Now that the waters have calmed at the University of Colorado, the Board of Regents is getting back to the business of education, which is what it should be doing.
Three seats are open in this year’s election, with Republican Peter Steinhauer retiring from his at-large seat, Democrat Gail Schwartz leaving her 3rd District seat to run for the state Senate, and Jerry Rutledge stepping down from his 5th District seat.
Here are our recommendations:
At-large: Two very credible and energetic candidates have emerged in this race, and we think both would have the best interest of CU’s students at heart. Stephen Ludwig ultimately gets our nod.
Ludwig understands that Colorado’s economic future, and that of the U.S., hangs on our ability to make higher education affordable and accessible to all qualified candidates.
He put himself through CU-Colorado Springs and knows firsthand how much double-digit tuition hikes can hurt. He’s well- versed on education issues and has innovative ideas on how to boost state funding for education.
And he’s one of the only candidates talking about the Colorado Paradox – the fact Colorado has one of the highest rates of college-educated adults, yet a poor record of sending our own children on to college.
A Democrat, Ludwig also would provide some balance to a board where Republicans now control six of nine seats.
Republican Brian Davidson, a young physician at CU’s Health Sciences Center and soon to be a faculty member, would provide a unique and important voice on the board.
Other candidates include Libertarian Daniel Ong, Douglas Campbell with the American Constitution Party and Marcus McCarty, who is unaffiliated.
Third Congressional District: Longtime lawmaker and current Mesa County Commissioner Tilman “Tillie” Bishop would be an effective voice for CU, especially at the Capitol.
Funding remains one of CU’s biggest challenges, and this old-school Republican considers an increase in funding his top priority. He was a proponent of Referendum C, and as a former lawmaker – he served from 1971 to 1998 – Bishop is intimately familiar with the budget process. We think he could be a force for CU under the gold dome.
Bishop taught in public schools for seven years and spent 31 years as an administrator at Mesa State College, so he also has experience within public higher education.
His opponent, Democrat Susan Hakanson, has served as vice president and president of the Roaring Fork Board of Education and the Mountain Board of Cooperative Educational Services.
In the 5th District, Kyle Hybl, a Republican, is running unopposed.
