Three Dems step up in CD3 race The Sopris Sun recently caught up with each of the three candidates vying to run on the Democratic Party’s ticket in November’s election to replace Congresswoman Lauren Boebert as Colorado’s Third Congressional District (CD3) representative to the federal government. During the primary election, June 28, voters will elect a candidate to represent each party. Catch our interviews with Don Coram, the Republican challenging Congresswoman Boebert, in next week’s issue. Voters unaffiliated with any party will have the option of voting in either primary. Each candidate answered the following prompts: 1. Tell us what in your background leads to your becoming a candidate. 2. Elaborate on two or three of those experiences. 3. How long have you lived in the Third Congressional District? 4. Congress is divided and gets little accomplished. What could you do about this? 5. What are your top three governmental goals?
Alex Walker
3. My family moved to the Western Slope when I was 20, after the death of my older brother, who struggled with many of the same mental health challenges confronting CD3's youth today. Adolescent suicide has skyrocketed in our district over the past 10 years. We can, and must, help them. Access to quality health care can save lives. But only if we focus on issues and electing a candidate who can win this seat, not a dotted line that changes every few years. 4. I’m ready to work with Democrats and Republicans to get things done. I’m a Democrat, but growing up in a conservative household taught me the value of listening and forging relationships with people. My personal politics are not relevant; the job of a representative is to represent. I have spent months crafting policy based on feedback from constituents on both sides of the aisle. That said, I will never compromise my values. We have to fight back against extremist MAGA lunatics like Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene who don’t want to accomplish anything except throw grenades and get nothing done. I’m ready to get to work.
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1. I love Colorado. It’s where I was raised, where I came out and I want to give back to our incredible state. I’m a mechanical engineer who knows how to fix things and, right now, CD3 has a representation problem in Congress that needs fixing. Lauren Boebert is a terrible representative who needs to go. She’s done nothing to improve the local economy, has never passed a single piece of legislation and pits people against each other using racism and homophobia, all while ignoring the real needs of her constituents. I lost a brother to mental health struggles in large part because Washington is utterly incapable of delivering basic dignities, like health care, to its constituents. It's time for a new generation of leadership with vision and grit. It's time for Democrats to play by the new rules of the game instead of sobbing over the old rulebook. The time for polite decorum is over. The fight for civil rights is now. 2. Coming out taught me about the power of acceptance and treating people with dignity and respect, which is part of why I’m running — to ensure everyone’s voice is heard regardless of their background. Boebert emboldens the hate of a vocal minority in our communities, and we need to stand up and take away her bully pulpit. Being a mechanical engineer in the private sector taught me the value of finding solutions to difficult challenges. My hope is to take that experience and work hard to fix the problems facing our district, including a struggling economy.
5. We need to get Colorado’s economy back on track. That means making Colorado a clean energy powerhouse that offers good-paying jobs to hardworking people. I’m also in favor of a billionaires tax to ensure they’re paying their fair share and not letting middle class Coloradans foot the bill for everything. And we need to stop predatory lending practices that are leaving so many families in debt. Investing in clean jobs will provide higher paychecks for our families, a future-focused Colorado economy and a cleaner and cooler planet for future generations. We must build on the Affordable Care Act to ensure families have greater access to the health care they need. With 40% of Americans unable to afford medicine, it’s time to rein in the pharmaceutical industry and stop the unnecessary price gouging that forces people to choose between buying groceries or taking their medicine. And, of course, codify access to abortion so women don’t lose control over their own bodies. Finally, it is every single American’s right to vote, and I will fight to ensure that right is never taken away. We need to make voting easier and more accessible and we have to fight back against the MAGA desire to stop people from voting, change the rules and steal elections. If Democrats do not stop the GOP's master plan to rob disenfranchised communities of the right to vote, we will never win another election again.
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6 • THE SOPRIS SUN • soprissun.com • May 26 - June 1, 2022
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