AKRON, Colo. — “Hello sir,” the barista says as she greets Richard Holtorf here at Latte Da’ Coffee. He claims the table in the corner is his “campaign headquarters”.
The barista seems to know his order, but confirms it anyway. In this small Eastern Colorado town, he seems to know everyone and everyone seems to know the lifelong Washington County resident.
Holtorf immediately gets to business at the table. Colorado Republicans will meet March 29 to select the next chairman of the party. Holtorf announced his candidacy March 8, after surveying the field of candidates and not finding the leader he believes can save the Colorado GOP from self-destruction. He wants to unify the fractured base.
Whether during a U.S. Army deployment, on his cattle ranch or during his service as a state representative in the Colorado General Assembly, Holtorf has successfully navigated through much division to arrive at a place of unification to succeed in the mission. He can recall many debates within the Republican House Caucus which challenged him as the party’s whip. He always strove to unify the caucus and stand up against the radical, progressive Democrats.
“There can be different vision among the ranks in whatever you are doing, and that’s understood,” Holtorf said. “You have to rebuild and reestablish unity after the disagreement to focus on a positive outcome.”
That’s the present state of the Colorado Republican Party, he says, and someone is needed to unify the Colorado GOP and its diverse members. Holtorf believes that someone is him, as no one in the field is talking about unification and rebuilding the party.
In order to meet his priority to win elections, so Republicans can direct policy under the Golden Dome, a commitment to the mission is necessary.
“We need a period of reconciliation, reconstruction and reunion,” Holtorf said. “We have to reconstruct the party, and then to come together to unify. We must put 100% of our energy and effort into winning elections. That is how you Make Colorado Great Again.”
That may be accomplished in a manner similar to his leadership in the Colorado House: “You always needed to focus on the bigger fight ahead, against the Progressive, radical Democrats.”
That fight is not with fellow Republicans, he says — citing President Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment — but rather against the ruling Democratic Party, who holds the executive branch, the Colorado House and the Colorado Senate.
“The woke Democrats have a stranglehold on all of Colorado politics, but there’s not a reason they should,” Holtorf said. “Look at the Democratic Party? They have their own struggle between moderate Democrats and the Progressive, left, radical wing. They don’t agree on policy and they are seeing people leave the Democratic Party. We have a unique opening to win, if we are strategic enough to take advantage of it. No candidate, up until now, is presenting that strategic vision.”
Holtorf notes, he’s a retired Army colonel, serving for 29 years in both active and reserve duty, retiring in September 2016. His service includes five overseas tours, two of which were combat tours in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was an aviation officer flying attack aircraft missions on three continents. He served in a variety of capacities as a senior Army leader in support of Coalition and NATO operations.
If elected as the next Colorado Republican Party chair, Republicans will see Holtorf implement a mission-first perspective, using his military and political leadership background.
“I believe you have to have a strategic plan,” he said. “We’re going to find out what do Republicans, unaffiliateds and moderate Democrats care about. We will survey the membership of Republicans, but we will also survey outside of the membership, outside of the echo chamber. We will identify the Republicans who have left their party in the last four years and find out why. What would make them come back to our party? Let’s do the same with unaffiliateds and soft Democrats. They either don’t have a party or are disenfranchised with their party. How do we bring them into a big tent? I have a plan for that.”
Those that would dispute that plan may want to consider Ronald Reagan was once a Democrat. So was Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. So was Elon Musk, who is running Donald Trump’s DOGE program. So was President Donald Trump. Holtorf says there are many other examples of former Democrats becoming great Republicans, and “growing the Republican tent”.
“What got Donald Trump elected in 2016 and 2024? It was a welcoming, big tent,” Holtorf said. “You don’t grow the party by zipping the door to the tent, you grow the party by opening the door to the tent and you win elections with a bigger tent. This bigger tent will get more Republicans elected in Colorado.”
Presently, Holtorf serves as chairman of the Washington County Republican Party, where he recently hosted Congresswoman Lauren Boebert and former Congressman Greg Lopez as Lincoln Dinner keynote speakers. Both were candidates whom he ran against during phases of the 4th District race for U.S. Representative. That dinner might show his desire to grow the party, while staying conservative. Holtorf offered a steak dinner meal and dessert for a $20 ticket, a price point attainable for anyone to attend.
“I’ve been asked, ‘yeah, but can you raise money?’ I want to respond that if all it takes is money, why isn’t Kamala Harris sitting in the Oval Office?,” Holtorf said. “Why? It takes more than money. It is about messaging and outreach. What is the message that’s going to register for everyone in Colorado? What is the strategic outreach needed to get them to check a Republican candidate on their ballot?”
That message, he says, must be heard by a class of voters that can be moved by the message of Republicans’ vision for Colorado.
“Republicans or Democrats, you aren’t winning elections unless you can get the unaffiliated voters,” Holtorf said.
His ability to fluently speak Spanish might give the party an outreach advantage in the Hispanic community, he says.
“What matters, all that matters, if you want to change policy in Colorado, is getting more Republicans elected to the General Assembly,” he says. “That is where the policy is changed in Colorado. Right now, Democrats have large majorities in both chambers and we don’t have a say about the direction of policy. Do you want to change Colorado? You change it there.”
Many people don’t know that in October 2006, Holtorf became president of Holtorf Incorporated and general manager of Buffalo Springs Ranch, a diversified cow/calf, cattle feeding and dry land farm, following the passing of his stepfather, John C. Holtorf Jr. The ranch is historically known for the last sighting of free-roaming native buffalo in Colorado in the late 1860s. He served as assistant ranch manager for 12 years prior to his stepfather’s passing. Holtorf is a third-generation cattle rancher on the land.
In January 2020, Holtorf was once again called into duty, when he was appointed and completed the unexpired term of Colorado Rep. Kimmi Clark Lewis. He was re-elected later that year to serve House District 64, and again in 2022 to serve House District 63. Holtorf was the Republican whip in the 74th General Assembly and served in the House’s Agriculture, Livestock & Water Committee and was the ranking member on the House’s Public and Behavioral Health and Human Services Committee.
He would bring a business acumen, political experience, and experience as an accomplished military leader to the Republican Party chairmanship. Holtorf questions recent leadership’s lack of financial transparency.
“The Colorado Republican Party needs to be transparent with their finances. It should make annual financial reports to the Central Committee,” Holtorf said. “We need to have a quarterly treasurer’s report. Under my leadership, we will do that. We’re going to be open and transparent in all fiscal matters with our membership, just as a CEO and board of directors have a fiduciary responsibility to report the status of their company to the investors.”
He continues, “You will see the financials. You have a right to know. I have a fiscal responsibility to the State Central Committee members. You will know under my leadership. I have a strategic vision for the Colorado GOP that will lead to a new direction that will unify Colorado Republicans and make Colorado win again. I ask for your support on March 29 for the future of Colorado.”