Governor Polis Visits Telluride

By Julia Caulfield

The 2022 elections will be here before you know it, and candidates are hitting the campaign trial. This week, Governor Jared Polis stopped in the mountain community of Telluride to meet with voters and share his vision for the future of Colorado. KOTO’s Julia Caulfield has more.

Brown Dog Pizza is bustling when Governor Jared Polis makes his entrance.

Polis made a campaign stop in Telluride this week, along with visits to Norwood’s Pinion Park Neighborhood – talking about community housing, and discussions in Rico regarding wildfire management.

“Look, we live in a great state, here in Colorado, and together we’ve gotten so much done over the last three years, and it has been the honor of my life to serve as your Governor,” Polis says to the crowd.

Polis is running for his second term as governor. He says this election is about moving Colorado forward, rather than backwards.

“Moving forward with a woman’s right to choose. Moving forward with opportunity for everybody, investing in our schools, and making life more affordable in Colorado and reducing cost,” says Polis, “We got a hundred things done, over the next year, that will really save Coloradans money - $750 check going out to every person, removing sales tax from items like diapers, tax credits for low and middle and income families – so many things, but there’s a lot more work ahead to help make Colorado an even more amazing place.”

While a campaign focused on tax breaks and refunds may sound like a more traditionally Republican message, Polis says the key is looking at who is saving money.

“Too often Republicans try to save money for the wealthy and the big corporations. What we’re talking about is saving money for everyday Coloradans – that means reducing costs, reducing sales tax, reducing property tax, things that really affect every day Coloradans. When you’re around the kitchen table figuring out your budget, we know there’s inflation nationally, what the State does can’t affect what that is, but what we can affect is what we’re going to reduce your cost every day and every month and that’s really what our agenda is focused on,” Polis adds.

Outside of strict economics, Polis says his priorities include helping to make housing affordable for Coloradans, and keeping them safe when it comes to wildfire.

“Really with the hotter, drier climate across the American West, here in Colorado. We really need to up our game on fire preparedness,” Polis explains, “We just rolled out additional support for community efforts around reducing wildfire risk and risk mitigation, taking down trees near homes and communities. We also have leased and purchased additional State firefighting capacity, and we’re working with all our volunteer fire districts to make sure they have what they need to keep people safe, no matter where you live in Colorado.”

Acknowledging the national stage, Polis says the state itself is more important than ever in protecting freedom.

“I mean freedom that we took for granted because of the Supreme Court are being eroded,” Polis sasy, “Whether that’s the freedom to marry who you love, control over your own body and your own reproductive health decisions. These are things that we now, as a state, need to say ‘this is a basic value. We celebrate and protect our rights as individuals to make the choices that we want to make for our own lives.’”

Governor Polis has served as Colorado’s governor since 2019. He is set to face off at the polls this November against Republican nominee Heidi Ganahl.

Colorado Senator and Presidential Candidate Visits Telluride

By Julia Caulfield

Colorado Senator Michael Bennet

Walking around town during the Telluride Film Festival, you might see a movie star or two. But if you were on Main Street on Friday, you may have also caught a glimpse of a Presidential candidate.

Colorado Senator and Presidential hopeful Michael Bennet was in Telluride for a book signing outside Between the Covers.

Speaking on Main Street as people and trucks rumble by, Bennet says the issues he sees facing rural Colorado and the Western Slope are similar to the concerns he hears from people across the country.

“I think people are deeply concerned about making sure we protect our public lands. That we protect rural infrastructure, like rural hospitals and keep them open. That we make sure rural schools have the opportunity to attract teachers and keep them in their districts. And so those are similar issues that I’m hearing around the country,” says Bennet.

Bennet is currently one of 20 Democrats vying for the Democratic nomination for President. He has not qualified for the upcoming democratic debate in Houston at the beginning of September – qualification is based on a mix of polling and donations across the country. But he says a slow start in the campaign doesn’t worry him.

Bennet says, “We’re really in the early stages of this. I know that the voters of the early states really have not yet made up their minds. They’re trying to figure out who the best person to beat Donald Trump is. Most of us are polling in the single digits, I’m at 1% and I think twelve other people in the race are also at 1%. But if history is any guide, the leading candidates are not the ones that will win. Usually it’s somebody who comes from single digits who ends up winning the race. So we just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other.”

But he notes, if he doesn’t win the primary, or general election, he doesn’t plan on going anywhere.

“If the Presidential stuff doesn’t work out I fully anticipate running again for another term. And I do think that it’s because of the people I’ve had a chance to work with, local leadership, on the Western Slope of Colorado, we have been a really strong voice for Colorado’s values in the Senate when we’ve needed it most,” says Bennet.

Senator Bennet’s current term as Senator is up in 2022. He is currently the only Coloradan running for President. Earlier this month, former Governor John Hickenlooper dropped out of the race and has now announced he will run in the Democratic primary to challenge Republican Senator Cory Gardner next year.

Former Obama Ambassador Sets His Sights on the U.S. Senate

By Julia Caulfield

Dan Baer

Candidates running for U.S. Senate in 2020 are making their way around the state. There are over a dozen Democrats running in the primary to challenge Sen. Cory Gardner, and one of those is Dan Baer. Born and raised in the Denver area, Baer is a former ambassador in the Obama administration, was a member of Gov. Hickenlooper’s cabinet. Last week, Baer was in Telluride to meet with voters. KOTO’s Julia Caulfield sat down with him to talk about the importance of empathy in politics, and why he’s running for Congress.

Julia Caulfield (JC): I’m going to start off with an easy question. Why are you running for Senate?

Dan Baer (DB): I’m running, I think for the same reason a lot of people around our state are getting involved in different ways than they were two or three years ago, and I actually think it cuts across party lines that there’s a deep sense of anxiety that the foundations of our democracy are under attack, that we’re not living up the values that our country was founded on, and I think a lot of us have been moved in different ways to get involved in different ways. For me, having represented our country overseas in the Obama administration, as an ambassador for President Obama, I was always proud to be an American diplomat and it’s deeply alarming to see the erosions of our democracy here at home, and it felt like the biggest risk that we face is that we give up on the project, that we give up on staying engaged, and fighting for the progress that we know we need.

JC: Much like the Presidential Democratic race, there are a lot of people running in the primary for this Senate seat. What sets you apart from everybody else who is running?

DB: I think what sets me apart from many of the other candidates is that I’m not a career politician – I haven’t held elected office before – but like many of the people who won House seats in 2018, many of the people who were able to flip swing seats, were people like me, who had a record of public service, particularly in foreign policy or national security, but who hadn’t held elected office and weren’t career politicians, and who were able to raise a Progressive coalition, that were focused on making the changes that we need in order to make our democracy sustainable; but were also able to reach out to disaffected, moderate Republicans who were also disgusted by what’s going on, and Independents and win the votes we need to win the seat.

JC: You’ve touched on some of these big ideas that I think a lot of Democrats ran on in 2018 about our democracy in general, but there are also issues that folks are dealing with on a day to day basis. On the Western Slope of Colorado, healthcare is a big one, and not just in affording your insurance, which is obviously a part, but also in having access to services in general, how do you plan to address those if you become a member of the Senate?

DB: I think it’s really important that you highlight the way that distance and time make challenges that people talk about across Colorado and indeed across the country, like healthcare, they manifest themselves differently in a place let Telluride. And I think one of the things I’ve been focused on in this campaign is, as I’ve gone through the first few months, I’ve been trying to spend more time listening than talking, and one of the ways I’ve done that is by shadowing people on the job and hearing about the challenges they face and obviously healthcare is one of the challenges people raise, affordable housing is another one that comes up. Obviously affordable housing is a problem in Telluride, it’s also a problem on the Front Range. The solutions may look different, but it is a theme that I hear over and over again. I think the most important thing for somebody representing us in Washington to do is to be committed to listening over the long run. Because you won’t be able to provide the kind of nuanced representation, and make sure that when the next major piece of healthcare legislation comes in front of Congress that you are ready to negotiate on behalf, not just be there to cast a vote when the legislation is delivered on your desk, but be there to negotiate on behalf of your constituents if you haven’t been listening.

JC:  You’re from Colorado, from Denver. Through your work in both the Obama administration and the Hickenlooper administration, you’ve lived in big cities, had arguably high profile jobs. Given that background, how are you able to represent people from a potentially very different background from your own?

DB: I think that’s a question that anybody who’s seeking to represent a large number of people in Washington has to be able to answer. When I was at the State Department one of the things that I would do when I was traveling the world on behalf of the U.S. Government is, in every place I went, I insisted that the embassy organize a round table discussion as one of my first meetings with local civil society representatives. And what I found was in those meetings I did much more listening than talking, and I think that’s the kind of approach that you need to take if you seek to represent people in Washington. You know ask me often, does it matter that I’m gay? And I say, ‘obviously it matters to me, but it needn’t matter to the average voter, and indeed the qualifications that I’m running on have nothing to do with that fact that I’m gay or not’. But I do think, that I grew up gay in Colorado in a very different time, it wasn’t that long ago, but it was a very different time, and that speaks to the progress that we’ve seen here. I think when you’ve lived on the other side of hate, you’ve lived on the other side of being left out or left behind, that can produce a number of emotions or sensibilities in you. I suppose it could make you angry, and understandably so, but another thing it can do is help you learn empathy. I hope that the experience that I’ve had in my life – the variety of experience that I’ve had in my life – make me a better representative of people because I know what it’s like to be left out and left behind. I understand that it’s not the same to grow up a fifteen-year-old gay kid in Littleton, and to be a single mother in Pueblo working three jobs, or to be a farmer in Yuma trying to figure out how you’re going to make ends meet with the tariffs, or to be somebody who’s watching a coal mine shut down, I get that those are different things. But I think an attention to the experience and the pain points that other people are feeling is valuable when you’re seeking to do this. As well as an understanding that we’re all in this together, and we have to hang together, and we have to have leaders who are committed to seeing the whole and committed to representing every single Coloradan, including those who don’t vote for them, and I’m committed to doing that.

JC: Before we take off, Telluride as a community, we’re a big fan of music. You, on the campaign trail, I assume are jetting around the state. Is there any music that you can’t get out of your head right now?

DB: We’ve been listening to a lot of Lizzo, who I think is wonderful not only for her music, but also for her voice. I think in a time like this, her voice, first of all, she highlights social justice issues often, and she presents a sense of defiant optimism that I think should be our guiding star right now, so I’ve been listening to a lot of Lizzo.

Colorado State Representative Makes a Bid for the U.S. House

By Julia Caulfield

State Rep. Donald Valdez

Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District has a history of flipping between Republican and Democratic representation – the seat is currently held by Republican Representative Scott Tipton. But Colorado State Representative Donald Valdez is hoping to move it back to the Democrats. He is one of two Democrats currently running in a primary to challenge the Republican candidate. Valdez currently serves as the Representative for District 62 in the Colorado State House of Representatives, and spent a few days in Telluride this week to talk with voters. He sat down with KOTO News to talk about his campaign and why he’s running.

Julia Caulfield (JC): Thanks for being here and chatting with us today. First question, hopefully an easy one, why are you running for Congress?

Donald Valdez (DV): Well, thank you, Julia. You know, here in rural Colorado we need a voice now more than ever – for rural education, for infrastructure, broadband, but also more importantly is our water. Our water’s precious – all the way from the top peaks on the continental divide, all the way down into our communities and to the agriculture industry. Water is essential. It’s our life blood, not only to us, but also the next generation.

JC: You’re currently serving in the Colorado State House. You were first elected in 2016, and re-elected in 2018. Why are you now making the jump to go from the state legislature to the federal House of Representatives?

DV: You are correct. I am the state representative for House District 62 which covers eight counties … this is essential to get out and voice for rural Colorado, because each and every one of our communities has uniqueness, but also the culture, the history, and the home for so many – whether it be our veterans who we need to advocate for each and every single day. Healthcare needs from young to the very young, and the elderly and the wisdom that they have, we need to gain that and pass it on to the next generation now and engage the next generation to be leaders in our community.

JC: The 3rd Congressional District is very large, running from the very northern parts of the state to the southern parts of the state. If you are elected, how do you balance the needs of folks who are living across a very wide range of land?

DV: My current district I cover eight counties and the 3rd Congressional District covers 29 counties from Craig, Steamboat all the way south into Cortez, and Towaoc, and Ignacio, and the dynamics are interesting but we all have the same issues. Economic development is a key issue to continue growth in our communities. With that we need quality and quantity of our water, make sure our soils are healthy, so we continue to grow our food and the agriculture aspect, knowing where our food comes from. Agriculture is a huge, leading industry in the state and the 3rd Congressional District does cover more than half the state of Colorado – but the beauty of the 3rd Congressional District is heaven. The beauty of the majestic mountains, the dynamics of the people, the heritage, the culture, and that’s one of the reasons that I’m running – because we need a voice for rural Colorado. One of the major issues that is affecting our communities is addiction. The heroine, the meth, and the opioids have taken almost two generations, and it’s sad and we need to stand up, enough is enough. We need to get more prevention and education and treatment for those who are battling.

JC: You’ve mentioned agriculture and water as being some of the issues that are really important to you – also education, support for veterans, affordable healthcare, and economic development. These are big issues, some of them are going to be more bipartisan than others, but none of them are small, easy issues to find an answer for. How do you start addressing those issues if you’re elected?

DV: Well, you address those issues one at a time. They’re all issues that affect our communities and affect each one of us, especially healthcare. Healthcare, the cost of healthcare, the cost of prescription drugs, the cost of visiting a doctor, whether you decide to put food on your table or pay for a procedure or surgery that you desperately need to continue to engage and be that persona that you need to work or your livelihood.

JC: Before we leave, I’ll ask a more fun or easier question. I assume you’ve been traveling all over the 3rd Congressional District, and we’ve mentioned that it’s large, when you’ve been traveling in the car or on flights has there been any music that’s really been speaking to you?

DV: The music of the mountains. The mountains keep calling me. And On the Road Again with Willie Nelson, every single day.

Former Colorado Speaker of the House runs for U.S. Senate

By Julia Caulfield

There are nearly a dozen people running in the Democratic primary to challenge Cory Gardner for a U.S. Senate seat in 2020. Among those is Andrew Romanoff. He is a former Colorado State Speaker of the House and President and CEO of Mental Health Colorado. Earlier this week Romanoff spent the day in Telluride talking with voters. KOTO ‘s Julia Caulfield sat down with him to talk about why he’s running and some of the issues facing Colorado and the West End.