BY FREDA MIKLIN
GOVERNMENTAL REPORTER
Two years into his second and final four-year term representing Senate District 25 in Adams County, State Sen. Kevin Priola announced on August 22 that he had changed his party registration from Republican to Democrat. He explained, “I will not be changing the way I vote on legislation. I just simply will now cast my votes with a D next to my name instead of an R.”
Colorado State Senator Kevin Priola (D)
Prior to being first elected to the state senate in 2016, Priola served in the State House for eight years.
In his official statement about his decision to change his party affiliation, Priola seemed to synthesize the reason he made the move with, “I recognize we are in the midst of an election that will determine which party controls the (State) Senate chamber. Even if there will continue to be issues that I disagree with the Democratic Party on, there is too much at stake right now for Republicans to be in charge.… Simply put, we need Democrats in charge because our planet and our democracy depend on it.”
After Priola’s change from Republican to Democrat, Democrats hold 21 seats in the state senate and Republicans hold 14. To regain control of the senate, Republicans will have to win and Democrats will have to lose a net total of four seats in November.
In his statement, Priola pointed to the events that transpired at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, saying, “Like many Coloradans, I watch the events on January 6 with horror…I cannot continue to be a part of a political party that is okay with a violent attempt to overturn a free and fair election and continues to peddle claims that the 2020 election was stolen.”
He also talked about the issue of climate change, explaining, “The Republican party I joined decades ago created national parks, preserved federal lands, and protected wildlife. President Nixon signed the legislation that established the Environmental Protection Agency. Today, my Republican colleagues would rather deny the existence of human- caused climate change than take action…”
Noting that his personal beliefs are consistent with recognized Republican values, Priola reminded voters that, “My pro-life position, school choice, and pro-Second Amendment stand often runs counter to the Democratic Party platform.”
As expected, Republican leaders criticized Priola’s decision and Democrats applauded it.
Kristi Burton Brown, state GOP chair, said, “It’s clear that Priola has selfishly chosen to make himself the story at the expense of Coloradans he was elected to fight for. He will regret this decision when he is in the minority come January 2023.”
Colorado Governor Jared Polis said, “We are a broad tent party, always seeking good ideas from the left and right to move (Colorado) forward. Senator Priola is a strong leader on climate issues and will hopefully be even more effective on the Democratic side of the aisle.”
Bipartisan bills on which Priola was a prime sponsor that were passed and signed into law in 2022 include SB22-171 Privacy Protection for Educators, SB22-153 Internal Election Security Measures, SB22-133 Provide Security for Certain Elected Officials, and SB22-191 Procurement of Information Technology Resources.
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