The Colorado Republican Party just really wants anyone who's interested to be able to hear Vice President Mike Pence speak when he visits Denver next week.
That, a party spokesman insists, is the only reason the GOP reduced ticket prices to an Oct. 26 fundraiser from $275 a head to $150.
An email that went out Wednesday morning said, "Due to popular demand, we have made more tickets available at a new lower price." As Democratic activists were quick to note on social media, high demand for something in limited supply usually has the opposite effect on prices.
State GOP spokesman Daniel Cole told the Denver Post that there's plenty of interest in seeing Pence, but people thought the ticket prices were too high, so the party lowered the price to make the event more accessible.
"We are hearing from a lot of people that they very much want to see the vice president but the tickets were too expensive.”
People who already paid the higher ticket price will get assigned seating closer to the stage, while people who buy tickets between now and Tuesday, Oct. 24, will have open seating further away.
The invitation still describes space as "limited." The Rocky Mountain Event Center at the Denver Marriott Tech Center can seat up to 1,500 people, according to the hotel's website.
Cole declined to tell the Post how many tickets had been sold but said he did not expect to fill up such a large venue.
However, later in the afternoon, GOP Executive Director Shana Banberger, said that tickets sold have already exceeded expectations of 400 attendees. She described the initial information as "inaccurate" without clarifying what, specifically, was wrong. (I've asked for that clarification, and I'll update this story if I get a response.)
"It is unfortunate that incorrect information was released on the upcoming event with our vice president," she wrote. "Despite inaccurate reporting, we will exceed our expected attendance of 400 supporters.
"We have opened up an additional general ticket level to allow more of our hardworking grassroots activists from the 2016 cycle to be able to attend. We believe they deserve the same opportunity to hear from our vice president as the premiere seating we are offering.
"This will be a fantastic event for the party, and the vice president is a huge draw. The 2018 election cycle is crucial for Colorado Republicans and the vice president's event will be our largest fundraising event to ensure victories up and down the ticket next November."
