Karl Rove’s Sidekick, Dick Wadhams, to Head CO Republicans?

Rumors of former Senator Wayne Allard campaign manager, Dick Wadhams, returning to help Allard with his possible 2008 re-election quest have been circulating for a few weeks. Today, the Denver Post reported that Colorado Republican Party leaders have asked Dick Wadhams to return to Colorado to run for state party chairman in March. Current Republican Party chair, Bob Martinez, hadn’t made his future plans public yet. But certainly, after a terrible election year for Republicans in Colorado, Martinez’s prospects can’t be fruitful.

Wadhams managed Wayne Allard’s successful 1996 and 2002 senatorial campaigns and was campaign manager for Bill Owens in 1998. Wadhams’s candidate also successfully defeated Democratic Senator Tom Dachle in South Dakota.

Described as Karl Rove’s “heir apparent”, Wadhams recently served as the chief of staff for Sen. George Allen (R-VA) and ran Allen’s re-election campaign in Virginia. Allen was considering a run for president until he lost his re-election this fall.

Wadhams said he was returning to Colorado after he closed down the Burns campaign office and was considering several options.