Top Stories of 2024: Elections, password leaks, Tren de Aragua, Trump visit and more

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff

There’s one thing to say for 2024 in reflection — it wasn’t boring on the political front.

Along the way there were a dozen candidates for one highly coveted seat in the U.S. House, a once in three-decades special selection committee, a Secretary of State failing to keep passwords secure, the trial of Tina Peters, members of the GOP’s central committee unable to agree on leadership, a visit to the state from Donald J. Trump, gang violence in Aurora, Republican gains and much more.

Here’s a glance at some of the Colorado newsmakers and newsbreakers you may recall from 2024:

Judicial retention — Among the tasks left for voters on a long ballot was the daunting role they had to decide judicial retention of judges from the Colorado Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, to lower level judges. Some favored a sweeping ouster for all judges, and others a thoughtful review of each judge. The top read Rocky Mountain Voice story in 2024 was judicial retention recommendations on the Colorado Court of Appeals.

Libertarian Party v. Jena Griswold — In a twist almost no one could have predicted entering 2024, the Colorado Libertarian Party brought a case against Secretary of State Jena Griswold for a major password leak and coverup that earned a hearing for what the party’s counsel termed an “unprecedented mistake”. The plea was denied.

Wolves, wolves, wolves — If ever there was evidence needed for the rural-urban divide in Colorado, look no further than the release of wolves. It was a repeated theme of Rocky Mountain Voice’s coverage through the year, from a “come to Jesus” meeting with livestock raisers to repeated stories of depredation. As the calendar turns to 2025, there’s even the previously unexpected possibility which has been bandied about of the state suspending the program for cost savings.

Aurora on the national scene — The gang you had never heard of led to Aurora making national news in 2024. Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua brought attention to the Denver suburb, stemming from repeated stories of violent activities. It was the story many in the media claimed was a conservative “figment”, but which ultimately validated conservative claims.

GOP gets a split in U.S. House — With U.S. Reps. Ken Buck and Doug Lamborn leaving Congress and Rep. Lauren Boebert moving districts, it was anyone’s guess how the Colorado makeup in Congress might appear following Election Day. Some predicted losses in the 3rd District and the 8th District. Instead, Jeff Hurd won the district Boebert left and Gabe Evans upset Democrat Yadira Caraveo in the 4th District. With wins by Jeff Crank in the 5th District and Lauren Boebert in the 4th District, Republicans gained a seat in Congress.

Tina Peters trial — All eyes turned to Mesa County in 2024, as the trial for former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters took place. She was found guilty on three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, official misconduct, violation of duty and failure to comply with an order by the secretary of state. Supporters of Peters found a 9-year sentence incredibly harsh. Peters has since been transferred out of Mesa County’s jail to Larimer County.

Defeating the cat ban — A proposal that would have prevented hunting of bobcats, lynx and mountain lions was opposed by voters, a win for those who support experts making wildlife decisions and not ballot-box biology. The defeat means hunting of mountain lions will remain unchanged.

Who raided your TABOR refund? — The Democrat-dominated Colorado General Assembly passed 101 bills, leading to $2.8 billion in refund-eligible funds which taxpayers would not receive. The amount represented nearly half of the projected $6 billion in TABOR refunds expected over the next three years.

Donald Trump visits Colorado — If ever there was an event to energize Republicans, it was this. Donald Trump made good on a promise and visited the Colorado city of Aurora for a rally in advance of Election Day. He didn’t win the state’s Electoral College votes, but it may have been a difference in turning out more Republican voters who helped flip a number of state and federal seats.

A loss for the First Amendment — In perhaps a surprising move during the 74th Legislature, transparency was lessened. Gov. Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 24-157, supported by the legislature, to exempt lawmakers from the state’s open meetings law.

Here’s the full list of the top 20 stories our reader’s loved this year: