‘We’re going to get this seat back’: Bright vying to reclaim Senate District 13 for Republicans

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice

Scott Bright has an eye on reclaiming the Senate District 13 seat for Republicans in the Colorado Legislature.

The district overlays the 48th, 50th and 63rd Colorado House districts in the areas of Brighton, Greeley and largely the Hwy. 85 corridor. Senate District 13 had been held by Republican John Cooke, for a short term the minority leader in the Colorado Senate, but upon him becoming term-limited, the seat went to Democrat Kevin Priola following redistricting. Prior to Cooke, Republican Scott Renfroe held the seat for eight years.

“We’re going to get this seat back,” Bright said during a recent campaign event. “It is really important that we win this Senate seat, and a couple of other winnable seats.”

Among his top priorities would be property tax relief, protecting TABOR and opposing efforts to classify tax increases as “fees” to skirt TABOR, his website reads. Bright would support school choice, directing education spending to the classroom and for teacher pay increases, increasing education transparency and to rid the classroom of politics, he says.

Some of his other priority areas include eliminating unnecessary regulations, supporting the 2nd Amendment, protecting the 1st Amendment right of freedom of speech, ending cashless bail and the criminalization of fentanyl.

Bright will face Democrat Matt Johnston in the general election.

“If we lose [races like] these, we lose the ability to have common sense discussions in the legislature here in Colorado,” he said. “Right now, we’re hanging on by a thread to do that and we want to gain that ground back.”

Republicans are three seats from handing Democrats a super majority in both chambers of the Colorado Legislature.

“I’m real excited to champion for the hard-working families of Adams and Weld County,” Bright said. “I’m really excited to champion the voices of parents, and the raising of their kids. And, I’m really excited to bring this Senate seat back to Republicans.”

Bright is endorsed by the mayors of Evans, Fort Lupton, Gilcrest, Greeley, Platteville and by Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams.