Hunter Rivera: Weld County Republican Chairman arrested 5 in child predator operation

Hunter Rivera: 5 things to know

1. Rivera is a second-generation Weld County native. He is 24 years old and from Windsor.
2. Rivera’s passion for politics and conservative leadership began in high school, when state Sen. John Cook dropped in to take a political science class there, according to a profile on the Weld County Republican Party page. He has since visited the state Capitol, cementing Rivera’s commitment to public service and the Republican Party.
3. At 17, Rivera joined the Northern Colorado Young Republicans and quickly assumed a leadership role. During the 2020 election cycle, Rivera worked for Weld County Sen. Cory Gardner’s campaign while volunteering for numerous state and Senate races. Soon after, state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer hired Rivera as a legislative assistant, which helped him gain first-hand experience in policy development at the Colorado Statehouse.
4. Since then, Rivera has worked for Republican leaders including Mike Lynch and Ryan Armagost. In 2022, he worked for the Colorado Republican National Committee as a field organizer for the state’s 8th Congressional District. In 2024, he served as campaign manager for State Board of Education Yazmin Navarro’s campaign, campaign manager for Ryan Gonzalez’s House District 50 campaign and chief strategist for Dan Woog’s Healing Project. Before resigning, Rivera served as national committee member of the Colorado Young Republican Federation in addition to serving as chairman of the Weld County Republican Party. According to his bio, “In these positions, he focused on expanding grassroots participation, strengthening the party’s presence and ensuring that Weld County remained a Republican stronghold.”
5. Rivera faces multiple charges such as solicitation of a child prostitute (F3), Internet luring of a child (F4), cybercrime – solicitation of an underage prostitute (F5), and attempted sexual assault of a child (F5). He was given a $6,500 cash-only bond.