Brita Horn, whose public service has straddled Routt and Eagle counties, elected new chair of Colorado’s Republican Party

Routt County rancher Brita Horn, also the chief of the Eagle County-based Rock Creek Volunteer Fire Department, was elected recently to lead the Colorado Republican Party.

Horn, who has long been active in party affairs and is a former Routt County treasurer, replaces Dave Williams, who had a controversial tenure as head of the state’s party.

Asked what would be different about her leadership of the state’s party, Horn said simply the party would be “doing what the job is,” which is electing more Republican candidates and raising money for those races. Horn noted that in 18 state and local races in 2024, Democrats ran unopposed. The job of the state party will be to recruit good candidates to run for those seats.

Finding a candidate for governor in the 2026 general election will be the top priority. Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, is term-limited, meaning the seat will be open.

In addition to finding candidates, Horn said the party simply needs to recruit more Republicans. That means the party needs to “roll out the welcome mat” to people with different views.

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Horn noted that she was once a Democrat who became a Republican. Former Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell followed the same path, she added. President Donald Trump’s cabinet has other former Democrats, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

Horn said a state as diverse as Colorado can’t welcome only “a certain kind of” Republican, adding that conservatives in, say, Delta County and Eagle County may hold somewhat different values.

On the other hand, a tougher stance on crime, tightening border security and other issues should resonate with many voters, she said.

“We want to bring everybody back into the fold,” she said.

While it’s too soon to say what 2026 will bring, Horn noted the bills coming out of this year’s Colorado legislature have many voters seeking “some balance” from their elected officials.

That’s possible, she said, noting that in Grand County, two of the largest towns, Winter Park and Grand Lake, tend to vote Democratic. Despite that, every county-elected seat is held by a Republican.

That, she said, is a testament to “creating community” by knocking on doors and making phone calls. That has to be done county by county, she said.

While the 2026 election seems far in the future, Horn said that November is closing fast.

“It’s only 20 months away, and we’re behind,” she said.