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Schumann: It’s a party in MAGA Country, as Trump’s return to White House signals a mandate for change
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Schumann: It’s a party in MAGA Country, as Trump’s return to White House signals a mandate for change

By Jen Schumann | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice When Americans awoke Nov. 6, following an Election Night which went into the wee hours of the early morning, they learned Donald J. Trump had been elected as the 47th U.S. President with 286 electoral votes, defeating Kamala Harris. The broad support of working-class Americans, resulting in Trump's win, signals a clear call to tackle the nation's pressing issues. Trump won important battleground states, including Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. This secured his victory. This election also marked the first time since 2004 that a Republican has won the national popular vote, a milestone CNN contributor Scott Jennings described as “a big deal.” According to sources from Associated Press and Decision Desk HQ, Trump’s w...
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Rinard loses CU board of regents bid in missed opportunity for Republicans
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Rinard loses CU board of regents bid in missed opportunity for Republicans

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Eric Rinard lost his bid at the at-large seat on the University of Colorado's board of regents Tuesday and with it Republicans lost an opportunity to earn a 5-4 majority on the board. The board of regents is comprised of one elected member from each U.S. House district in Colorado -- there are eight -- and one at-large seat. Republicans entered Election Night needing to defend two of the four seats it held and flip the at-large seat. Democrat Elliott Hood earned 50.5% of the 2,332,032 votes cast in the at-large election to defeat Rinard, who earned 46.8% of the vote, according to results with 72% of ballots reported. The election map read largely like President Donald Trump's in the state, with the Eastern Plains, Southern Colorado and the We...
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All eyes remain on 8th District race where Caraveo, Evans are split by 3,817 votes
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All eyes remain on 8th District race where Caraveo, Evans are split by 3,817 votes

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Whether Democrats will retain a majority or the seats will be a split for the Colorado caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives appears as if it will come down to the one race most political observers always anticipated. Republican Gabe Evans, a former police officer and veteran, is trailing Democrat Yadira Caraveo, a pediatrician, by 3,817 votes in a virtual replay of the 8th District U.S. House race from 2022, when it took some time before Caraveo was declared the winner over Barb Kirkmeyer. Caraveo leads Evans by 1.59%. The state requirement to trigger a recount is a difference of 0.5% or less. As was the case in 2022, the competitive district sets up as Weld County versus Adams County. In Weld County, Evans earned 57.6% of the vote ...
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Navarro flips 8th District seat on board of education, Democrats grasp on board loosened
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Navarro flips 8th District seat on board of education, Democrats grasp on board loosened

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Yazmin Navarro appears to have wrestled the 8th District seat on the State Board of Education away from Rhonda Solis, and with it loosened the Democratic Party's grasp on the board. The State Board of Education is comprised of one elected member from each U.S. House district in Colorado -- there are eight -- and one at-large seat. Republicans entered Election Night needing to defend two of the three seats it held and flip the 8th District seat. The 2nd District seat was uncontested by Republicans. Navarro, who ran on a platform of restoring education as a keystone in the success of young Coloradans, earned 51.0% of the 233,696 votes cast in the 8th District, defeating Democrat Rhonda Solis who had 49.0%, according to results Wednesday, Nov. 6...
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District court denies Libertarian Party’s plea for a hand-count of ballots in Colorado following password leak
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District court denies Libertarian Party’s plea for a hand-count of ballots in Colorado following password leak

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Denver District Court Judge Kandace Gerdes has denied an appeal to seek a hand-count of election returns and other relief sought by the Libertarian Party in a suit against Secretary of State Jena Griswold and the State of Colorado. Counsel for the Libertarian Party had argued the public disclosure of passwords on the secretary of state's website for a period lasting four months before removal was unprecedented, and so an unprecedented resolution was needed. The case was filed Friday, Nov. 1, and heard in Gerdes' courtroom Monday afternoon. https://rockymountainvoice.com/2024/11/unprecedented-mistake-by-secretary-griswold-calls-for-unprecedented-ruling-libertarian-party-argues-in-district-court "In dismissing the petition, the district...
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Colorado’s wolf reintroduction has cost taxpayers double what they expected when they voted to approve it
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Approved, Outdoor Life, State

Colorado’s wolf reintroduction has cost taxpayers double what they expected when they voted to approve it

By Dac Collins | Outdoor Life Bringing wolves back to Colorado has cost the state at least $4.8 million so far, according to a new financial analysis by The Denver Post. This is within the total amount appropriated by lawmakers, the Post reports. But it’s more than double the estimate that was given to Colorado voters during the 2020 election, when voters narrowly passed a ballot measure initiating wolf reintroduction by a margin of less than 1 percent. The Post’s analysis is based on a spending spreadsheet from Colorado Parks and Wildlife that was obtained through a public records request. The document breaks down all the expenses associated with CPW’s wolf reintroduction program, including the high cost of transporting and surveilling gray wolves. READ THE FULL STORY A...
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Colorado state government spending increases outpaced inflation, report says
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The Center Square, Approved, State

Colorado state government spending increases outpaced inflation, report says

By Tom Joyce | The Center Square Colorado has vastly grown its government spending over the past 20 years, according to a new report from Common Sense Institute. CSI's "Then and Now" report found that government spending in Colorado has vastly outpaced inflation over the last 20 years. Adjusted for inflation, the state government has increased spending by 35% in that stretch from $5,140 per Coloradoan to $6,924. Healthcare is a big reason for that spending increase over the last 20 years. The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing grew its budget by 429% from Fiscal Year 2005 to Fiscal Year 2025, from $3 billion to $15.9 billion; that department went from 22% of the budget to 37%. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE CENTER SQUARE
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Entering Election Day, 62% of ballots had been cast, with Democrat women holding a 104,241 lead over GOP women
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Entering Election Day, 62% of ballots had been cast, with Democrat women holding a 104,241 lead over GOP women

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice More than a third of all active Colorado voters had not cast a ballot entering Election Day, a report from the secretary of state's office reads. Coloradans had cast 2,507,472 ballots as of the opening of polls on Election Day. There were 4,045,182 active voters as of that time. Colorado is a same-day registration state. As of the start of Election Day, 61.9% of registered voters have cast ballots. Unaffiliated voters have cast 43.1% of all ballots cast entering Election Day. Republicans have outperformed their registrations, with 26.8% of all ballots cast and Democrats matching their registrations with 28.4% of ballots cast. Republicans represent 23.3% of all registered voters. The ballot tally as of the start of Election Day indicates of...
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An open letter to voters from Mesa County Clerk Bobbie Gross
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

An open letter to voters from Mesa County Clerk Bobbie Gross

By Bobbie Gross | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice As your Mesa County clerk​ & recorder, I am deeply committed to the transparency, security, and integrity of our elections. I want to address a recent oversight by the secretary of state’s office, which inadvertently published BIOS passwords — one of the many layers that protect our voting equipment. I assure you that your vote remains secure and will be counted accurately. Our election system, here in Mesa County, is protected by multiple layers of security. Access to voting equipment is strictly limited to authorized personnel who pass background checks, and every entry and exit from secure areas is logged. These areas are monitored by 24/7 surveillance cameras, and we are immediately alerted to any unusual activity. O...
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It’s Election Day in Colorado. Here’s detail on how to vote in-person or via drop box
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It’s Election Day in Colorado. Here’s detail on how to vote in-person or via drop box

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Election Day has finally arrived in Colorado and across the country, and gone is the opportunity to cast a ballot by mail. Registered voters may cast a ballot until 7 p.m. today via a county voting center or by drop box. Polls close at 7 p.m. “Today is Election Day, and every eligible Coloradan should have their voice heard," said Secretary of State Jena Griswold. "No matter your age, skin color, or ZIP code, every voter has a say in our democracy." More detail on where to cast a ballot and other instructional material is available at GoVoteColorado.gov or through a voter's county clerk's website. Election Night reporting of results will be available sometime after 7 p.m. on the live Secretary of State's elections page. Typically, resul...
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