As with any Democratic candidate, we were saddened to learn of David Torres’ decision to withdraw from the race for Colorado’s 5th Congressional District. We honor his dedication and passion and feel compelled to provide clarity on our support and interactions with all current candidates for CD5—and all other partisan races.
Since before the 2022 primary, the Colorado Democratic Party’s neutrality policy has guided us. With two declared CD5 candidates since before the 2022 primaries and a third entering the race on May 16th of this year, our hands were tied by this policy, accessible here. It mandates our impartiality and defines the boundaries of our support for individual candidates in contested races. We assure you, we have diligently adhered to these guidelines.
Regarding the Torres campaign, we promoted the only event—a campaign kick-off, co-hosted by an independent candidate—in a manner that was fair and within our limitations. Our strict neutrality policy, coupled with the distant election date, dictated our support level. The party, specifically our CD5 committee, remains focused on creating infrastructure to support the primary winner, honoring our commitment to the rules and constituents.
We acknowledge Mr. Torres’ concerns, but it is essential to emphasize that we were neither consulted about a perceived lack of support nor informed of his withdrawal before public distribution. We sincerely wish Mr. Torres well and hope that he reflects on this experience to grow in understanding party rules and procedures. Our commitment to Democratic values and trust within our community remains unshaken.
The El Paso County Democratic Party will ALWAYS follow bylaws and policy and will ALWAYS put the interests of constituent Democrats above those of individual candidates.
Our unwavering focus will now be on the pressing issues in our district, notably the lack of engagement from the current incumbent, Doug Lamborn. His absence from the district and a lackluster effort to protect Space Command’s location reflect a need for renewed commitment. Our energies are now concentrated on finding a Democratic candidate who can truly represent us, and we eagerly await the emergence of that candidate from the 2024 primary process.
Together, we will persist in our pursuit of a brighter, bluer, future for our county.
In Unity,
Mischa Smith, Chair
El Paso County Democratic Party
