Colorado Center Party | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Steve Yurash |
| Founder | Steve Yurash |
| Founded | January 2022 (January 2022) |
| Headquarters | Fort Collins |
| Ideology | Syncretic politics Centrism Electoral reform |
| Political position | Center |
| Website | |
| coloradocenterparty.org | |
The Colorado Center Party is a minor third party in the United States state of Colorado, primarily centered around its second congressional district, promoting a centrist political program. The party achieved minor party status in September 2023.[1]
History
The party was founded by Steve Yurash, a Never Trump Republican, who left the Republican party in 2019 and spent two years working on forming his own political party.[2] Yurash stated that "The Center Party is more left-leaning on the social issues and more right-leaning on the fiscal issues and crime," with the party being launched in January 2022 and stated that they aim to "bring civility back to politics" and "protect us from the far left and the far right," backing positions the party views as bipartisan and "common sense" with the party aiming to attract the 47% of Colorado's electorate that are registered political independents.[3][4][2] The party officially got over 1,000 signatures in a ballot access petition and received minor party status in Colorado on September 7, 2023.[5] As such, the party no longer needs to gather signatures to stand their candidates, removing one of the largest barriers to their participation in elections.[4]
In 2024 the party chose to only stand two candidates, Yurash for Colorado House of Representatives district 52, and Bernadette Tedesco for Adams County commissioner.[6][7] By 2025 Yurash was running for Fort Collins city council.[8]
Election results
2022
Yurash stood for Colorado's 2nd congressional district during the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado, centering his campaign around that "[The party is] firmly firmly anti-crime and support our police to handle crime with civilian oversight, and we support more gun control."[9] Yurash got 2,876 votes, or 0.8% of the electorate earning a distant third place, but performing better than the American Constitution Party and the Unity Party of America.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Neguse (incumbent) | 244,107 | 70% | |
| Republican | Marshall Dawson | 97,770 | 28% | |
| Center | Steve Yurash | 2,876 | 0.8% | |
| American Constitution | Gary L. Nation | 2,188 | 0.6% | |
| Unity | Tim Wolf | 1,968 | 0.6% | |
| Total votes | 348,839 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
2024
Yurash would contest the nominally unopposed Democrat Yara Zokaie for the Colorado House of Representatives' 52nd District. Yurash had primarily built his campaign on the fact there is no Republican in the race, leaving him as the only real opposition to Zokaie. Yurash's platform is largely just the opposite of Zokaie's, with Yurash supporting property tax relief, TABOR tax refunds, maintaining and supporting privatized utilities, no changes to the state's land use law, preserving Cash Bail,[a] supporting School choice, and protecting the 2nd Amendment.[7] The Colorado Forward Party would endorse Yarush who would earn 18,088 votes, or 36.7% of the electorate.[10][11]
The party also stood a second candidate, Bernadette Tedesco, for Commissioner of Adams County. Tedesco ran to "foster unity and collaboration" within the county, and claims to be a champion for the working class.[6] Her platform called for a "balanced" energy position supporting both fossil fuels and green energy, enhancing public safety, reducing homelessness, and a reduction of property taxes.[12] Tedesco also ran against a nominally unopposed Democrat Kathy Henson and would come in second place with 52,667 votes or 37.65% of the electorate.[13]
A third candidate, Alexander “Skinny” Winkler, stood for the party in the 34th district.[14] Winkler had previously represented the 34th district as a Republican during the 75th Colorado General Assembly from 2018 to 2019 as an appointment when his predecessor Steve Lebsock was expelled from the house due to sexual harassment allegations.[15][16] He received just 2.31% of the vote.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Yara Zokaie | 31,167 | 63.3% | |
| Center | Steve Yurash | 18,088 | 36.7% | |
| Total votes | 49,255 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kathy Henson | 87,216 | 62.35% | |
| Center | Bernadette Tedesco | 52,667 | 37.65% | |
| Total votes | 139,883 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jenny Willford (incumbent) | 21,326 | 50.64% | ||
| Republican | Craig Sullivan | 18,864 | 44.79% | ||
| Center | Alexander "Skinny" Winkler | 971 | 2.31% | ||
| Independent | Mark Bromley | 952 | 2.26% | ||
| Total votes | 42,113 | 100% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
2025
Following their defeat in the House of Representatives in 2022, and then the Colorado House of Representatives in 2024, Yurash and the party have focused their efforts on local municipal government with Yurash running for the third district of the Fort Collins City Council in 2025.[8] Yarush ran on a NIMBY stance, vowing to preserve zoning laws and block any high-density housing projects in the district as both major party candidates had vowed to build some form of housing expansion.[17][8] Yurash would be endorsed by former Fort Collins Mayor Ray Martinez and Diggs Brown, a former councilmen from the district.[18] Yurash would come in second place with 37.62% of the vote in the ranked choice vote.[19]
Additionally, Matthew Snider ran for a seat on the Aurora city council after the resignation of Dustin Zvonek. The office was granted by appointment there was no election, with the city council ultimately choosing Amsalu Kassaw to fill the seat.[20] Snider had previously gained notoriety when he sued the city council for lifting its ban on pit bulls, forcing the city to instead put the issue to a ballot measure, where the voters chose to lift the ban with 44,341 votes to 40,184.[21]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Josh Fudge | 3,176 | 47.02% | |
| Center | Steve Yurash | 2,215 | 32.8% | |
| Republican | Lance Smith | 1,363 | 20.18% | |
| Total votes | 6,754 | 100% | ||
Positions
- Reducing illegal immigration by securing the Mexico–United States border.[2]
- Eliminating cash bail and other prison reform.[2]
- Supporting abortion and women's access to abortion clinics.[2]
- Punishing polluters who willingly contribute to global warming.[2]
Notes
- ^ Yurash previously campaigned on abolishing Cash Bail[2]
References
- ^ Jones, Tony. "A new party arrives to the elections". Summit daily. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Metzger, Hannah. "Colorado Center Party becomes state's newest political party". coloradopolitics.com. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
- ^ "Steve Yurash, Colorado Center Party: Time to end 2-party domination, forge a better future". Fort Collins Coloradoan. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ a b Richard, Brandon. "Colorado's newest political party focused on appealing to voters in the center". KMGH-TV. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
- ^ "Colorado Center Party now a minor party in Colorado". longmont leader. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Bernadette Tedesco for Adams County Commissioner". coloradocenterparty.org. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Steve Yarush for State House District 52". coloradocenterparty.org. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ a b c Powell, Rebecca. "Meet Steve Yurash, running for Fort Collins City Council's District 3 seat". Fort Collins Coloradoan. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ Birkeland, Bente. "Newly approved Colorado Center Party aims to court voters disillusioned with the major parties". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ "Steve Yurash Endorsement". .coloradoforwardparty.com. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ "2024 Colorado General Elections Results - State House District 52". USA Today. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ "Mission Statement:". btedescoforadams.com. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ "Adams County Colorado 2024 General Election" (PDF). adamscountycoelections. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ "Colorado State House District 34 candidate Q&A". Denver Post. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
- ^ "Alexander "Skinny" Winkler". colorado.gov. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ Paul, Jesse. "GOP leaps on chance to appoint Alex Winkler to Colorado legislature after expelled former Democratic Rep. Steve Lebsock's party switch". Denver Post. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ Powell, Rebecca. "In Fort Collins City Council District 3, candidates are focused on budgets and housing". Fort Collins Coloradoan. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ Rios, Chloe. "Municipal voter guide: Candidates for City Council District 3". The Rocky Mountain Collegian. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ a b "City of Fort Collins Councilmember - District 3". larimer.gov. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ Ballard, Cassandra. "34 apply for open Aurora city council seat. Lawmakers narrow the list tonight". Sentinel Colorado. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ Ballard, Cassandra. "Aurora voters agree to repeal 20-year-old ban on pit bull dogs". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
