Ron Hanks Challenges Rep. Jeff Hurd in Colorado GOP Primary

Picture a crowded hall in Pueblo, the air thick with the kind of restless energy that usually precedes a riot or a rock concert. Instead, it’s a political assembly. A former state legislator stands up. He’s got the name recognition. He’s got the local roots. And he just handed Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd the fight of his career.

Ron Hanks didn’t wait for the dust to settle on the 2024 election. He didn’t even wait for the ink to dry on his own general election victory. He went straight to the source of power in the Colorado GOP: the state assembly. And on April 10, during a voice vote that felt more like a verdict, Hanks secured his spot on the June 30 primary ballot.

Here’s the thing though. This isn’t just about Hanks wanting a shot at Washington. It’s about whether Hurd is truly the king of the Western Slope, or if he’s just ruling a kingdom that’s already plotting a coup.

Hurd and Hanks have history. They danced around each other in the 2024 primary, where Hurd edged out his rival by nearly 13 percentage points. That victory propelled Hurd into the general election, where he defeated former Aspen City Council member Adam Frisch by a razor-thin 5 percentage points. The margin was so small that a few dozen votes in Delta or Montrose counties could have flipped the seat.

Now, Hanks is back. And he’s bringing a specific grievance to the table: loyalty. Or the lack thereof.

Hanks, who served in the Colorado House from 2021 to early 2023, is running on a platform of "draining the swamp" and proving that this district is, in his words, "Conservative Colorado." He points directly to the man who holds the keys to the Republican kingdom: President Donald Trump.

“This is Conservative Colorado, Jeff. We support President Trump and America First … and you threatened (Donald Trump) you’d ruin it all,” Hanks wrote in an April 10 post on X. “(3rd District) voters will have your seat, Jeff. WE want to drain the swamp. You are part of it.”

It’s a direct hit at Hurd’s independence. Remember February? Trump pulled his endorsement from Hurd. Why? Because Hurd joined a small group of House Republicans — and nearly every Democrat — to oppose the president’s tariffs on Canada. Hurd argued the tariffs were hurting agricultural and steel producers right here in the district. It was a pragmatic move. It was also a political gamble.

Trump re-endorsed Hurd in March, but not before convincing Hope Scheppelman, a Navy veteran and former vice chair of the Colorado Republican Party, to drop her own primary bid. Scheppelman had called Hurd "dead set against President Trump," claiming he ignored the millions of MAGA citizens who demanded Congress follow the president’s lead. Trump gave her a position in his administration to sweeten the deal.

Hanks, however, didn’t take the bait. He didn’t want a cabinet post; he wanted the seat.

The tension came to a head in Pueblo. Hurd, confident in his ability to bypass the party elites by gathering petition signatures, told the crowd, “I respect the assembly process and the role that all of you play in it. That’s why I’m here. But I made my decision to get on the ballot by petition, and I’m confident in that path.”

The response wasn’t applause. A video posted on X showed crowd members booing him. Loudly.

That booing matters. It’s the sound of a base that feels betrayed. The 3rd Congressional District stretches from the northwestern corner of Colorado, swallowing up most of the Western Slope, then swings east to include Pueblo. It’s a massive, diverse territory. But the politics are converging on a single point: Trump’s favor.

Hurd is facing his second major primary threat in as many years. First it was Scheppelman, backed by Trump’s direct intervention. Now it’s Hanks, backed by the grassroots machinery of the party assembly. Hurd didn’t seek support from party delegates to secure his spot this time; he went the petition route, a move that some see as a slight to the establishment.

And that’s the risk. In a district where a 5 percent margin defines victory, every boo, every tweet, and every primary challenger chips away at the foundation. Hurd has to prove that his defense of local agriculture against federal tariffs is worth more to these voters than the president’s personal endorsement.

The June 30 primary is just a month away. The air in Pueblo is still settling. The boos have faded, but the echo remains. Hurd is heading into the primary not just against Hanks, but against the memory of every voter who felt he didn’t listen closely enough.