DougCo Disaster

Being in the GOP in Douglas County has always been like being at war.

But the Party was hoping that with the replacement of former County Chair Mark Scheffel, peace would reign amongst the disparate pieces of the party in the southern metro county. And that would leave them free build up a professional party apparatus.

On that, they’ve been mistaken.

Last year elected officials interceded in the selection process, says one Douglas County activist, in order to get behind Kelsey Alexander as Chairwoman. The problem says the source is that Alexander “only serves the elected officials, while keeping the party in shambles.”

“Mike May and Tom Wiens and Victor Mitchell all got up and gave speeches on her behalf. They coronated her. They promised that she’d raise money, be impartial and run the party more efficiently. None of those promises have come through.”

In fact, says another member of the Douglas County Republicans, the Party has stopped functioning as a Party almost altogether.

“Kelsey argues with people over where to put a punctuation mark in bylaws. We spend more time arguing about stuff like that than we do conducting Party business. The Party is more like a high school drama club than a political party.”

In fact, during the Party’s recent annual meeting, many elected officials and Party activists sat in the far back shaking their head in disgust while Alexander argued for 45 minutes or more regarding “rules of parliamentary procedures,” says another Party member.

“Yeah. They we’re all laughing about it. People were coming up to the elected officials and saying: ‘You created this problem by getting her elected. You fix it.' I think Mike May even hung his head in shame at one point.”

And the worst is not over yet.

Sources have told the Inside Edge that a group of Douglas County GOPers plan to ask Alexander to step down at the next meeting or they will try to have her removed under the bylaws.

“She done some things,” says one of the sources, “that they think will allow them to remove her. I think most people think she’s a bad chair but are willing for her to finish out her term. But the activists like to think they run the place and if the elected officials look like they are coming down hard on Kelsey’s side it could cause resentment. Some of these people are running for reelection or election. They might be willing to compromise just to get back to peace.”

That maybe so, but since the next Douglas County Executive Committee meeting will be held on Saturday expect war to break out into the open between both side on February 2nd. 

Ave imperator, morituri te salutant