Candidate suing to add ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ to his name on ballot

A Colorado Republican state lawmaker and House candidate filed a lawsuit this week to have the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon” included as part of his name on a Republican primary ballot.

State Rep. Dave Williams (R) filed a lawsuit on Monday against Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D), alleging that Griswold would not include his name with the phrase included on the ballot, despite him submitting his name as Dave “Let’s Go Brandon” Williams. The lawsuit said Williams has been using “Let’s Go Brandon” as a nickname since December.

The court filing claims that Griswold’s justification for excluding the phrase from Williams’s name was that it was a slogan and not a nickname.

The lawsuit claimed that the rejection of the submitted name for that reason was not justified by Colorado law. It also argued it was inconsistent with Griswold’s past decisions, pointing to 2021 school board candidate Blake Law, who it said was allowed to have “No Mandates” included in his name on the ballot as a nickname.

The lawsuit was first reported by NBC affiliate KUSA.

“Let’s Go Brandon” has gained popularity in conservative circles as an anti-Biden phrase. 

It took off after an interview with NASCAR driver Brandon Brown, during which a crowd in the background was chanting “f— Joe Biden.” However, the journalist interviewing the NASCAR driver incorrectly claimed at the time that the crowd was saying “Let’s go Brandon.”

In a brief interview with The Hill, Williams acknowledged Griswold might take offense to the phrase but claimed Colorado state law had limited restrictions on using nicknames on ballots.

“It represents a disgust out-of-control government,” Williams told The Hill, adding, “it means we’re not going to take it anymore.”

Williams said that if he was elected to Congress, he would continue to use the nickname amongst his colleagues.

The Colorado Secretary of State’s office contended in a statement that the nickname is not a “good faith use” of the state’s statute.

“While Colorado statute does permit the use of nicknames on the ballot, our office does not believe this is a good faith use of that statute and will cause confusion for voters. The Secretary of State’s Office looks forward to defending our practice of ensuring the ballot remains clear and accessible for all Colorado voters,” the office said in a statement.