The talent pool

Don’t lose faith. Together, Republicans can still win in Colorado, but we need to implement these changes, and quickly.

My third takeaway is the political industry. My experiences here lead me to believe many candidates in Colorado, at least on the Republican side, do not believe they need campaign professionals. They often forgo hiring a general consultant or professional campaign staff and instead rely either entirely on volunteers, doing everything themself, or getting “staff” who still have their 9-to-5 and have limited experience running campaigns.

This is foolish. There is not a single other industry that this would be acceptable in, and the results obviously show it should not be acceptable here.

There are a handful of firms here and candidates who recognize the need, but options are limited.

Certain firms might not be the best fit for that particular candidate. I have worked with dozens of candidates; I can say there were some where I was not a great fit. That is not to say they were poor candidates, or my abilities lacked, but we did not mesh for various reasons and they would have been better suited with someone who was a better fit for them. Without a large pool of options, this leaves candidates with tough choices.

There are a couple of national firms that have attempted to break in here in Colorado, but generally only for statewide and federal races. These firms don’t provide discounts because of Colorado’s campaign finance laws, so if candidates are not raising money, these firms are generally not an option.

Again, we look to Wisconsin. Being the battleground state that it is, it should be no surprise that a large number of political consultants are based there. Their varying rates, skills, and strong suits give serious candidates numerous options to choose from.

Colorado Republican candidates must first recognize the need for professional guidance to create the demand for a larger pool of Colorado-based political consultants who will help the party become more competitive.

It is not all doom and gloom for Colorado Republicans, but we must embrace these lessons from Wisconsin. For those of you who are not running for office, the first two points apply to you. Donate to candidates, especially those running for state office who are limited in what they can take from individual donors.

Become a volunteer and do the uncomfortable tasks of making calls and knocking on doors. And candidates, consider staffing your campaigns for success by retaining the services of professional political operatives.

Don’t lose faith. Together, Republicans can still win in Colorado, but we need to implement these changes, and quickly.

Alec Hanna is a Colorado-based Republican campaign strategist and founder of Dark Horse Campaigns. He previously served as a director for former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner and has served on dozens of campaigns nationwide, including three presidential campaigns (Walker, Rubio and Cruz).