Eli Bremer

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Eli Bremer

Republican Party

Education

Bachelor's

U.S. Air Force Academy, 2000

Graduate

The George Washington University, 2014

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Air Force

Years of service

2000 - 2014

Personal

Birthplace

Hancock, N.H.

Religion

Evangelical Christian

Profession

Corporate spokesman

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

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Personal Facebook

Personal Twitter

Personal LinkedIn

Eli Bremer (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Colorado. He was disqualified from the Republican primary scheduled on June 28, 2022.

Bremer completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.

Bremer was elected as chairman of the Republican Party of Colorado in August 2024. For more information on this story, please click here.

Biography

Eli Bremer was born in Hancock, New Hampshire. Bremer's professional experience includes working as a sports marketing, corporate spokesman, entrepreneur, real estate investor, Olympic broadcast commentator, and political commentator. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 2000 to 2014. Bremer earned a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2000, a graduate degree from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in 2007, and a graduate degree from George Washington University in 2014.

Bremer has been affiliated with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Athlete Advisory Council.

Elections

2022

See also: United States Senate election in Colorado, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Colorado

The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. Senate Colorado on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael Bennet (D)	55.9	1,397,170
		Joe O'Dea (R)	41.3	1,031,693
		Brian Peotter (L)	1.7	43,534
		T.J. Cole (Unity Party)	0.7	16,379
		Frank Atwood (Approval Voting Party)	0.5	11,354
	Submit photo	Tom Harvey (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	29
	Submit photo	Joanne Rock (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	25
	Submit photo	John Rutledge (L) (Write-in)	0.0	9
	Submit photo	Robert Messman (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	8

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,500,201
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Aaron Trevino (Independent)
• Teal'c Anderson (Freedom Party)
• Aaron Pehrson (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Colorado

Incumbent Michael Bennet advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Colorado on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael Bennet	100.0	516,985

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 516,985
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Dan Chapin (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Colorado

Joe O'Dea defeated Ron Hanks and Daniel Hendricks in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Colorado on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joe O'Dea	54.4	345,060
		Ron Hanks	45.5	288,483
		Daniel Hendricks (Write-in)	0.0	302

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 633,845
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Gino Campana (R)
• Juli Henry (R)
• Erik Aadland (R)
• Eli Bremer (R)
• Gregory Moore (R)
• Deborah Flora (R)
• Peter Yu (R)

Approval Voting Party convention

Approval Voting Party convention for U.S. Senate Colorado

Frank Atwood advanced from the Approval Voting Party convention for U.S. Senate Colorado on March 26, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Frank Atwood (Approval Voting Party)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Eli Bremer completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bremer's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Eli Bremer is an Olympian, US Air Force Academy graduate, and Colorado native. Eli was ranked #2 in the world in pentathlon and is a Pan Am Games and World Military Games Gold Medalist.

A lifelong Republican, Eli gained national notoriety for his leadership in crafting bipartisan support for the successful passage of structural reforms of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee following the Larry Nassar scandal. In 2011, he was elected the youngest county GOP chair in Colorado and grew the El Paso County GOP tenfold in two years.

Eli has advised and worked on numerous presidential, federal, state and local campaigns. As a businessman, Eli founded and runs Pure Performance which has worked professionally with over 150 Olympians and in seven countries. Additionally, he has worked extensively on early-stage companies and deals in numerous sectors including health, communications, military equipment, and real estate. He is a four-time Olympic sportscaster and has extensive paid and unpaid media experience.

Eli has been married for 18 years to El Paso County Commissioner Cami Bremer who also sits on the boards of the El Paso County Health Department, Pikes Peak Area Council of Government, CILA Charter School, The Ronald McDonald House of Southern Colorado, and is also the Vice Chairman of the National Association of Counties Human Services Committee. The Bremer’s son Struthers was born at 27 weeks and is a NICU miracle baby.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Return to common sense. America is in crisis because because failed progressive and Marxist ideology is ruining our great institutions. Common sense says live within your means, run schools to educate kids not indoctrinate them, secure our boarders while creating a coherent immigration strategy, utilize the military for national defense not social engineering, end the leftist politicization of health policy.
• Protect our free-enterprise system. Capitalism is the greatest economic force for good in world history. It has led to unprecedented prosperity in America and around the globe along with ending slavery and moving billions of people out of poverty. Its antithesis, socialism, has led to tens of millions of deaths and the destruction of societies and great nations. America must stand strong on the foundation of capitalism and free markets and put socialism where it belongs on the ash heap of history.
• Defending women and promoting life. When the Larry Nassar scandal broke, Eli used his political and Olympic connections to work with involved parties and formulate and execute a plan to make sure the system was overturned to prevent this from happening again. He has been a staunch fighter and promoter of women, especially female athletes. He believes there is a fundamental and biological difference between men and women, and they should compete athletically against their peers of the same sex. As a father of a micro premie, Eli has a unique perspective on this issue. Eli and Cami have been longtime philanthropic supporters of Hope and Home, a nonprofit which places at risk foster children in their forever h

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As a US Olympian and veteran, Eli brings an unbridled optimism and belief in American exceptionalism. He believes in a strong America built on the foundation of free enterprise and national security. America has been the greatest force of good in the world for the past two centuries; and it represents the hope of the world for freedom, prosperity, and liberty.

Economy: Eli supports minimal regulation and taxation thus allowing business to innovate, create jobs, and improve our way of life.

Military: Eli supports retaining a strong military for the sole purpose of national defense rather than social engineering.

Education: Eli personally experienced the gamut of education from private schools to public schools to home-schooling as a child. He supports innovation in education and giving parents as much choice as possible over education.

Women’s rights: Eli is a staunch supporter of protecting the rights of biological women. He supports Title IX and does not believe it should cover biological males.

Environment and Energy: Eli has seen the devastation socialist governments have caused to the environment. He believes the solution to our current and future environmental problems lies in promoting free-market innovation in America to meet a growing demand in developed countries for clean technologies. Eli supports utilizing fossil fuels to grow our economy and is fully committed to energy independence.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I’ve had many mentors and heroes in my life. I’ve been blessed to have a great dad who is still a friend and business partner to this day. My parents sponsored Air Force Academy cadets when I was a kid, and they showed me how important military service is to our country. Because of them, I followed in their footsteps and attended the Air Force Academy. I met Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell when I was in high school and immediately knew he was a superb role model as he was an Air Force veteran and Olympian, two of my biggest goals in life. I was honored to receive Senator Campbell’s top nomination to the Air Force Academy, and I am honored that he has stayed involved in my life ever since. As a US Senator, I would always remember that I am walking in his shoes and am extremely honored to have his endorsement.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Getting to Yes. Often people find ways to disagree rather that figure out how to work together to advance common goals. I have used the principles in Getting to Yes for years to find outside the box solutions to very difficult situations.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

As an Olympian and former military officer, I understand the value of hard work and persistence. I also learned that you need a great team around you and you have to always look to bring others up rather than tear them down.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember the Challenger disaster when I was in elementary school. I was too young to really grasp the significance of it, but I remember all the adults talking about it and how terrible it was for our country.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My parents didn’t believe in giving us an allowance, so I continually looked for work to have money as a kid. I shoveled manure in a barn for a neighbor and also stacked hay bales for a summer. I taught swim lessons and gave horseback riding lessons in high school. I worked at a grocery store for about a month during a strike when they needed temporary labor. This set the stage for my strong understanding that money comes through hard work and not from a handout.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

America has succeeded because Americans have generally held to the belief in free enterprise and the rule of law. The left and the right swayed back and forth on some issues, but they agreed on the basic tenets of governance. Today, many Americans believe in might-makes-right politics and want to install socialism in America. This cannot coexist with our current or historical system. If America does not unite around our highly successful system of government, then we cannot face the known or unknown problems that lie ahead including economic and military threats from China and Russia.

Internationally we face a growing threat from China that is becoming a new Cold War. China has stepped into the leadership vacuum left by America globally and is brokering influence from Afghanistan to Africa and South America to the South China Sea. The Chinese economic and political model cannot peacefully coexist with America indefinitely and thus one of these two empires is destined to fail. America must rise to the challenge in the same way we did against the Soviet Union and embrace our global leadership position moving forward.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I have pledged to support term limit requirements as legislation and agreed to co-sponsor the legislation should I be elected.

What qualities does the U.S. Senate possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The Senate was established to temper and moderate the more volatile US House. The longer terms and stability allow for more time to find and work on difficult policy than the House. There are many issues that America needs to tackle that don’t make it to the top of the national psyche every two years for elections but still must be dealt with. That is where Senators who are willing to work toward solutions can make substantial progress for our nation.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for senators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Absolutely. Having worked in government, politics, and the private sector, I understand that they function very differently from each other. If you want to make an impact on any sector, you have to understand it before disrupting or changing it. Governmental systems contain a tremendous amount of inertia; and dismantling them, altering them, or trying to improve them requires a broad knowledge of how they function.

What do you think of the filibuster?

I fully support the filibuster. America was established with an understanding that we need to protect the rights of the minority. This is the difference between a republic and a democracy. Our nation has thrived for two centuries because we don’t allow the majority to simply run roughshod over the minority. The filibuster is critical to protecting our nation to ensure that our rights are preserved over time.

What criteria would you apply when deciding whether to confirm presidential appointees?

The President is elected apart from the Senate and is granted fairly broad leeway to appoint key personnel. In general, I believe a President has earned the right through electoral victory to appoint staff who align with their vision. Simple policy disagreements with a president are not grounds to deny confirmation of a properly appointed individual. However, the Senate can and should block individuals who are unqualified or whose appointment would pose a substantial threat to our nation.

If you are not a current senator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Armed Services and Energy and Commerce. Both are critical to Colorado, and both are personal passions of mine.

Is there a particular senator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell. He put loyalty to America and Colorado above Party, and he worked on a variety of issues that impacted our state. He could disagree without being disagreeable, and he is a phenomenal person outside of politics.

How would you evaluate a judicial nominee?

I would support nominees who adjudicate the law as written rather than create laws from the bench. It is the job of the legislative branch of the government to make laws and the judicial to interpret and enforce.

What kind of relationships would you build with other senators?

My entire adult life, I have built strong relationships across a spectrum of interesting individuals. When I helped lead the reforms of the US Olympic movement, I worked with mostly liberal activists who I found agreement with on key issues. Personal relationships can help find points of agreement rather than points of disagreement, and any deal or negotiation is better when both sides can find a way to work together if possible.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Our founding fathers made it very clear that they built our system of government around requiring compromise. While one may not want to compromise, it is typically impossible to accomplish anything in our system without it. A successful Senator must look for points of agreement and be able to persuade unlikely allies to unite if they want to advance their agenda. Again, this is how our founding fathers designed the government.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Noteworthy events

Colorado Republican Party chair conflict

On August 24, 2024, members of the Republican Party of Colorado voted to remove Dave Williams as state party chairman. The vote occurred after Williams sent an email using derogatory language to describe members of the LGBTQ+ community. According to CBS News, he also called for the burning of pride flags on social media. The party's central committee voted to replace Williams with Eli Bremer.

Williams refused to recognize the results of the vote. In a text message to The Denver Post, Williams refuted the claim that he was no longer party chairman, saying the roughly 166 votes cast in favor of his removal (12 cast against his removal) could not decide for the 400 plus total members of the party's central committee.

Bremer filed a lawsuit to remove Williams from office, while Williams' supporters filed a counter lawsuit to have Bremer removed.

On September 26, 2024, El Paso County District Judge Eric Bentley wrote in an order that actions to remove Williams as chair and install Bremer were not valid.

See also

2022 Elections

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Candidate

U.S. Senate Colorado

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Footnotes

[show]

Colorado's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Michael Bennet (D)

John Hickenlooper (D)

Representatives

District 1

Diana DeGette (D)

District 2

Joe Neguse (D)

District 3

Jeff Hurd (R)

District 4

Lauren Boebert (R)

District 5

Jeff Crank (R)

District 6

Jason Crow (D)

District 7

Brittany Pettersen (D)

District 8

Gabe Evans (R)

Democratic Party (6)

Republican Party (4)