Billionaire and octogenarian, Phil Anschutz, is the wealthiest man in Colorado, worth almost 11 billion dollars. Befitting a man of such wealth, he desires to have political influence to protect his business interests and have a say on the matters of the importance in the state. Described by many as a rock-solid conservative he is a member of the Colorado Republican Party. He is, however, more of a Bush/Cheney country club Republican and no fan of Donald Trump or the vulgarians (as he sees them) in the party who support him. Over time as with many other billionaire businessmen he finds himself drifting to the left or perhaps the Republican Party under Donald Trump is moving to the extreme right.
A couple of falls ago he hosted a conclave of billionaires at his Sea Island Resort off the coast of Georgia. There they decided to support Ron DeSantis as the best person to dethrone Trump after his January 6th shenanigans. They poured in hundreds of millions to that end which now appears for naught.
An extremely private man Anschutz never publicly states his political preferences as that would make him a target for those who would oppose him. Your chances of getting to meet him are on par with you meeting up with Bigfoot. He has set up in Colorado an intricate web of front groups to express his views and undertake his political agenda. He has control or influence over including inter alia The Gazette (Colorado Springs), Denver Gazette, Independence Institute, Complete Colorado, Advance Colorado, The Lobby, Leadership Program of the Rockies, Camp Fire Colorado (RIP) Rocky Mountain Voice, Caucus Room, and Colorado Peak Politics. Publication of an article from one outlet is quickly republished in one or more of the other outlets to amplify the message.
The message these days from Anschutz world screamed by Dick Wadhams, Jon Caldera. Jimmy Sengenberger and various others is how awful the new grassroots Colorado Republican Party is and, in particular, its Chairman Dave Williams. Virtually the only publication supporting the Colorado Republican grassroots and Williams is the recently formed and anonymous RINOwatch Colorado which does a good job, but it is a David versus Goliath battle.
Anschutz also has indirectly controlled the Colorado Republican Party for over three decades by he and his allies generously contributing to party activities. No one reflects Anschutz views more than two-time State Republican Party Chair Dick Wadhams, who sits on the board of Anschutz’s Independence Institute. Wadhams is fond of quoting former U.S. President Calvin Coolidge: “The chief business of the American people is business.”
But the business of America is not looking too good according to Anschutz. Democrats control the U.S. Presidency and Senate. Even worse, the national Republican Party is increasingly dominated by Donald Trump. In Colorado, the Democrats control every statewide office including governorship and have supermajorities in the State House and Senate.
It is not that Anschutz won’t do business with just about anyone. He is purported to have made a deal with Governor Polis where he would not support his Republican opponent, Heidi Ganahl, if Polis would stop Democrats from attacking his business interests. Each man lived up to his side of the bargain.
Democrats have turned Colorado blue by changing the election rules from everything from open primaries to mail balloting and ballot harvesting. Anschutz is at fault for this predicament as he fought none of those changes because they hurt the hated grassroot Republicans and assured ever more moderate squishy Republicans like Joe O’Dea that Anschutz prefers. His idea of a great Republican these days is Liz Cheney. He contributed the full amount allowed to her disastrous re-election campaign in 2022 in his own name, which he seldom does. He views the social issues important to the grassroots like abortion, gun rights, parental rights, and school choice as tedious and a distraction from the chief business of the American people.
The rudest shock came this last March when the grassroots under Dave Williams took over the State Republican Party. The prior party chair, Kristi Burton Brown, drained the party dry before leaving to join Anschutz’s Advance Colorado. Anschutz and his business allies cut off all funds to the Party expecting Williams to go belly up. But Williams found funds from small donors and other sources like charging Republican Presidential candidates large fees for participating in the Colorado Republican Party Primary. He has found innovative ways to fund lawsuits against the Party’s enemies. Worst of all Williams has become a strong favorite of Donald Trump.
Williams has become the odds-on favorite to replace Doug Lamborn in CD 5 following Lamborn’s shock retirement while continuing to be Party chair to the horror of Anschutz world. If grassroot Republicans also win CD 3 and CD 4, which is certainly possible, the grassroots would control a great deal of money and power with Williams becoming Colorado’s “Grassroots King.” If Trump became President, Anschutz could then be facing fierce enemies locally and nationally. Trump and Williams could then join together for revenge. All the tens of millions Anschutz spends annually on all of his front organizations would be of little value.
Anschutz’s detractors would like to envision, if this would come to fruition, Anschutz in one of many mansions mumbling: “Rosebud.”
— Editorial Board