The race for the Democratic presidential nomination focuses on the big issues: health care, education, climate change – and who is best positioned to take on President Donald Trump in November.
Ahead of the March 3 primary, Colorado voters also will weigh the candidates’ views on the issues that are uniquely important here: public lands, fracking and what to do about a modern economy that is leaving swaths of rural America behind.
A Colorado Sun survey of the top candidates found strong differences on a number of key Western issues, from how they would approach the oil and gas industry to their vision for wildlife and America’s publicly owned parks. And several of them lack detailed plans to tackle critical regional problems, such as wildfires and the management of the Colorado River.
Three candidates – Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar – did not respond to The Sun’s questions. But in cases where they have spoken publicly about an issue, their responses are included.
On fracking and fossil fuels <PARAGRAPH style="Body text">
Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have taken the strongest stance against hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas, advocating for an outright ban on the technique.
Tom Steyer, who has backed anti-fracking campaigns in the past, wants to eliminate the practice, but only after a phase-out period that would invest $50 billion in programs for displaced workers. Similarly, Buttigieg wants to halt new fracking permits, and phase out existing operations.
The other three candidates have adopted a more moderate stance. Biden opposes a fracking ban, while Klobuchar and Michael Bloomberg have said they see natural gas as a transition fuel that is helping wean the country off coal.
Still, there’s widespread agreement on a few other issues. The candidates back methane rules that seek to limit emissions from the extraction process, and all but Bloomberg oppose new drilling on public lands. The former New York mayor instead proposes a temporary moratorium until there are new rules in place aimed at reducing emissions and increasing the fees and royalty payments owed by fossil fuel companies.
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All seven top-tier candidates support at least decriminalizing marijuana. And only Biden and Bloomberg do not outright support legalization. Bloomberg now says he wants to leave the matter up to the states, but he has repeatedly criticized the legalization movement in the past. His campaign says “the science on marijuana urges a ‘go slow’ approach until there is better medical evidence of its health effects.”
Bloomberg, Buttigieg, Steyer, Warren and Sanders support vacating past marijuana convictions. Most of the candidates also support efforts to make it easier for marijuana businesses to access financial services. Warren, Sanders and Klobuchar are co-sponsors of the SAFE Banking Act, and Steyer has expressed support. It’s not clear where Bloomberg, Biden and Buttigieg stand on the legislation, but the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has said that the status quo isn’t working.