CoPo’s weekly political calendar will help you find political and public-policy events throughout Colorado. It includes candidate and issue campaign events, public policy meetings, court hearings, state and local party conventions, assemblies, debates, rallies, parades, speaking engagements, traveling dignitary appearances, water meetings, book signings, county commission hearings, city council meetings and more. As a subscriber, you can submit your own events for publication to calendar@coloradopolitics.com for free publication on this page. Please include who, what, when, where and why for each event.

(Party designations: R-Republican, D-Democrat, L-Libertarian, G-Green, S-Socialist, U-Unity, F-Forward.)

MONDAY, MAY 20

· (R) Jefferson County Republican Party: Men’s Luncheon, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 565 Union Blvd., Lakewood

· (R) Broomfield County Republican Party: Republican Women Meeting & Luncheon, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 500 Interlocken Blvd., Broomfield

· DRCOG: Transportation Advisory Committee, 1:30 p.m., 1001 17th Ave., Ste. 700, Denver

· (D) Jefferson County Democratic Party: Liberal Libations, 4-6 p.m., 11911 W. 6th Ave., Lakewood

· (D) Denver Democratic Party: Tech Office Hours, 5-6 p.m., visit https://www.denverdemocrats.org/county-party-calendar for Zoom link

· (D) Montrose County Democratic Party: Central Committee Meeting, 6-7 p.m., 1500 E. Main St., Montrose

· (R) Denver Republican Party: HD 9 Monthly Meeting, 6:30-8 p.m., 1660 S. Albion St., Denver

TUESDAY, MAY 21

· (R) Boulder County Republican Party: Boulder Republican Women, 11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m., 4760 28th St., Boulder

· Colorado Children’s Campaign: End of Session Party, 4-6 p.m., 1200 Broadway, Denver, contact sarahb@coloradokids.org for more information

· (R) Weld County Republican Party: Executive Committee Meeting, 6-7 p.m., 361 71st Ave., Greeley

· (S) Denver Democratic Socialists of America: Abolition Working Group Meeting, 6-7 p.m., visit denverdsa.org/events for Zoom link

· (R) Jefferson County Republican Party: HD 24 Committee Meeting, 6-7 p.m., contact 303-277-1113 for more information

· (D) Denver Democratic Party: Executive Committee Meeting, 6-8 p.m., 690 Colorado Blvd., Denver

· (D) Arapahoe County Democratic Party: Rep. Chad Clifford Town Hall, 6-8 p.m., 7272 S. Eagle St., Centennial

· (R) Douglas County Republican Party: Executive Committee Meeting, 6-9 p.m., 9292 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Littleton

· (D) Arapahoe County Democratic Party: HD 61 Monthly Meeting, 6:30-8 p.m., 5428 S. Parker Rd., Aurora

· (D) Denver Democratic Party: Executive Committee Meeting, 6:30-8 p.m., 690 Colorado Blvd., Denver

· (R) Log Cabin Republicans: Meeting, 6:30-8:30 p.m., 221 W. 13th Ave., Denver

· (R) Denver Republican Party: HD 2 Monthly Meeting, 7-8 p.m., 700 S. Franklin St., Denver

· (D) Grand County Democratic Party: Monthly Meeting, 7-8 p.m., contact chair@grandcountydems.org for more information

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22

· Lincoln Club of Colorado: 2024 Legislative Session Recap with Rose Pugliese and Cleave Simpson, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 5400 E. Yale Ave., Denver, cost $25, RSVP at https://secure.anedot.com/lincolnclubofcolorado/donatetothelincolnclubofcolorado

· (D) Colorado Democratic Party: South Asian Initiative, 4-5 p.m., visit https://www.coloradodems.org/calendar-of-events/ for Zoom link

· Colorado Black Women for Political Action: End of Legislative Session 2024 Happy Hour, 5:30-7:30 p.m., 2736 Welton St., Denver

· (D) Arapahoe County Democratic Party: Sen. Michaelson-Jenet Town Hall, 6-7 p.m., visit https://www.arapahoedems.org/ for RSVP link

· (L) Denver Libertarian Party: Liberty on the Rocks, 6-9 p.m., 727 E. 16th Ave., Denver

· (R) Denver Republican Party: HD 7 & 8 Meeting, contact 1vc@denvergop.org for more information

· (S) Denver Democratic Socialists of America: Orientation Call, 7-8:30 p.m., register in advance at http://bit.ly/DDSA-Orientation

· (D) Denver Democratic Party: Healthcare Study Group, 7-8:30 p.m., contact belwood0328@gmail.com for more information

· (D) Arapahoe County Democratic Party: HD 37 Meeting, 7-8:30 p.m., 7272 S. Eagle St., Centennial

THURSDAY, MAY 23

· Colorado General Assembly: Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning Tax Policy & TaskForce, 1 p.m., 200 E. Colfax Ave., SCR 354, Denver

· (D) Chaffee County Democratic Party: Monthly Meeting, 5:30-7 p.m., contact info@chaffeecountydemocrats.org for more information

· (R) Jefferson County Republican Party: HD 30 Meeting, 6-8 p.m., contact 303-277-1113 for more information

· Rep. Chad Clifford Town Hall, 6-8 p.m., 6060 S. Quebec St., Greenwood Village

· (D) Weld County Democratic Party: Executive Committee Meeting, 6-8 p.m., contact info@weldcountydems.org for more information

· (D) Denver Democratic Party: HD 2 Monthly Meeting, 6:30-8 p.m., 1955 E. Arizona Ave., Denver

· (D) Jefferson County Democratic Party: HD 27 Monthly Meeting, 6:30-8 p.m., visit https://www.jeffcodems.org/calendar for Zoom link

· (D) Arapahoe County Democratic Party: HD 41 Monthly Meeting, 6:30-8 p.m., 15200 E. Girard Ave., Ste. 1400, Aurora

· Latinas Increasing Political Strength: Qunceañera, 6:30-9:30 p.m., 3034 Larimer St., Denver

· (R) CU Republicans: Meeting, 7-8 p.m., contact coloradocr@gmail.com for more information

· (R) Boulder County Republican Party: Executive Committee Meeting, contact twatson@bocogop.org for more information

FRIDAY, MAY 24

· DRCOG: Advisory Committee on Aging, 11 a.m., 1001 17th Ave., Ste. 700, Denver

· (R) Republicans @ Denver Athletic Club: Meeting, 12-1 p.m., 1325 Glenarm Pl., Denver

· (D) Colorado Democratic Party: RCV for Colorado Policy Committee, 2-3 p.m., visit https://rcvforcolorado-org.zoom.us/j/82762945516 to join the meeting

· (R) Jefferson County Republican Party: JeffCo EIC Zoom Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m., contact makeadifferenceinco@gmail.com for more information

SATURDAY, MAY 25

· (L) Boulder County Libertarian Party: Liberty Toastmasters, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., 315 S. Bowen St., Longmont

· (D) Denver Democratic Party: HD 7 Monthly Meeting, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 12000 E. 47th Ave., Denver

· (D) Jefferson County Democratic Party: Open House, 4-6 p.m., 393 S. Harlan St., Ste. 190, Lakewood

SUNDAY, MAY 26

· (S) Denver Democratic Socialists of America: Brunch & Podcast Discussion, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., contact info@denverdsa.org for more information

· Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today: ‘CRAZY HAS A NAME’ Mental Health Awareness Month, 4-7 p.m., 13200 E. 14th Pl., Aurora, purchase tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/crazy-has-a-name-tickets-869328754707?aff=oddtdtcreator

A boisterous crowd of a thousand or so packed the Stanley Marketplace in Aurora on Sunday to hear a White House pitch from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a presidential candidate who isn’t yet on Colorado’s November ballot but who said he represents an opportunity for people to “vote out of hope and inspiration” rather than fear.

Kennedy started his speech by decrying his omission from two recently scheduled presidential debates, noting that independent voters are by far the largest bloc of the American electorate. Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump agreed to the debates — one in June and the second in September.

“Don’t you think there should be an independent on the stage?” Kennedy said to loud applause. “I think it’s important that the American people get to see their presidential candidates debate.”

Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, announced last fall that he would run as an independent candidate for president, eschewing his and his family’s deep Democratic Party roots.

Kennedy’s campaign claims the son of U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 during his own run for the White House, has qualified for the ballot in seven states while amassing enough signatures to make the ballot in eight additional states. Clipboard-wielding volunteers on Sunday tried to hustle up signatures for access to Colorado’s ballot from attendees at the rally.

“We like Bobby, that’s for sure,” said Greg Jones, who drove with his wife from Fort Collins to attend the rally in Aurora. “We’re just glad there’s an alternative to the two existing candidates.”

His wife, Kathleen, said she likes Kennedy’s aversion to war.

“I think he’s an advocate of peace in the world,” she said. “I’m afraid we might go to war with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and China and he can prevent that from happening.”

Kennedy questioned the wisdom of Congress’ decision late last month to send $60 billion to Ukraine to aid it in its ongoing war with Russia, asking whether “we could have used that $60 billion here in the United States?” He also decried the nation’s rising national debt — now at $34 trillion — and the role of both Trump and Biden in its escalation.

“If we give them four more years, we’re going to see more of the same, aren’t we? This is existential,” Kennedy said to the crowd, many holding Kennedy-Shanahan signs.

Kennedy chose Nicole Shanahan, a California lawyer and philanthropist, as his vice presidential running mate in March.

Kennedy had tough words for the pharmaceutical industry, in line with his long-held skepticism about vaccine safety. He also questioned how effective Trump or Biden would be in managing the emerging and powerful field of artificial intelligence.

Politics watchers are trying to figure out what role Kennedy might play in the November election if he lands on all 50 state ballots, and who he might hurt or help more — Trump or Biden. Last week, polls conducted by The New York Times and Siena College showed that in a five-way race with minor party candidates included, Kennedy drew 8% of Trump’s supporters compared to 7% of Biden’s.

But from the stage in the hangar at Stanley Marketplace, Kennedy rejected the idea that he could be a spoiler, citing the results of a recent poll conducted by John Zogby Strategies. That poll, he said, showed him handily beating Biden in a head-to-head matchup, while barely beating Trump in a one-on-one contest.

“I cannot be the spoiler because I can win the race,” he said.

Adherents to both major parties were in attendance Sunday. Denverite Jennifer Camp, 51, said she typically votes Republican but wanted to broaden her horizons this year.

“We wanted to come and see the third-party candidate because we were sick and tired of the other two,” she said.

Longtime Democrat Jill Stedronsky, 62, said she had become so disillusioned with Biden that she would vote for Trump over the president. Democrats, she said, had let her down by supporting vaccine mandates and censoring speech on social media platforms under the guise of fighting misinformation.

But her heart is first and foremost with Kennedy, who she lauded for his willingness to take on corporate power.

“I’ve been following his campaign for over a year and I love the man,” said Stedronsky, of Lakewood. “He’s the great hope for the country.”