Two of the candidates vying for a spot on the Republican governor ballot visited Cortez this week.
Doug Robinson met with a group of Montezuma County Republicans on Thursday, and Greg Lopez visited the chapter’s headquarters on Friday.
Robinson, a former investment banker who petitioned onto the primary ballot, promoted his ideas on how to improve education and health care in the state.
Lopez, the former mayor of Parker, emphasized his desire to represent rural Colorado as well as the Front Range.
In a small gathering over appetizers at Jack and Janelle’s Country Kitchen Thursday evening, Robinson, who has never run for public office before, touted his past achievements in the Denver area. He mentioned his role in founding the organization Smart Colorado, which lobbies for regulations on the state’s marijuana industry in an attempt to keep young children away from the drug. He also discussed his plan to raise teachers’ wages by giving schools incentives to move their funds from administration to the classroom.
“I think we need to pay teachers more, but without a big tax increase,” he said.
He also discussed the need for affordable health care, and suggested the state government start by requiring medical professionals to disclose the price of each service before providing it to patients.
The handful of attendees at Robinson’s meet-and-greet expressed approval of many of his ideas, especially regarding health care.
Lopez’s meet-and-greet on Friday morning was also small, but the attendees included several local GOP leaders, including Montezuma County Commissioner candidate Jim Candelaria and Republican Central Committee officer Jan Gardner. During the friendly, laid-back gathering, Lopez talked about his background in government, including his six years leading the Colorado branch of the U.S. Small Business Administration. He said the Colorado government often prioritizes Front Range interests over those of rural areas, and he wants to make sure all 64 counties in Colorado are represented in state legislative decisions.
He plans to appeal to rural voters, he said, by addressing issues like marijuana regulation and the severe drought currently sweeping the state.
“If we don’t get more snow next winter, or more rain, it’s going to be a crisis,” he said. “We need to start talking about that.”
The two candidates, who both live in the Denver area, stopped in Cortez as part of a tour through Southwest Colorado ahead of the June 26 primary elections. The next stop on Robinson’s campaign trail was Durango, while Lopez planned to head back to Denver by way of Grand Junction.
Lopez and Robinson are among four Republican candidates for governor on this year’s primary ballot, the others being former state lawmaker Victor Mitchell and Colorado Treasurer Walker Stapleton. Democrats also have four candidates to choose from: Mike Johnston, Cary Kennedy, Donna Lynne and Jared Polis.
The Montezuma County Clerk’s Office will begin mailing primary ballots the first full week of June.