Colorado Senator Kevin Priola resigned from the Republican Party arguing that the reasons that led him to make this decision were the party’s complicity in the January 6 rebellion against the Capitol and the attempt to annul the 2020 elections.
“I cannot continue to be part of a political party that agrees with a violent attempt to annul free and fair elections.and continues to peddle claims that the 2020 election was stolen,” Senator Kevin Priola said in a statement.
The senator also cited that some of his fellow Republicans “consistently and proudly tried to impede progress and I can’t in good conscience keep quiet about it“, he pointed out.
Priola is now in the ranks of the Democratic Party which could lower the expectations of Republicans to retake the Colorado Senate. Democrats now hold a 20-15 lead, making a change less likely, a stat published in Axios.
It is important to remember that Kevin Priola ran against his party during the 2022 midterm elections when he said, “The Democrats are in charge because our planet and democracy depend on it.”
Democratic Governor Jared Polis issued a statement giving welcome Priola to the party in which he expressed that they always look for new ideas among legislators.
“We are a big game party, always looking for good ideas left and right to move Colorado forward. Senator Priola is a strong leader on climate issues and hopefully it will be even more effective on the Democratic side,” Polis shared.
Kevin Priola is a moderate political senator from Colorado from the 25th district, he served in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 30th and 56th districts from 2009 to 2017. He voted for legislation to allow municipalities demand affordable housing that had been banned since a Colorado Supreme Court ruling in 2000.
Priola was the only Republican in the state Senate who voted for legislation to prevent landlords from disclosing the citizenship or immigration status of its tenants. He was in the Republican Party until 2022. He previously voted against abortion rights and efforts to regulate guns.
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Source: La Opinion
