Chuck and Julie Show, June 29, 2026 cover art

Chuck and Julie Show, June 29, 2026

Chuck and Julie Show, June 29, 2026

Listen for free

View show details
Chuck And Julie Show with Chuck Bonniwell and Julie Hayden Election Eve, Court Battles, and Colorado’s One-Party Reckoning Election eve …. We break down the CO GOP gubernatorial race and also the divide within the Democrats. Grassroots Politics on Election Eve In this episode of The Chuck and Julie Show, hosts Julie Hayden and Chuck Bonniwell discuss Colorado politics on the eve of the primary election, beginning with the Republican gubernatorial race. Julie opens while Chuck is still arriving from a newspaper-related meeting, then reviews the Republican field and argues that the race has received little serious donor investment because many believe a Republican has only a slim chance of winning the governorship in Colorado. The hosts discuss Scott Bottoms, Barb Kirkmeyer, and Victor Marx, including questions about campaign fundraising, polling, mailers, establishment support, and whether the apparent momentum around Marx is real or overstated. The Democratic Races Draw More Attention Julie and Chuck then turn to the Democratic side, which they consider the more consequential and interesting contest. They discuss the possibility that Colorado Democrats could experience an insurgent progressive shift similar to what they describe in New York politics. The hosts focus on races involving Diana DeGette, Michael Bennet, Phil Weiser, and more progressive challengers, suggesting that the Democratic Party is being pushed farther left and that even candidates once considered more moderate may be unable or unwilling to resist the demands of the party’s activist base. Denver, Crime, and the Progressive Policy Debate The discussion widens into Denver politics, especially crime, public safety, and progressive approaches to criminal justice. Julie criticizes efforts she says would effectively reduce consequences for municipal offenses, arguing that businesses are already leaving downtown Denver because people feel unsafe. Chuck and Julie frame these policies as part of a larger shift toward progressive governance in Colorado, which they believe will increase poverty, push away businesses, and make the state resemble other heavily progressive states and cities. Their commentary presents this as evidence of Colorado becoming an increasingly one-party Democratic state. ActBlue, Outside Money, and the Socialist Left The hosts also discuss national Democratic fundraising networks, especially ActBlue, along with claims involving Chinese-linked influence, NGOs, activist funding, climate journalism, and progressive protest networks. They connect these themes to broader concerns about the Democratic Party’s leftward movement, the influence of billionaire funders, and the role of outside organizations in shaping activism and election outcomes. Chuck argues that if federal investigators pursue ActBlue-related money trails, Democratic politicians who used the platform could face serious legal and political consequences. Party Fractures and the Battle Inside the Left Julie and Chuck point to public backlash against figures such as Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden as signs of fracture within the Democratic coalition. They play or reference clips of Schumer being booed at a Pride parade and Biden being heckled, interpreting those moments as evidence that establishment Democrats are increasingly vulnerable to anger from the activist left. Chuck explains that once a state becomes a one-party state, the dominant party often begins to divide internally, with factions fighting each other for control after winning power. Court Decisions and Election Integrity The episode also covers several court decisions, including U.S. Supreme Court rulings and a Colorado Supreme Court ruling. Julie and Chuck strongly criticize the Supreme Court’s decision allowing mail-in ballots to be counted after Election Day if postmarked by Election Day, arguing that this undermines trust and invites fraud. They also discuss a ruling allowing the president to remove certain agency heads, the Supreme Court declining to take up Donald Trump’s appeal in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case, and a Colorado Supreme Court decision blocking ballot initiatives that attempted to combine too many issues into one measure related to redistricting and election rules. Colorado’s Future and Republican Party Turmoil The closing portion returns to Colorado’s political direction and the state Republican Party’s internal problems. Chuck and Julie discuss Colorado’s shift toward deeper Democratic control, the possibility of jungle primary reforms, redistricting fights, and the struggle between establishment Republicans and grassroots conservatives. They also mention ongoing Republican Party procedural disputes, a frozen party bank account, leadership concerns, and the lack of urgency they perceive from new party leadership. The episode ends with the hosts looking ahead to election results and promising to break down the outcomes on the next show.
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet