Republican primary
The Ku Klux Klan, established in Colorado in 1922, had become very powerful under the leadership of Grand Dragon John Galen Locke. In 1924, the Klan seized control of much of the party, especially in the Denver area, where mayor Benjamin F. Stapleton was first elected with Klan support (though he later turned his back on the Klan). Locke pushed Judge Morley, who was Klansman number 953 in Colorado. [3] An early and loyal supporter, Locke suspected Morley would obey his every command. During his term as governor, this proved correct. According to the History Colorado Center, Locke was in frequent contact by telephone and letters. Indeed, "One man in the governor's office had as his primary duty the carrying of written messages between the Capitol and Locke's Glenarm Place office. For all practical purposes, Locke was the governor." [4] Locke and Morley were opposed by incumbent Lt. Governor Robert F. Rockwell, a rancher and farmer from Western Colorado. Earl Cooley, another anti-Klan Republican, gained a small portion of the vote. In the end, though Rockwell was able to nearly sweep Western Colorado, Morley was carried across the finish line with a plurality thanks to strong support in Denver and Northeastern Colorado.
