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Ben Van Dyke wants to be voice of reason and of the people on Grand Junction City Council
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Ben Van Dyke wants to be voice of reason and of the people on Grand Junction City Council

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Independent-minded, solution-oriented, and practical pragmatism is what Ben Van Dyke says is missing on the current Grand Junction City Council. He intends to change all that, for the residents and businesspeople in Grand Junction, if he is elected to City Council in April. “I never thought that I would run for any political office, it was never something I had thought about until the disastrous way the Council handled the unhoused in our community, and then watched as they created another disaster with 4th and 5th Streets,” Van Dyke said. Van Dyke is a fourth-generation resident of Grand Junction, and his roots run deep in the Grand Valley. He is a father, husband and business owner. Since the late 1960s, his fam...
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Jefferson County Clerk Amanda Gonzalez is first Democrat to launch bid for Colorado secretary of state
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Jefferson County Clerk Amanda Gonzalez is first Democrat to launch bid for Colorado secretary of state

By Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun Jefferson County Clerk Amanda Gonzalez, a Democrat, launched a bid Monday to become Colorado’s secretary of state.  Gonzalez is the first major Democrat to jump into the 2026 contest that will determine who will be the state’s top election official. A handful of other prominent Democrats are expected to run for the job, too. “Voting is the way we express hope,” Gonzalez said in a written statement announcing her candidacy. “The way we show love for our community. The way we make our voices heard. I promise to safeguard Coloradans’ access to the ballot box and to fight for secure elections that work for every Colorado voter.” READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Phil Weiser’s campaign for Colorado governor off to hot start with $155k raised, he says
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Phil Weiser’s campaign for Colorado governor off to hot start with $155k raised, he says

By Marissa Ventrelli  | Colorado Politics Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said his gubernatorial campaign raised more than $155,000 a day after launching his campaign. Weiser announced his candidacy for governor on Thursday. It's customary for candidates to unveil their fundraising numbers shortly after announcing their campaign for elected office. The Weiser campaign also announced its leadership team, including campaign co-chairs Jeni Arndt, Mayor of Fort Collins; Omar Montgomery, a former Aurora mayoral candidate; Meg Porfido, a former chief of staff for the governor's office; and Ed Perlmutter, a former congressman.  READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Some concerned spring Lakewood election could have low voter turnout
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Some concerned spring Lakewood election could have low voter turnout

By Andrew Haubner | CBS Colorado Some residents of the municipality of Lakewood are concerned about the possibility of low turnout in an upcoming special election. There are two city council seats, Ward 3 and Ward 4 -- two of the largest wards in Lakewood -- that are up for grabs this year. Council member Rich Olver, who was known as a dissenting voice on the council, resigned and moved to Arizona. Resident Karen Morgan said his voice was needed in the face of a council that typically is in lockstep.  "[There are] little details that Rich would bring up and that was great," she told CBS Colorado, "and we won't have that." READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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Senate District 30 committee picks John Carson to serve Douglas County in 75th Legislature
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Senate District 30 committee picks John Carson to serve Douglas County in 75th Legislature

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice John Carson, an attorney and U.S. Marine Corps veteran who previously served as a Colorado regent, was selected Saturday through a vacancy committee to serve in the 75th Colorado Legislature in Senate District 30, representing Douglas County. The seat was previously held by Kevin Van Winkle, who was appointed in December as a Douglas County commissioner. Carson was selected in the first round of balloting by 52.2% of delegates present, defeating Kim Ransom and Priscilla Rahn. The Senate District 30 vacancy committee includes 168 people, with the 135 voting members Saturday qualifying as a quorum. Carson was elected to the Douglas County School Board in 2005 and from 2009-13 served as the president of that board. He was also selected in 201...
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AG Weiser first in the Democratic field for governor: ‘I’m committed to fighting for the people of Colorado’
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

AG Weiser first in the Democratic field for governor: ‘I’m committed to fighting for the people of Colorado’

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Attorney General Phil Weiser didn't waste any time in 2025 making his future intentions known. He was the first to declare a run in the Democratic field for governor. He announced the decision Thursday, Jan. 2, in a Twitter/X post on his personal account. https://twitter.com/pweiser/status/1874827618727657522 Gov. Jared Polis' second term in office expires at the end of 2026. The governor's office has a two-term limit. "Today, I’m announcing my candidacy for governor of Colorado," Weiser's post began on X. "There are many reasons why I’m running to lead this state I love, but the biggest reason is simple: I’m committed to fighting for the people of Colorado." Weiser was elected as attorney general in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. Th...
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Overbeck: What happens when Democrat Sec. of State Griswold’s office leaks secret election passwords?   Pretty much nada
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Overbeck: What happens when Democrat Sec. of State Griswold’s office leaks secret election passwords?   Pretty much nada

By Joy Overbeck  | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Just a few days before the Nov. 5 election, Colorado voters learned that Democrat Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s office had posted critical election machine passwords online, passwords that could make hundreds of Dominion voting machines in most of the state’s 64 counties vulnerable to outside meddling. Worse, Griswold had deliberately concealed this significant breach from the county clerks responsible for running the elections in their jurisdictions. As in most such government scandals, the cover-up debacle was more damaging than the original debacle. Or was it?  Immediately the hashtags #JailJena and #FreeTina started sprouting all over social media, referring to former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina P...
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Who will Democrats support for governor in 2026? Poll is inconclusive
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Who will Democrats support for governor in 2026? Poll is inconclusive

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics A majority of voters are undecided about their next choice for Colorado governor among a few potential Democratic aspirants. The poll only offered potential Democratic candidates.   The nonprofit Healthier Colorado released its findings of its first poll on the 2026 Democratic governor primary election. The poll asked Democrats and unaffiliated voters on four potential gubernatorial candidates: Colorado U.S. Rep Joe Neguse, Secretary of State Jena Griswold, Attorney General Phil Weiser, and former Colorado Attorney General and current ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar.  READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Kevin Van Winkle, set to leave Senate in a month, appointed by Gov. Polis as Douglas Co. commissioner
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Kevin Van Winkle, set to leave Senate in a month, appointed by Gov. Polis as Douglas Co. commissioner

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday appointed state Sen. Kevin Van Winkle of Highlands Ranch to the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners. Van Winkle replaced Lora Thomas, who resigned on Dec. 6. Van Winkle was elected to the commission on Nov. 5, succeeding Thomas, who was term-limited. Initially, he submitted a letter of resignation to the state Senate on Nov. 22, effective on Jan. 9, the day before the start of the 2025 legislative session. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Hillman: This ain’t your father’s Colorado
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Approved, Commentary, Mark Hillman

Hillman: This ain’t your father’s Colorado

By Mark Hillman | Commentary, MarkHillman.com If you’re 40 or older, today’s Colorado is very different politically than the state where you grew up – assuming you grew up here. Except for Lyndon Johnson’s landslide win over Barry Goldwater in 1964, no Democrat won more than 45% in Colorado between 1952 and 2000. When Bill Clinton won Colorado in 1992 (with 40% in a three-way race), we became a “swing state” in presidential races through 2008.  Three of those elections were decided by less than 5%. Republicans’ most decisive win in that era was George W. Bush by 8.4% in 2000.  Ranked by margin of victory, Colorado was then 19th most-Republican state, darker red than Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee, Florida or Iowa. READ THE FULL STORY AT MARKHILLMAN.COM Editor’s n...
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