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As an unaffiliated voter, and past registered Republican, I’m searching in a bi-partisan manner for candidates with critical thinking skills and integrity. One who is also willing to invest in our local community.
The State Representative race in house district 11 encompasses the Longmont area. I have researched the candidates, and I encourage you to review the candidates’ qualifications and motives.
The first thing that jumps out at me is that the Republican candidate repeatedly mentions what the democrats get wrong, often referring to her opponent Dr. Karen McCormick. I’m not sure that Is that a platform. I am looking for substance and critical thinking, her platform does not provide this.The challenger needs to provide solutions, not just criticism. She should be informative and forthcoming about her background, education and professional experience.
On social media, the republican candidate states that the democrats have made “knee-jerk decisions” regarding criminal justice reform. What she fails to grasp is that the legislative process — researching, writing and passing a bill — is a time-consuming process. The bill in question was put together with statewide district attorneys and sheriff’s offices in consultation over many months. The very opposite of knee-jerk.
The Republican candidate is equally vocal about the Parent’s Bill of Rights that was NOT passed at the capitol. What she may not understand is that by NOT passing the bill, the house took away NO rights parents already have, while protecting children from provisions that could actually hurt them. She uses the phrase “children belong to their parents”. Is that really healthy? What if a family does not meet the Norman Rockwell narrative? What if a child needs the school and or a teacher in whom to confide and find help?
I find Dr. Karen McCormick has experience and fortitude for this job. She has shown it repeatedly in her legislative work. She continues to meet with constituents and committees while at the same time working on her campaign. As chair of the Agriculture, Livestock and Water committee, almost every bill proposed by Karen and her committee passed unanimously. As a 30-year resident of Colorado, she understands the many important issues in our community that should not be partisan like water use, watershed and wildfire mitigation and curbing gun violence. In fact, Karen encourages gun owners to come to the table to work on common-sense solutions to our gun violence problem.
Karen represents the will of our state regarding abortion rights, an opinion Coloradans have voiced election after election. Additionally, Karen worked on multiple initiatives in her short time in the house to address the community’s need for mental health care, which enjoyed bipartisan support.
These issues require thoughtful, late-into-the-night work by someone who has deep connections to our community. Living in Colorado for 3 years, as the republican candidate has, may not serve her well in these nuanced situations.
In short, long-time Coloradan Karen McCormick exhibits the qualities I am looking for in a candidate: a non-divisive attitude with the knowledge to get constructive legislation proposed and passed to help our community. Join me in voting for the incumbent on your ballot this November.
Frances J Wahl, community volunteer, parent and substitute teacher
