More than 1,300 people joined the Larimer County Democratic caucus March 5 in a virtual Zoom meeting that ran past its scheduled 8 p.m. end time. Party leaders said this event nearly doubled in participation from two years ago, putting Larimer County on par with some of Colorado’s largest Democratic counties, including Denver, Jefferson and Arapahoe.

Caucus chair Timothy Kubik formally gaveled in the session shortly after 6 p.m.

State Sen. Janice Marchman led attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance before Kubik delivered opening remarks focused on civic participation and what he sees as threats to American democracy. He emphasized that the role of the Larimer County Democratic Party extends beyond electing candidates, arguing that the long-term work of the party is to “build communities that elect Democrats.”

“As I was driving up here today, I was reminded of Winston Churchill’s (quote): ‘Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried,'” Kubik added. “And I think in this last year, we certainly learned that experience as we’ve seen our democracy here in the United States under attack, and we’ve seen what happens when democracies go wrong around the world.”

He also underscored the importance of active civic engagement. “I will remind you that gathering together on this caucus night is an old tradition of American democracy,” Kubik said. “I want to stress how important it is that we recognize those who take an active role in keeping our democracy going.”

Kubik defended the decision to hold the caucus online, saying the virtual format saved the Larimer County Democrats and participants a total of the roughly $38,500 required to cover rental space, printing costs, candidate materials and participant travel expenses. He also noted that a 2024 Colorado law required political party meetings to be remotely accessible.

Organizers called the 2026 caucus one of the most diverse the county party has hosted in recent years.

“We have over 33% of the people running for delegate that identify as a member of a historically underrepresented group as classified by the Democratic National Committee,” Kubik said.

Kelly Giddens, the county party’s second vice chair and field director, laid out what precinct organizers would be doing this year. Rather than just focusing on elections, she said the work would center on showing up in neighborhoods, knocking on doors, making phone calls, sending postcards and staying visible in the community.

“One of the most important things that we can do in our community right now is make sure that people don’t feel alone, and they know that we’re doing something to fight for small-d democracy,” Giddens said. “We have to make sure that people know that we’re here, that we’re motivated, that we’re activated and that we’re going to fight for our country this fall. … We just need you to suit up and show up.”

“No one is going to represent your community as well as someone from your community,” said Linae Warden, first vice chair. “Together we’re stronger.”

Attendees also voted on resolutions. Platform chair John Case explained that attendees would cast informal “straw poll” votes to decide which resolutions move forward to the larger meeting.

One resolution focused on immigrant protections.

Jeffrey Ackermann, former chairman of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission and senior policy adviser at the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University, made the case directly.

“As you all know, there’s a serious attack on immigrants across the nation,” Ackermann said. “I think that in Larimer County, we could pass legislation … that will ban ICE agents from wearing masks. That will help us hold them accountable. … We need our law enforcement to be enforcers of the law against these federal agents who have been told that they have absolute immunity from the law.”

Other measures that moved forward included support for housing solutions for people experiencing homelessness in Larimer County, backing for constitutional governance and the rule of law, and proposals to reduce the influence of big money in politics. One resolution took direct aim at Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the 2010 Supreme Court decision that expanded how much money corporations and outside groups could put into elections.

“I think we all just agree that the Citizens United decision was terrible and has completely changed the way that American elections and American politics are run,” attendee Susan Hunter said.

As the meeting continued, organizers shared that 1,345 people registered to attend and more than 530 signed up to run for delegate positions. Leadership said the surge in candidates and turnout reflected real momentum heading into 2026.

The evening wasn’t without delays. At one point, Kubik addressed the crowd while the credentials team worked through final attendance and registration issues.

“Democracy can get messy, right?” Kubik asked. “And those of us who throw our hands up because it sometimes gets messy need to remember that it’s the work that gets us through it. No plan survives first contact, right? And that’s part of what we’re dealing with this evening.”

Following the main session, attendees split off into individual breakout rooms for precinct caucus discussions.

Despite the technical hiccups and procedural delays, the March 5 caucus pointed to a strong Democratic organization in Larimer County headed into 2026.