La Plata 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.

Vivian Smotherman is running for Colorado's 6th Senate District. She is a Navy veteran, former farmer, and oil field worker.

Smotherman's priorities include addressing the housing crisis, improving rural healthcare access, and public education. As a former farmer herself, Smotherman is committed to sustainable agricultural growth. Smotherman has pledged to champion abortion rights and protect access to reproductive care in the legislature. Smotherman would make history as the first openly trans legislator in the Colorado Senate.

Anti-abortion former coal miner Republican Senator Cleave Simpson is running for re-election in Colorado Senate District 6. Simpson voted against capping the consumer price for insulin despite a high rate of diabetes in Senate District 6, and later voted against capping the price of EpiPens. Simpson also voted against numerous wildfire prevention bills.

Vivian Smotherman would bring progressive values and
diverse experience essential to representing Senate District 6.

Katie Stewart is running for Colorado House District 59. Stewart is a fourth-generation Durango native with extensive public service and volunteer experience ranging from the Durango EMS to the Durango 9-R Board of Education. She is dedicated to providing for her fellow rural Coloradans by funding education, developing health care infrastructure, and lowering the cost of living. Stewart also believes in stewarding relationships with the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute sovereign nations. She will support Native sovereignty through economic development and food access in the Capitol. Stewart champions reproductive freedoms and a mindful transition to renewable forms of energy.

Republican Clark Craig of the Republican party is also running. A pro-gun and pro-oil and gas candidate, Craig supports the expansion of law enforcement funding.

Stewart is the progressive choice in House District 59.

Marsha Porter-Norton is a Democrat running re-election to La Plata County Commissioner District 2. Prior to serving as County Commissioner, Porter-Norton was a small business owner and professional mediator. She grew up on a ranch near Cortez and understands agriculture and the need to address climate change as well as build an economy that can sustain families living in La Plata County.

As a commissioner, Porter-Norton. has prioritized housing, wildfire protections, and combatting opioid abuse. A long-time community leader and volunteer, Porter-Norton is running to ensure a safe and healthy community. This includes building housing that doesn't price out seniors or young families, continuing and completing the county's comprehensive plan, building out and improving La Plata's infrastructure, and protecting the county's water.

"Unaffiliated" candidate Jack Turner is running against Commissioner Porter-Norton. He is running out of concern over the County Land Use Code and a list of unlisted "unknowns."

Porter-Norton is a proven community leader and will work to advance progress in La Plata County. Candidates for the La Plata County Commission are elected at-large or county-wide.

Matt Salka is running for re-election to the LaPlata County Commission representing District 3. Salka is the former Mayor of Bayfield, and has served the community for decades.

A Fort Lewis graduate, Salka has both an IT consulting and a pest control business. As commissioner, he has and will continue to prioritize broadband access, workforce housing and public health in La Plata County. Moving forward, Commissioner Salka will continue to work to achieve attainable housing, improved infrastructure, and broadband access across La Plata County.

Charly Minkler, an "unaffiliated" homebuilder and rancher, is running to unseat Salka. Minkler is again running to keep local businesses in La Plata County.

Commissioner Matt Salka is the candidate that will keep La Plata County moving forward. Candidates for the La Plata County Commission are elected at-large or county-wide.

Incumbent Seth Murray is running for election in Colorado's 6th Judicial District. Murray served as the assistant district attorney for the District 6 from 2022 until February, when he was appointed to district attorney by Gov. Polis to replace Christian Champagne. Previously, he served as a public defender and an appellate deputy district attorney.

When he was appointed, Murray identified fentanyl, domestic violence, crimes involving firearms, sexual assault, and addiction as priority areas for his office. His commitment to supporting victims makes him the right progressive choice for District 6.