Wadhams "strongly" leaning towards running again

Colorado Republican Party Chair Dick Wadhams said Wednesday that he’s “strongly leaning” towards seeking re-election and defended his record as chair for the past two years.

“I have not certainly decided to seek re-election,” Wadhams told PolitickerCO.com. “I’m leaning towards it – strongly leaning towards it. I’m going to decide soon whether I will or not.”

Some Republicans, both on and off the record, have questioned Wadhams’ performance as chair following Democratic victories last week in the presidential, U.S. Senate, and 4th Congressional District races.

“I guess I would challenge anybody to say that they would’ve done anything better or differently than what I did,” Wadhams said. “If they’ve got something better, to all those anonymous people who have criticized me in the press, I say come out of the shadows, quit being cowards and debate me head-on in front of a group of Republicans about my tenure as a chairman.”

Scott Starin, the 2nd Congressional District Republican nominee who lost to Democrat Jared Polis on Nov. 4, told PolitickerCO.com earlier on Wednesday that Wadhams “was spread too thin” this year by running Bob Schaffer's U.S. Senate campaign while remaining party chair.

Starin also criticized the state party for not paying enough attention to state legislative races.

 “I don’t know where he gets off saying that,” Wadhams responded. “Frankly, there’s been no state chairman who’s been more directly involved, because most state chairs were not involved on a daily basis with what was going on out of state headquarters. I was.”

Wadhams said he worked regularly on helping GOP legislative candidates with Colorado GOP Executive Director Mike Britt -- who was hired by Wadhams -- and Alan Philp, who was hired by the state party to coordinate state House campaigns.

“The Colorado Republican party did more for state legislative candidates than has been done in several cycles, in terms of direct cash contributions, in terms of candidate recruitment, in terms of working with candidates directly, in terms of message, in terms of providing the Republican message that contrasts with Gov. Ritter and the Democratic majority,” Wadhams said.

Wadhams also said during his tenure as party chair, he has made appearances at more than 200 Republican events – an “unprecedented” amount for a Colorado GOP chair, he said.

He also said he was “very proud” to have completely paid off the state party’s $580,000 debt that Wadhams inherited when he became chair.

Wadhams said that debt would not have been paid off “without a state chairman that is very involved and engaged and devotes a great deal of time and energy to doing that.

“And that’s what I did,” he said.

Wadhams said he hasn’t heard of any potential challengers that would face him if he decides to seek re-election.

The party chair election will be held in early March -- the exact date for the election has not yet been scheduled, Wadhams said.