Rocky Mountain Voice

Author: Brian Porter

Colorado primary turnout at 30.5% as of mid-Election Day report
Approved, National, Rocky Mountain Voice

Colorado primary turnout at 30.5% as of mid-Election Day report

By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice Election Day voting pushed turnout above 30.5% Tuesday and Republican Party primary ballots past 600,000, an 11 a.m. report from the secretary of state’s office detailed. There have been 1,155,302 ballots cast among 3,786,720 registered voters, with 59.1% of returned and counted ballots being voted in the Republican Party’s primary election. Ballots cast in the Democratic Party’s primary election trails by 18.3%, with 140,272 ballots in process. Unaffiliated voters have cast about 37.9% of all ballots in the primary election, with those voters casting 438,399 ballots. Almost half of the unaffiliated ballots cast – 204,172 – have been cast in the Republican Party’s primary, with 94,037 cast in the Democratic Party’s primary. Voting from...
Reminder: Head to the polls today to weigh in on Presidential primary
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Reminder: Head to the polls today to weigh in on Presidential primary

By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice About one-quarter of registered voters statewide had cast a ballot in a party primary entering Monday. Election Day is today, March 5. Among the 838,903 ballots to have been processed, 58.6% have been in the Republican Party. Ballots cast in the Democratic Party primary are trailing by 17.4%. Unaffiliated voters have returned 356,940 ballots, of which 161,274 have been in the Republican Party’s primary and 120,317 of which are being processed. Today, voters will have a couple of options. First, a completed ballot may still be cast at a drop box location through 7 p.m. Also, voters may cast a ballot in-person at the voting center in their county of residence. The last day for a county clerk to receive a ballot by mail is today. Polls are o...
Sonnenberg wins 4th District straw poll in Holyoke, his second straw poll victory
Approved, Eastern Plains, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Sonnenberg wins 4th District straw poll in Holyoke, his second straw poll victory

By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice The candidate that emerges in Colorado’s 4th District to represent the eastern third of the state in Congress will have a tall order – to serve a predominately urban population along the Front Range and a mostly rural population along the furthest reaches of the Eastern Plains. Jerry Sonnenberg may have begun making the case he is one who can do it, winning his second straw poll in the district Sunday at a tri-county forum held in Holyoke. The combined Phillips, Sedgwick and Yuma County event drew a crowd of about 200-250 and Sonnenberg came away with 55 of the 184 votes cast to take 29.9% of the vote. Ted Harvey gathered 38 votes to finish second and Lauren Boebert was third with 30 votes. Boebert had won a previous straw poll in Windsor...
Sunday lineup: Where Republicans will appear in TV programming on March 3
Approved, National, Rocky Mountain Voice

Sunday lineup: Where Republicans will appear in TV programming on March 3

By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice There are many opportunities to catch up with Republicans serving in Congress, those on the campaign trail and former party leaders during this week’s Sunday programming. Here’s a glance at where you can find them on Sunday, March 3: ABC “This Week”: South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds. Also, Reince Priebus, who served as chairman of the Republican National Committee and later as White House chief of staff, on a panel. CBS “Face the Nation”: Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan and Ohio Rep. Mike Turner. CNN “State of the Union”: Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin. Also, former Presidential candidate Scott Walker, on a panel. Fox “Fox News Sunday”: Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Florida Rep. Byron Donalds. Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures”: Ohio Sen. J....
Frisch commits to support Joe Biden in Democratic forum
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, Western Slope

Frisch commits to support Joe Biden in Democratic forum

By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice Adam Frisch, unopposed in his second primary run as a Democrat in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, has flipped on his previous position to let the “presidential race play out and see what happens." He previously lost the seat to Republican Lauren Boebert in 2022, who has since relocated to Windsor in the 4th District, where she is vying to return to Congress. In an Axios Denver report in August 2023, Frisch indicated he would not support President Joe Biden. Biden’s favorability was 20 points under water in 3rd District polling at the time, Axios reported. In a Demoractic forum last week, Frisch sang a different tune when pressed on whether he would support the Democratic Party’s nominee – presumedly Joe Biden – or his longtim...
Only 22% of Coloradans have voted in Presidential primary, with 5% more voting GOP over Democrat ballot
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Only 22% of Coloradans have voted in Presidential primary, with 5% more voting GOP over Democrat ballot

What to know: Republicans have a write-in option, but who can be voted as a write-in? What happens if you vote a candidate who has suspended their campaign? By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice Of those Coloradans eligible to cast a ballot in the Republican Party’s presidential primary election, only 15.3% have done so, according to data provided Friday by the Colorado secretary of state’s office through the close of Thursday’s reporting. It leads those eligible to cast a Democratic Party ballot and having done so by 4.9%. It has been slow going thus far, with just short of 22% of all voters casting a ballot, and with women leading men in ballots cast. With 108,200 ballots in process Friday and with Election Day looming on Tuesday, March 5, it could be a low turnout fo...
MEET THE CANDIDATES: Flora lays out ‘Roadmap to Restoring America’ during visit to Fort Morgan
Approved, fortmorgantimes.com, State

MEET THE CANDIDATES: Flora lays out ‘Roadmap to Restoring America’ during visit to Fort Morgan

By BRIAN PORTER | The Fort Morgan Times The winding path of the campaign trail in Colorado’s Congressional District 4 – from suburban areas to the far reaches of the Eastern Plains and all places in between – can offer the chance to identify many problems. That’s only part of the job of the next member of Congress, Deborah Flora says. She created a “Roadmap to Restoring America”, which attempts to identify both problems and solutions. “We can talk about the problems all day long, but what are the solutions?” Flora asked during a campaign stop in Fort Morgan. “It is easy to identify the problems. I wanted to put out a roadmap for the solutions.” READ THE FULL STORY AT THE FORT MORGAN TIMES
Hartsook: Record-setting session dominated by ‘extreme Progressive’ wing of Democrat party
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Hartsook: Record-setting session dominated by ‘extreme Progressive’ wing of Democrat party

By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice The speed with which legislation is flowing in the Colorado Legislature is unprecedented, Rep. Anthony Hartsook told constituents Wednesday in a newsletter. Hartsook serves Douglas County residents in House District 44. “The legislature is well on its way to a record or near-record year for the volume of legislation,” he wrote. “I continue to fight for tax relief, parental rights, public safety, veterans and small business.” In an address Saturday to Weld County residents, Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer predicted bill count could reach 1,000. The bill total presently sits at 470. Hartsook sponsored House Bill 1156, which would allow issuance of a special event permit to a chamber of commerce and its members related to events where alcohol m...
Report: ‘People think this is the marijuana they used in college. It is not.’
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Report: ‘People think this is the marijuana they used in college. It is not.’

One Chance to Grow Up details dangers of today’s marijuana on children By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice COLORADO SPRINGS – When marijuana was legalized in Colorado more than a decade ago, it became apparent action would be needed to protect youth and One Chance to Grow Up was formed, co-founder Doug Robinson told a group of business leaders here last week. “Colorado was the first state to legalize it,” he said. “We decided we had to do something about it. We had to focus on protecting kids.” The citizen-led and funded non-profit was formed and, in the 11 years since marijuana was legalized, has impacted 37 pieces of legislation aimed at improving outcomes for children. In the early years of the campaign, focus was toward child-resistant packaging, labeling and warn...
Disabled American Veterans facing statewide shortage of vehicles, drivers to take veterans to VA appointments
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Disabled American Veterans facing statewide shortage of vehicles, drivers to take veterans to VA appointments

By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice Veterans from the distant regions of the Western Slope to the Eastern Plains are met with a challenge in order to receive medical treatment. There are three Veterans Affairs medical centers serving the state, and only one actually in the state. Many veterans take appointments in Cheyenne, Wyo., and others in Albuquerque, N.M. That often means transportation is needed, even to get to an appointment at the Denver location. The solution is Colorado’s Disabled American Veterans’ transportation program, but there exists a shortage of vehicles and drivers. “We just purchased five more vehicles and at least three will need to go to Northeast Colorado,” said Benito Gonzales, adjutant and treasurer for the Colorado DAV. “These new vehicles repl...