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Olson takes reins of county GOP

Drew Munro
dmunro@skyhidailynews.com

Al Olson of Grand Lake has been elected chairman of the Grand County Republican Party.

Olson, who also serves as the official registered agent of the High Country Conservatives, was elected last week by members of the executive committee of the county party.

The local wing of the party has not adopted its own platform and essentially hews to the state party platform, he said. But the local party does have a mission.



“It all boils down to getting out the vote,” Olson said. “That’s what we’re going to work hard on.”

Olson succeeds Glenn Snieder, who is leaving the area.



Olson has lived outside Grand Lake for about 16 years, though not all year. He said he splits his time between here, where he said he usually stays through December, and Arizona.

“We prefer to call ourselves winter visitors,” he said.

Olson said he thinks “a lot of people have a distorted view of the Republican Party and who they are,” that they represent rich, greedy guys.

“That’s not the case at all,” he said, noting that many Republicans are generous contributors to the community. It’s a “party of the people.”

Among upcoming political events the local party is involved in are an Aug. 9 visit by U.S. Senate candidate Cory Gardner at 1 p.m. at the Granby Library, and the party’s annual fundraiser, Pig in the Park, in September in Granby. He said they hope to lure Gardner back for that event as well as Bob Beauprez, GOP gubernatorial candidate.

Olson also had some advice for Grand County Republicans: Fill out and turn in your ballots, don’t “leave it to anyone else.”


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