The description of all terms in this glossary are for general reference only. For legal and more in-depth descriptions and for additional information about the Colorado Republican Party, see the Bylaws Of The Colorado Republican State Central Committee.

Bonus Members – Members of the party’s State Central Committee (SCC), elected at the county’s Central Committee Organizational Meeting. They represent the constituents of the County to the Party at the State level. Authorized to vote for State Party Officers and bylaws changes, etc. Called “bonus” because they are in addition to the three (3) elected officers of each county party. Two Bonus Members are allotted for each 10,000 votes cast in their county for their party’s candidate for Governor of Colorado or President of the United States in the last general election.

Candidates – People running for office. Laws pertaining to candidates’ ballot access for election to government offices can be found HERE. A candidate can go through the major party Caucus/Assembly/Convention system or “petition on” to the primary ballot. Bylaws pertaining to candidates running for offices in the GOP can be found HERE.

Constituents – The individual electors (persons eligible to vote) in a specific district. A politician's electorate is made of individual constituent voters.

County Central Committee – Comprised of PCP’s, Bonus Members, Officers, and all other affiliated elected officers residing within a county. Members are authorized to vote for county party officers, county Bonus Members and bylaws changes. They are also instrumental in electing Colorado House District and Senate District officers.

CRC – Colorado Republican Committee. Refers to Colorado Republican State Central Committee, which is the official name of the organization. Also referred to as the State GOP, or Grand Old Party.  Its members are the 3 elected officers of the state party, the 3 elected officers of each of the county parties, county Bonus Members and each of the Republican elected officials who serve in a state-wide office or in the State House or State Senate, Republican Congressmen and their District Chairman, and Republican Senators. They meet in odd years to elect party officers, vote on bylaws changes and vote whether to opt out of participating in the semi-open primary election.

Delegates - People elected at Caucus or Assembly/Convention to represent their district at the next higher political district level. For example, Delegates elected at Precinct Caucus will represent their precinct to the County Assembly. They will nominate their party’s primary ballot candidates for all county offices. They will also discuss and vote on resolutions for the party platform. They may vote to take a position on ballot issues.

DC - District Captain – A County Level Position, subject to the county’s bylaws.  A DC may be a voting member of the County Central Committee and/or County Executive Committee.  DCs usually organize the PCPs in a specific area of their county.  If a precinct committee position is vacant after the caucus, a DC or Vice Chairman may nominate the PCPs to fill those positions.  

GOP – Grand Old Party.  Unofficially refers to the Colorado Republican State Central Committee, or CRC, which is the official name of the organization. Sometimes refers to the State Central Committee or SCC.

Officers – Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary. They are the legally recognized individuals from each party, elected by their constituents to represent their county, district or state and conduct the organizational meetings of their county, district or state.

Resolutions - Statements declaring the principles and objectives that Republicans believe would add value to the platform of the Party and direct the voting of Republican legislative officers at every political level. They are usually proposed, discussed and voted upon at precinct caucuses. Approved resolutions are again considered at the county and state Assemblies, then submitted in writing to the NRC Convention Committee on the Platform.

Organizational Meeting – Legally mandated meeting to be held in odd years by each partisan central committee to elect a Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Secretary, and to conduct other business that may properly come before it. Each party level meeting has a specific window of time in which the meeting must be conducted. The people who were elected as PCP’s during the caucuses in even years will form the foundation of their county, district, and state organizational meetings in the odd years.

"Petition on" to ballot – The state, each county, and each district allows ballot access for candidates who abide by certain requirements, usually by gathering a specific number of signatures on a petition. Candidates who have petitioned on to the ballot do not need to campaign at the caucus or assembly/convention.

PCP – Precinct Committee Person. Legally elected officer of a precinct for the Republican or Democrat Party. One or two PCP’s are elected at caucus to represent the people of the precinct to the Party. A PCP is a member of their party’s County Central Committee and is authorized to vote for county party officers, Bonus Members and bylaws changes. They are also instrumental in electing District officers for all larger districts.

Resolutions - Statements declaring the principles and objectives that Republicans believe would add value to the platform of the Party and direct the voting of Republican legislative officers at every political level. They are usually proposed, discussed, and voted upon at precinct caucuses. Approved resolutions are again considered for approval at the county and state Assemblies.  Each state’s approved resolutions are then submitted in writing to the NRC Convention Committee on the Platform to be considered as additions to the National Republican Platform.

SCC – State Central Committee. Refers to the Colorado Republican State Central Committee, which is the official name of the organization. Also unofficially called the GOP. Its members are the 3 elected officers of the state party, the 3 elected officers of each of the county parties, county Bonus Members and each of the Republican elected officials who serve in a state-wide office or in the State House or State Senate, Republican Congressmen, Congressional District Chairmen, Republican Senator(s) and the National Committeeman and National Committeewoman. The SCC meets twice in odd years to elect party officers, vote on bylaws changes and vote whether to opt out of participating in the semi-open primary election.