Garfield County

Vice President Kamala Harris is the Democratic nominee to serve as the 47th President of the United States. The daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, Harris' election would represent a historic achievement for women and underrepresented communities across the nation.

Born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California, Harris attended the historically Black Howard University, then graduating from University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. Harris was elected in 2003 as District Attorney of San Francisco, working to reduce recidivism and combat injustice against vulnerable populations. In 2010, Harris was elected California's Attorney General, winning re-election in 2014 before successfully running for the U.S. Senate in 2016. In 2020, Harris was chosen by now-President Joe Biden to serve as the first woman Vice President of the United States.

During Harris' term in the U.S. Senate, she played a central role in fighting back against Donald Trump's Supreme Court Justice appointments, defending the Affordable Care Act that millions of Americans rely on, and working across the aisle on immigration and criminal justice issues. As Vice President, Harris broke a record number of tie votes to pass critical legislation. Harris has promised to sign in to law legislation restoring the abortion rights protections eliminated by the repeal of Roe v. Wade.

Harris' running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, is one of the nation's strongest and most effective progressive chief executives. From humble beginnings as a school teacher and 24 years of enlisted military service, Walz has channeled that experience into tireless advocacy for progressive solutions to the problems faced his state and the nation. As Governor of Minnesota, Walz signed free school meals, abortion rights, and universal background checks for gun purchases into law.

Harris' opponent in the 2024 President race, former President Donald Trump, was ruled ineligible by the Colorado Supreme Court for the presidential ballot on the basis of the 14th Amendment prohibition on candidates for office who have engaged in insurrection. This ruling removing Trump from the ballot was invalidated by the U.S. Supreme Court, but the finding that Trump had engaged in insurrection was not addressed in their decision. Trump continues to assert that he won the 2020 presidential election despite no evidence to support that claim ever emerging. As President, Trump appointed three far-right Justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, skewing the court's bias for a generation and directly resulting in the repeal of the historic Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing abortion rights. Massive tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans signed into law by Trump helped result in historic deficits under his administration and his successor. After losing the 2020 Presidential election, Trump's refusal to admit defeat resulted in the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021, an event Trump hoped would disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.

The 2024 Presidential election represents both the clearest and most important choice for American voters in generations. For the sake of the rule of law and American democracy, Kamala Harris is the progressive choice to be the next President of the United States.
 

Adam Frisch is running for Congress in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, a seat currently held by one of the most controversial members of Congress, Rep. Lauren Boebert, who announced in December of 2023 she would run in the 4th District rather than face Frisch in a rematch after barely winning the race by 546 votes in 2022. Before running for Congress, Frisch served the residents of Aspen and Pitkin County as an Aspen city councilor and the chairman of the Pitkin County financial review committee. Frisch is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in economics.

If elected, Frisch has promised to lead with the priorities of the Third District first and partisan considerations second, and has vowed to represent stakeholders on all sides of the economic and environmental issues affecting Western and Southern Colorado.

Frisch's Republican opponent Jeff Hurd is an attorney with the Ireland Stapleton firm based in Grand Junction and has no experience in elected office. Hurd has expressed support for Donald Trump's anti-immigrant and natural resource exploitation agenda. Hurd was endorsed in the GOP primary by a number of Republican elected officials over Boebert including former Gov. Bill Owens.

The Third Congressional District is drawn with a significant but not insurmountable Republican advantage. Adam Frisch is without question the better candidate to represent the Third Congressional District.

Ellen Angeles is the Democratic candidate running for the Colorado State Board of Education to represent Colorado's 3rd Congressional District to replace the outgoing Stephen Varela. Angeles earned a graduate degree from Colorado Mesa University, and has taught K-12 education across the Western Slope.

Angeles' opponent is Republican Sherri Wright, a former member of the Montezuma-Cortez School District RE-1 school board. Wright has said that the Colorado legislature is "overstepping" its authority in protecting children from discrimination.

Angeles is the progressive choice to represent the 3rd Congressional District on the Colorado State Board of Education.

Robert Logan is the Democratic candidate running for the University of Colorado Board of Regents to represent Colorado's 3rd Congressional District. A native of Durango, Logan is a graduate of Fort Lewis College and the Denver Seminary. Logan taught in public schools for a total of 27 years, including 10 years at Durango High School. Logan is running to support CU's 36,000 employees, reduce the cost of higher education on students, and encourage students to consider a career in public education.

Logan's Republican opponent is former state Sen. Ray Scott, who has no experience in public education with a background in the oil and gas industry before running for political office. Scott is perhaps most famous for a lawsuit he settled after unlawfully blocking a constituent on social media. Scott was criticized after using his position as a lawmaker to threaten a business partner after making late payments for products.

Robert Logan is the clear choice to honestly represent Colorado's 3rd Congressional District on the University of Colorado Board of Regents.

Elliott Hood the Democratic candidate running for an at-large (statewide) seat on the University of Colorado Board of Regents. Hood is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Hood currently serves on the Boulder Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Hood is a former fifth-grade teacher who became an attorney for school districts, involved in litigation to defend COVID-19 safety measures and protections against discrimination. Hood served as vice chairman of the Colorado Disability Funding Committee. Hood is running to keep the CU system affordable and fight for the rights of campus workers.

Hood's Republican opponent Eric Rinard is an engineer and graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder, and serves as a board member at the Aspen Ridge Preparatory School charter school in Erie.

Elliott Hood is the recommended progressive choice to serve statewide on the University of Colorado Board of Regents.

Democrat Cole Buerger is running to represent Colorado Senate District 5. As a Western Slope native, 5th generation rancher, and long-time resident of Glenwood Springs, Buerger will champion rural communities struggling with the economy, growth, and Western Slope water. Buerger is a dedicated community member, serving on the Garfield County Planning and Zoning Board, the Middle Colorado Watershed Council, and Colorado River Valley Economic Development Partnership.

As a business owner himself, Buerger will champion economic development to helping small businesses grow. Buerger will focus will on increasing funding for rural infrastructure and to help build natural disaster resilience from wildfires. He will to work to lower the cost of living, and fight to protect civil rights and public land.

Buerger is running against Republican Marc Catlin - the current State Representative for House District 58. Catlin has voted against environmental regulations and gun safety measures.

Cole Buerger is the progressive choice for Colorado Senate District 5.

Elizabeth Velasco is running for reelection to Colorado House District 57. A small business owner and the daughter of immigrants, Rep. Velasco has lived in Pitkin, Eagle, and Garfield counties for over 20 years. An experienced community leader and advocate, Velasco served as a Public Information Officer for Wildland Fire. She has worked in the service, healthcare, nonprofit, and local government industries. Rep. Velasco has championed solutions to climate change, lowered costs for working families, increased access to health care, supported immigrant rights, and funded small business development. As a State Representative, she has sponsored bills regarding public knowledge of hazardous chemicals released through oil and gas operations, rights for mobile home owners, and the secure storage of firearms in motor vehicles.

Opposing Velasco is Republican Caleb Waller. Waller seeks an anti-public education "Parental Bill of Rights" that would allow individual parents the ability to control the statewide public education curriculum. He also supports TABOR (Taxpayers Bill of Rights) expansion and opposes regulation and accountability for oil and gas corporations.

Rep. Velasco is the progressive choice for House District 57.

Caitlin Carey is an attorney, mother, and member of the New Castle Town Council. Carey is running for Garfield County Commissioner District 2. She is looking to move Garfield County forward by prioritizing housing, transportation, and the environment. 

Carey seeks to bring Garfield County out of its isolationism to begin working on issues with neighboring communities to address regional issues for all Garfield County residents. Further, Carey will work to purchase and protect the Shoshone Water Right - safeguarding Colorado River water which is the backbone of West Slope agriculture, fishing, recreation, and drinking water. She believes that government should be transparent, accountable, and collaborative. She believes that making decisions based on personal material assessments is inappropriate and that the Commissioners' commandeering of the Library Board takes away citizen input and transparency in a public resource. 

Outgoing state legislator Perry Will is also running for Commissioner District 2. Will also believes that affordable housing, workforce development, West Slope water, public safety, and more are the critical issues facing Garfield County. Rep. Will also believes in "protecting children from pornography" in public libraries and sees federal mandates as a major issue for the County. 

Carey is the progressive running to represent Garfield County. 

Carey will prioritize Garfield County's residents and work to address the issues that matter most to local families. 

Garfield County Commissioner Candidates are voted on by the entire county.
 

Democrat, Steven Arauza is running for Garfield County Commissioner District 3. Arauza is a geologist and career public servant. As a state employee, he has spent over a decade working in the oil fields and on common sense oil and gas regulation. Arauza also serves as a member of Colorado WINS, the state employees union. 

Arauza would bring a Latino voice to the county commission and currently serves on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Environmental Justice Board. If elected to the commission, Arauza would focus on addressing the housing crisis, improving access to health care, mental health care, and child care. He will prioritize collaboration, the needs of working families in Garfield County who rely on the transportation system, and protecting the County's natural resources. 

Arauza is challenging incumbent Commissioner Mike Samson for District 3. A long-time county commissioner, Mike has been a strong proponent of oil and gas and sponsored the resolution to keep Garfield County a "non-sanctuary county." During his tenure, Samson has proven himself an oil and gas, anti-immigrant conservative. 

Arauza is the progressive choice for Garfield County District 3. 

The Garfield County Commissioner's race will be voted on at-large.