• Original Reporting
  • References

The Trust Project

Original Reporting This article contains firsthand information gathered by reporters. This includes directly interviewing sources and analyzing primary source documents.
References This article includes a list of source material, including documents and people, so you can follow the story further.
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(Provided by Gigafact)

Yes.

All seven members of Colorado’s Supreme Court were appointed by Democratic governors. A big reason why: The state hasn’t had a Republican governor in 17 years. Bill Owens was the last, serving from 1999 to 2007.

Before Owens, no Republican had served as governor since 1975, when John D. Vanderhoof was appointed to a two-year term. He replaced Republican John Arthur Love, who left office to serve in then-President Richard Nixon’s administration. Vanderhoof lost an election to keep the seat.

The court was thrust into the national spotlight in December 2023 when it upheld a ruling disqualifying former President Donald Trump from the March 2024 primary election. The court ruled 4-3 that Trump engaged in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, and was therefore barred from running for president under the 14th Amendment. 

On March 4, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously threw out the Colorado Supreme Court ruling.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

See full source list below.

References:

Former Governors - Colorado, National Governors Association. Source link.

Supreme Court, Colorado Judicial Branch. Source link.

Donald J. Trump, petitioner v. Norma Anderson, et al, Supreme Court of the United States. Source link.

Type of Story: Fact-Check

Checks a specific statement or set of statements asserted as fact.

Justin George is a 1995 graduate of Columbine High School. He has worked as a reporter at six news organizations including the Boulder Daily Camera, the Baltimore Sun and the Washington Post. Email him at justin@coloradosun.com