Jeff Hurd Reveals His True Color Once More

As 2026 begins, Congressman Jeff Hurd has wasted no time showing where his loyalties truly lie. Once again, he chooses to mingle with “unaffiliated” allies while snubbing the Republicans in Montrose County. This pattern continues to raise eyebrows among genuine conservatives.

Repeated Snubs to the Local GOP

Jeff Hurd has slighted the Montrose County Republican Party since his election. He prefers to skip meetings with the official Republican Central Committee. Instead, he attends events that include unaffiliated organizations. This approach leaves many grassroots Republicans feeling ignored and frustrated. It appears Hurd shares the same affinity for a “lighter shade of red” as Sue Hansen, sarcastically dubbed “Saint Sue Hansen” due to a certain publication’s false assertion that she can “do no wrong”. 

Aligning with Unaffiliated Commissioners

Hurd has held meetings with Hansen, who left the Republican Party in late March 2025 without as much as a peep or heads up to party officials to become “unaffiliated” after years of benefiting from GOP support. He also engages with newly installed Commissioner Kirstin Copeland, another “unaffiliated” official who filled the seat after the recall. Yet avoiding the only Republican at the BOCC, Commissioner Sean Pond, who is now running for U.S. Senate for the seat currently occupied by radically left-wing John Hickenlooper, former Colorado Governor and current U.S. Senator.

These choices suggest Hurd prioritizes “unaffiliated” alliances over strengthening ties with core party members, again highlighting his desire for a “lighter shade of red” amongst the people of CD-3. Such interactions highlight his comfort with officials who do not align with Republican principles, people with no deeply held convictions and opportunists who stand for nothing and are driven by the wind rather than by principle.

Ties to RINO Groups

Hurd maintains connections with groups like the Montrose County Republican Women’s Club, which Hansen, censured former State Representative/State Senator Don Coram, and disgraced former Executive Chair of the Montrose County Republican Party Ray Langston frequently attend. Many Montrose Republicans view this organization more akin to something that claims the name without the  commitment to Republican principles. I have said before, “They are about as Republican as Federal Express is federal”. The group has a history of taking positions contrary to conservative values. This affiliation fits Hurd’s pattern of aligning more often with the left than with the energized and principled conservative base.

Growing Discontent Among True Republicans

Many Republicans have grown increasingly dissatisfied with Hurd’s agenda and affiliations. He faces a primary challenge in 2026 from Hope Scheppelman, a former Colorado GOP vice chair who promises a stronger America First stance. Reminiscent of what happened to Congressman Tipton when Lauren Boebert primaried him and went on to represent CD-3.  While Boebert has had her own personal struggles, Hope Scheppelman is a Navy Veteran and Nurse Practitioner with strong conservative values that include and go far beyond support for the 2nd Amendment. 

Hurd has co-sponsored bills with some of the most radical far-left Democrats, such as the GORP Act, which locks up more than 730,000 acres surrounding Montrose County and harms the local economy.  He claims that by co-sponsoring the GORP Act that he will “have a seat at the table”, he is gaslighting the people of CD-3 to make him appear caring or having his finger on the pulse.  The reality: Hurd already sits on the committee for this type of legislation, he already “had a seat at the table”.   

Conservatives on social media are eviscerating Hurd, highlighting his reluctance to embrace conservative and America First positions. This backlash shows his approach does not resonate with the party’s faithful.  Hurd has turned his back on those who elected him, so it is no surprise that he aligns with Hansen, another who has done the same.

In the end, Congressman Hurd’s actions speak louder than his party label. By consistently choosing to align with the “unaffiliated” over the local GOP, he reveals his true color: BLUE!

Michael J Badagliacco, “MJB”