonniwell argues such centers generate relatively few jobs but substantial property-tax revenue, provided officials avoid rebate deals, and Leisy explains this facility recirculates its cooling water rather than consuming it continuously. Separately, commissioners are pursuing a controversial new justice center that Leisy says would require bypassing the county's TABOR charter to borrow money without a public vote, angering residents who feel shut out of both decisions. Sheriff Steve Reams, who is running for county commissioner, has publicly opposed the justice center, earning cautious praise from Bonniwell despite past frustration with his more establishment-aligned positions. Leisy credits new county GOP chair Adrienne Sandoval with bringing fresh, independent thinking to a historically establishment-dominated Republican organization in Weld County. Ballot Harvesting, Tina Peters, and a Caller Named Jacob Bonniwell recounts pioneering ballot harvesting in Colorado in 2002, winning a Glendale race lopsidedly by collecting no-fault absentee ballots door to door, and argues Republican clerks have since undermined the party by embracing Democrat-friendly rules; he cites clerks statewide who fought to keep Tina Peters jailed and criticizes Weld County's outgoing clerk, Carly Koppes, while welcoming incoming clerk Rudy Santos. A caller named Jacob breaks in to ask whether Leisy is coordinating with Elon Musk, who has pledged $400 million toward Republican campaigns, and complains that television pundits are fretting over the midterm convention overlapping the NFL season opener, insisting viewers can simply watch both live and on replay. Leisy jokes that he has Musk on speed dial before Bonniwell presses him for more Colorado Republicans worth admiring, prompting mentions of Joe Oltmann and a new conservative organization Leisy is helping launch. Leisy closes by touting Weld County's incoming slate, assessor Jason Marez, clerk Rudy Santos, and sheriff candidate Matt Turner, before plugging his Substack and upcoming podcast as Bonniwell signs off, missing Julie Hayden's return next time.
