Greg Lopez well received at the High Wire Ranch

Greg Lopez, former Congressional Representative for the 4th district and former Mayor of Parker Colorado is no stranger to Delta County.   He has often came to Delta in the past to not only campaign but also support the Delta County Republican Party’s community outreach initiatives.  His attendance at the Delta County’s first-ever community “Matanza” celebration last year is an example of his commitment to local communities across the state. 

This year is no exception.  Last year, Mr Lopez assured the Delta County Chairwoman Leslie Parker, he would be willing to return to “support the Matanza event in any way needed, just to let him know.”  Leslie Parker took his word for it and this year invited him back, only this time as the Key Note Speaker at the event on May 10, 2025.  As promised, Mr Lopez returned.  Greg believes that the “Hispanic Community’s values regarding Faith, Family and Community are more in line with the Republican Party than people realize.”  He hopes there will be more participation from Hispanic members of the community in the future.

Mr Lopez was elected to replace Congressman Ken Buck in a special election for the 4th Congressional District.  Buck had resigned in March of 2024 after serving 5 terms, leaving a vacancy in the Republican party’s House delegation.  Several other Republicans vied for the seat but ultimately, Mr Lopez was chosen.   Notably, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson “fully endorsed him to run in the Special Election.”  Speaker Johnson said, “Greg is a man of faith and I know he’ll work diligently to serve with honor and dignity through the remainder of this term.”

In the June 2024 special election, Lopez ran against Democrat Trisha Calvarese and won with 57% of the vote compared to Calvarese’s 36%.  (2 additional candidates, split the remaining percentage.) Lopez described his tenure as a “placeholder congressman” position, lasting only until the end of Buck’s term in January 2025 “and that he would not run for that position in the General Election.”  True to his word, Lopez did not seek reelection.  (Congresswoman Lauren Boebert later won the seat in the November 2024 General election.)

Lopez had previously run for Governor twice, with his most recent campaign in 2022.  This year, since he planned on being in Delta for the Matanza, Dave and Sue Whittlesey, owners of High Wire Ranch hosted a reception for him at their ranch May 9th.   

At the ranch,  Mr Lopez was warmly welcomed and attendees had the opportunity to ask him any questions—none were off-limits, including one asking about running for governor for the 3rd time.  His response?  Abraham Lincoln ran for election several times prior to becoming president.  Lopez expressed confidence that if he can win the primary and make it onto the general election ballot, he will win.

Mr Lopez answered many questions and concerns about illegal immigration, multiple recent state laws and threats to individual freedoms.  He also responded to questions about the economy, crime and even expressed his thoughts on “climate change”, always offering reasonable  and problem solving responses regarding his vision for Colorado’s future.   

  With intending “to put people over politics”, Lopez’s overall message is, “I’m not running for governor to make a name for myself, I’m running to fix what is broken and bring people together not as a Republican but as Colorado’s governor.”

  The High Wire Ranch proved to be a welcoming and engaging venue, with many attendees enjoying the sight of buffalo roaming the property.  Despite numerous events occurring that weekend, including Mother’s Day celebration,  there was a nice turnout of close to 30 attendees.  A heartfelt thank you to Dave and Sue Whittlesey for their hospitality and to the people who attended.   

Submitted by Shirley Bauer                                                                          

Cedaredge, Colorado.

May 21, 2025