Now the primaries are over, there are less than five months until the general election. Thousands of Coloradans across the state have identified a range of issues they want candidates competing for their votes in November to focus on.
Key concerns include democracy and good government, the economy, the environment, immigration, and abortion.
These insights come from a survey conducted by dozens of local newsrooms, asking voters about their top priorities ahead of the elections.
Conservatives in the survey prioritized immigration and the economy, followed by the state of the government.
Moderates and liberals chose democracy and good government as their top issue by a wide margin.
27-year-old Evanne Caviness who lives in Bayfield in southwest Colorado, responded to the Durango Herald’s survey.
Caviness lives in CD 3, and as a rancher, she stresses the importance of agricultural representation. She believes that the district's congressperson should serve on the House Agriculture Committee.
“We have communities, Montrose, Delta, Fruita, the whole Western Slope is very historically agricultural. And even if this person doesn't come from an agricultural background, they should take a seat on that committee so that they can then hear the voices of their constituents and be a representative for us on those issues that matter,” she said.
The Voter Voices Survey is part of an initiative by the Colorado News Collaborative, involving over 60 newsrooms across the state, to listen to and report on what matters most to Colorado voters.
Last Saturday, An accident during a family rafting trip on the Colorado River near Glenwood Springs claimed the life of a Garfield County resident.
There have been at least 20 water-related deaths in Colorado this year.
People are urged to be extra cautious in water and to wear life jackets when recreating on lakes and rivers.
The US Department of Agriculture announced last week that the Delta-Montrose Electric Association will receive millions of dollars in federal funds to help its transition to renewable energy.
The utility is one of two Colorado recipients of the federal Powering Affordable Clean Energy program which aims to reduce electricity costs and spur growth for rural communities.
The utility plans a big solar array and battery storage with the new $72 million federal loan, thirty million of which is forgivable.
DMEA’s Chief Technology Officer, Kent Blackwell says it’s a big win for western Colorado.
“This is a huge win for the Delta Montrose Counties. $72 million loan…40 percent of it forgiven, Investment Tax Credit potential to take that up to 90 percent project forgiveness. So it makes local generation quite affordable. So what would be a 96 million project otherwise, we're having to invest a much smaller amount out of our capital funds to make this happen. So it is a huge win for the Western Slope and certainly for our members as a whole,” he said.