Hope Scheppelman gave up her congressional campaign Friday for a job in the Trump administration that has no title, no agency, and no start date.
President Trump announced on Truth Social that he met with Scheppelman and her husband Steven — both Navy veterans — to discuss unspecified opportunities to serve “in a different capacity.” They would leave the campaign trail and join his administration “in a capacity to be determined.” Scheppelman confirmed the suspension hours later in a statement from her campaign.
The reversal closed a month-long chapter that split Colorado Republicans across the Western Slope. Trump had endorsed Scheppelman on February 21 after Rep. Jeff Hurd joined five House Republicans in voting to overturn the administration’s tariffs on Canada. Trump called Hurd a “RINO” and pulled his endorsement, giving Scheppelman what he called his “Complete and Total Endorsement.” One month later, he gave that same phrase back to Hurd.
The math drove the decision. House Speaker Mike Johnson told Trump he had to stand by Hurd, and Trump said he understood. In his Truth Social post, Trump framed the reversal in explicit terms: a Democratic win in CD3 “would be a DISASTER for our Country.” Democrats Alex Kelloff and Dwayne Romero are both running for the seat.
The two accounts of how the decision came about differ. Scheppelman’s statement described it as her own choice to put America First and protect the Republican majority. Trump’s post described it as his initiative — he called the meeting, announced the outcome, and re-endorsed Hurd before Scheppelman issued her statement.
Scheppelman attached conditions to her exit. She called Hurd’s voting record “naive” and warned that if he wins in November and fails to support Trump, she will primary him in 2028. Her campaign committee remained active on the Federal Election Commission’s website as of Friday morning.
Hurd welcomed the re-endorsement without conceding anything on tariffs. “The President and I share the same goals,” he wrote on X, listing border security, energy dominance, and working families. He said nothing about trade policy. His constitutional argument — that Congress, not the executive, holds tariff authority under Article I — has not changed.
Hurd won CD3 by five points in 2024. Both Democratic candidates read Friday’s move as a signal of weakness. Kelloff said Trump’s involvement proved his campaign’s momentum. Romero said his entry into the race “has made this race closer than ever.”
The primary is resolved. What Scheppelman actually received for stepping aside remains, by the administration’s own description, undetermined.
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