By RMV Editorial Board
This list wasn’t built in a meeting. It formed over time, story by story, as readers decided what was worth stopping for.
What follows are the 25 RMV stories that held attention in 2025—and didn’t let go.
Looking across the year’s top 25 stories revealed patterns, which we reflect on at the end.
1. School unions gave $11K to Jeffco candidate who admitted to a sealed juvenile sexual offense
RMV reported that a Jefferson County school board candidate privately acknowledged a sealed juvenile sexual offense while receiving financial support from education unions. The story documented information voters did not have before ballots were cast and raised questions about disclosure, trust, and institutional accountability in school leadership.
2. What Colorado redacted from a federal prison letter—and why it matters
This report examined a Bureau of Prisons letter requesting custody of Tina Peters and compared the redacted public release with the unredacted version obtained by RMV. The differences showed how key context was withheld and how state officials controlled what information the public was allowed to see.
3. “They didn’t think I had it”: Tina Peters on evidence, betrayal, and faith behind bars
Based on an in-person jail visit, RMV detailed Peters’ account of evidence introduced at trial, the limits placed on her defense, and her daily life in custody. The story offered firsthand insight into how election-related cases intersect with criminal procedure, incarceration, and the appeals process.
4. “The DOJ can take a hike”: Jena Griswold rejects federal demand for voter data
RMV reported that Griswold refused a DOJ request for unredacted voter data. The story showed how that decision leaves Colorado outside a growing wave of federal enforcement while voter-roll concerns remain unresolved.
5. Remembering Charlie Kirk: Colorado memorial service set for Sunday
This story covered a Colorado memorial service for Charlie Kirk, including remarks from faith leaders, public figures, and community members. It documented how a national tragedy was felt locally and how Coloradans came together in response.
RMV reported on a virtual rally that brought together Mesa County residents and national election integrity advocates calling on Gov. Jared Polis to grant clemency to former clerk Tina Peters. The reporting captured concerns raised about due process, free speech, and how election-related cases are being handled.
7. Colorado schools win landmark settlement protecting female athletes
This article detailed a legal settlement affecting Colorado schools that clarified protections for female athletes under existing law. The outcome marked a significant moment in how sex-based protections are interpreted and applied in school sports.
8. The man Polis vowed to destroy: Kevin Kauffman’s final fight for truth and legacy
RMV examined claims by energy executive Kevin Kauffman that state regulators, under Gov. Jared Polis, targeted his company through escalating enforcement actions. The story traced regulatory pressure alongside Kauffman’s personal and professional history to show how policy decisions affect individual livelihoods.
9. Same week, same county, different response: Inside the Elk and Lee fires
RMV compared emergency responses to two wildfires that broke out in the same county during the same week. The reporting raised questions about resource allocation, decision-making, and how geography and policy shape emergency outcomes.
10. “They called us hateful”: Colorado parents see their story reflected in Supreme Court ruling
This story followed Colorado parents who said they were labeled hateful after objecting to school instruction involving gender ideology. RMV connected their experience to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that affirmed parental rights and limits on school authority.
11. What Xcel promised regulators—and what customers were told—before Dec. 17 shutoff warnings
RMV analyzed Xcel Energy’s filings with regulators alongside public communications sent to customers ahead of planned power shutoffs. The story showed how regulatory disclosures and consumer messaging differed and what that gap meant for public trust.
This investigation examined changes made to Arapahoe County’s 2020 cast vote records years after the election. RMV reported on expert analysis suggesting the records were altered without public notice or accountability.
RMV reported on how two Front Range towns used a little-known regulatory provision to force extensive remediation orders against an oil and gas operator. The story detailed how Rule 211 was applied and what it revealed about regulatory power and land-use disputes.
14. Henry Ford’s vaccine study backfired—and parents weren’t supposed to see it
This story examined an unpublished Henry Ford Health study comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated children. RMV reported on data that contradicted public assurances and raised questions about transparency in public health research.
15. A town on edge: Inside the Erie mail threats that resulted in no charges
RMV reported on politically charged mail threats sent to residents in Erie and why prosecutors declined to file charges despite admissions. The reporting walked readers through the facts on record, the decision not to prosecute, and what the incident did to a town’s sense of safety.
16. Polis signs SB25-003 into law after months of protest and 95,000 petitions
The reporting traced the bill’s movement through amendments and final approval, alongside a months-long build of public opposition and petition drives. RMV documented how the bill became law quietly despite ongoing resistance.
17. Colorado Democrats ram through radical immigration bill with last-minute amendments
RMV covered the late-stage amendment process that reshaped a major immigration bill during the legislative session. The story detailed procedural moves that limited debate and altered enforcement authority.
18. Debate erupts as Eagle County high school students launch TPUSA chapters
This story followed high school students in Eagle County who formed Turning Point USA chapters and faced organized opposition. RMV reported on the legal framework governing student speech and how school officials responded.
19. Analyst to reveal altered Arapahoe 2020 CVR at Tuesday Capitol press conference
RMV previewed a Capitol press conference where an election data analyst planned to present evidence of altered cast vote records. The story explained what CVRs are, why they matter, and what questions the analysis raised ahead of public scrutiny.
20. Two doors and an insurance policy: Inside the legal backstops in Tina Peters’ October 16 hearing
This report examined motions and testimony from a key October hearing in Tina Peters’ case. RMV explained how procedural rules, evidentiary limits, and appellate posture shaped what the court could consider.
21. Free speech tested: Fort Lewis TPUSA students persevere with faith, composure, and resolve
RMV covered a student government decision denying recognition to a TPUSA chapter at Fort Lewis College. The story documented the process, student testimony, and broader questions about viewpoint neutrality on campus.
22. Silent signature, rising resistance: HB1312 becomes law, but parents vow to fight on
This story documented Gov. Jared Polis’ quiet signing of HB1312 and the immediate response from parents and advocacy groups. RMV detailed what remained in the law after amendments and how opposition shifted following enactment.
23. Permits denied, leases lost: Inside the MOU reshaping oil and gas production in Colorado
RMV examined a memorandum of understanding between state and federal agencies that reshaped permitting authority over oil and gas operations. The reporting showed how regulatory power shifted through interagency channels, raising questions.
During El Paso County’s post-election canvass, county officials discovered vote totals that did not match figures published by the Secretary of State. RMV reported on how the mismatch was identified, how long it remained unresolved, and why the state ultimately pulled the data from public view without explaining the discrepancy.
25. Michelle Chandler stopped a predator—and uncovered victims who may never know
RMV reported on a Lakewood woman who intervened when she realized she was being filmed in a dressing room and later learned the suspect had recorded other women as well. The story documented how evidence was lost, why additional victims were never identified, and how one woman’s action exposed gaps in how these cases are investigated and prosecuted.
What readers stayed with in 2025
The 25 stories ranked above reflect what Colorado readers chose to spend time with in 2025. This list was not assembled through editorial preference or hindsight. It is shaped by reader engagement over the course of the year and, taken together, it offers a picture of what held attention and why.
Across the list, one pattern surfaced quickly. Readers did not gravitate toward reaction for its own sake. They stayed with reporting that showed its work, followed the record, and traced consequences.
Receipts over rhetoric
What connected the Top 25 was documentation.
Stories involving sealed records, redacted correspondence, and data removed from public view consistently drew sustained attention. Readers responded when reporting moved past assertion and into evidence.
Whether the subject involved elections, education, courts, energy policy, or public safety, engagement followed stories that put primary records on the table and explained how decisions were made.
Readers did not need to be told what to think.
They wanted to see how authority was exercised and what information supported it.
Institutions under scrutiny
Many of the most-read stories shared another trait. They examined institutions at moments of stress.
School boards, courts, election offices, regulatory agencies, and executive offices appeared repeatedly throughout the list. Engagement followed reporting that tested whether those systems functioned as expected when faced with scrutiny, legal limits, or competing authority.
These stories were not built around personalities alone. They focused on process. Readers did not assume trust. They examined it.
When policy reached families and communities
Reader engagement sharpened when consequences landed close to home.
Stories involving parents, students, voters, landowners, and local residents consistently outperformed those framed only in abstract terms. Even legally dense or regulatory reporting held attention when the impact on families or communities was clear.
That pattern suggests readers did not disengage from complexity. They disengaged from distance.
When decisions made at higher levels showed up in classrooms, neighborhoods, or courtrooms, readers stayed with the reporting.
Persistence mattered more than speed
Several of the highest-performing stories did not peak in a single news cycle. They unfolded over time.
Follow-through mattered. Readers returned when each installment added new facts, documents, or firsthand accounts rather than repeating earlier claims. Reporting tied to election records, court proceedings, school governance, and regulatory enforcement benefited from patience and continuity.
In 2025, being first mattered less than being thorough.
Biography as a way to understand power
A number of top stories used individual experience as a way to explain larger systems.
These were not personality profiles in the traditional sense. They were accountability stories anchored in lived consequences.
Readers engaged when policy stopped being abstract and became tangible, when authority could be traced through real outcomes for real people.
Personal stories helped explain how authority is exercised.
What surprised the editorial board
One clear surprise was how well technically dense reporting performed.
Stories heavy with documents, statutes, filings, and procedural detail held attention when speculation was avoided and the reporting stayed grounded.
Another was how engagement often grew over time rather than spiking immediately. Readers stayed with stories that earned trust gradually through verification.
The data reinforced a simple conclusion. Accuracy compounds.
The role readers played in shaping this reporting
Many of the stories on this list began the same way. A parent reached out. A resident shared a document. A public employee described what they had seen firsthand. A local official picked up the phone.
Those tips pointed toward stories that needed careful verification before they could be told.
That trust shaped much of the reporting readers stayed with in 2025. That trust matters. It isn’t taken lightly.
What this list carries into 2026
The patterns reflected in this list will continue to guide RMV’s reporting. The work doesn’t stop at the first headline. It continues by staying close to the record and following stories as long as the facts keep moving.
Throughout the year, RMV heard from Coloradans who took the time to document concerns and put real records on the table.
We’re grateful to those who shared CORA documents and firsthand accounts that helped move reporting forward. Documents and firsthand accounts can be shared with RMV at [email protected].
Readers made their priorities clear, and RMV’s work takes its cue from that.
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