Colorado’s gay GOP: Santorum’s caucus victory is not binding

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February 8, 2012 | 8:16 am
(Updated: February 10, 2012 | 3:29 pm)

Don’t worry, Colorado. The results from Tuesday night’s GOP caucus aren’t binding, influential gay Republicans told Out Front Colorado.

Rick Santorum

While none of the Republicans interviewed expressed out right disappointment in Rick Santorum’s surprise victory, all pointed out: the race for the Republican nomination is far from over.

“I caution at declaring doom for Romney,” said Colorado Log Cabin Republican member Alexander Hornaday.

Colorado was one of three states that held non-binding caucuses or primaries Tuesday. Santorum swept all three: Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romeny came in second in Colorado’s contest. He won the state in 2008 with 60 percent of the vote. Santorum, the GOP’s most anti-gay candidate for president, bested Romney Tuesday night with 40 percent of the vote.

The Santorum surge caught most by surprise.

“All caucuses have a unique life of their own,” Colorado Log Cabin Republican President George Gramer said in a statement. “Tuesday night, less than 70,000 Republicans caucused in a state with almost 800,000 active registered Republicans. That sampling does not provide a full snapshot of the electorate.  It does demonstrate, for those who received votes, whose base is activated, interested and engaged.”

And why was this voting bloc engaged?

“We can credit the Obama administration’s attack on the Catholic Church, and the accompanied media coverage over the past couple of days with providing a lift for the Santorum campaign, who is a life-long Catholic,” answered Michael Carr, who sits on the board of directors of the national Log Cabin organization. “As a Catholic, I am glad to see voters rallying in support of The Church, and in essence defending The First Amendment. I just pray that those defenders of the religious freedom come to our aid in defending equal protection.”

Neither the national Log Cabin organization nor state chapter has officially endorsed a candidate.

State chairman of the Colorado Federation of College Republicans Troy Ard said the results show a need for Colorado’s right leaning LGBT community to get involved.

“These unexpected results will give added incentive for people of all stripes, especially the underrepresented LGBT Republicans, to remain involved through the rest of the process until Colorado awards delegates at the state convention,” Ard said. “Increased involvement and passion is a win for everybody. However, the gay community needs to actively advance its message in the Republican Party like so many other interest groups have done in this primary in order for its voice to be heard.”

Delegates to the GOP’s national nominating convention will be chosen and pledged to a candidate in April at the state Republican Party’s assembly, Hornaday said.

Both Gramer and Ard were selected as delegates.

“November’s election will be a referendum on the economy, on jobs, on honest employment figures, and on deficit spending,” Gramer said. “I am well aware that many GLBT voters are one-issue voters.  That is a sad commentary on the GLBT community, but to each their own.”

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About the Writer

Nic Garcia

Nic Garcia is Out Front Colorado's associate publisher. Previously, he was senior managing editor. Reach Nic on Twitter: @nicgarcia; Facebook: facebook.com/nicgarcia; e-mail: nic@outfrontcolorado.com

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Alexander Hornaday 5 pts

I may have spoken a bit hastily re delegates. Delegates to the national convention are indeed chosen in April, and if they pledge at that time they are bound to that pledge through the first ballot at the national convention so long as the candidate to whom they pledge is still running, but they are not required to pledge even in April!

David Stapelkamp Lane 5 pts

http://www.queerty.com/the-log-cabin-republicans-self-hatred-by-rachel-maddow-20101216/

Jennifer53 6 pts

It's still a slap in the face to the Colorado LGBT community.......a slap in the face that should be a wake up call too all of us that we still have a VERY long way to go!

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Thomas Edmonds Hardy
Thomas Edmonds Hardy

Run get a "beard" girlfriend/wife. The evangelicals are coming! The evangelicals are coming! Forming my exit strategy as I did in 2002, and as a 60s activist when the Conservatives screamed, "Love it. or leave it". I responded, "Je parle francais, je m'en vais!" and beat it to Paris and the Sorbonne.

Chelsea Everix
Chelsea Everix

I wrote you guys awhile ago asking if you would be able to do a few stories on GOP gay news and was so happy to see it on my newsfeed this morning! Thank you so much! ^_^

Out Front Colorado
Out Front Colorado

We do, because regardless of their political ideology, we're all friends of Dorothy.

William DeHerrera II
William DeHerrera II

They hate being gay who care what they think