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Kristine Ireland Republican
Residence: Westminster
Profession: Westminster City Councilor/Piano teacher
Education: B.S. degree from Brigham Young University in Retail Management/Fashion Merchandising
Experience: Westminster City Councilor, longtime community advocate, Water Warrior leader who fought for lower water rates, and small-business owner focused on affordability and accountability.
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
My top three priorities are affordability, local control, and public safety. Colorado families are being squeezed by rising taxes, fees, housing, utilities, insurance, and everyday expenses. I will work to reduce the cost of government rather than continually asking taxpayers for more. I will defend local decision-making and push back against one-size-fits-all state mandates that take authority away from communities, schools, and families. And I will support law enforcement and policies that hold offenders accountable while ensuring our neighborhoods remain safe. My approach is simple: people first, politics never, and common sense always.
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
Colorado cannot become more affordable if government keeps making it more expensive. I would oppose unnecessary tax and fee increases, reduce costly mandates that raise housing and energy costs, protect consumer choice, and support policies that expand homeownership and housing supply without overriding local communities. I would also require major legislation to include a clear Household Cost Impact Statement so lawmakers and the public can see what a proposal could cost Colorado families before voting on it. Government should scrutinize its own spending first, not continually reach deeper into taxpayers’ pockets.
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
Good ideas should not have a party label. I believe there is real opportunity for bipartisan work on affordability, government transparency, public safety, infrastructure, water, and reducing unnecessary bureaucracy. As a Westminster City Councilor, I have learned that governing requires listening, asking difficult questions, and finding practical solutions even when people disagree. I am willing to work with anyone who wants to make life better and more affordable for Colorado families. I won’t vote for something simply because my party supports it–oppose something simply because the other party proposed it. I will vote for what I believe is right for my constituents.
A new governor will take office next year. What opportunities are there for legislation or other changes that did not gain traction under Gov. Jared Polis?
A new administration provides an opportunity to reset the relationship between state government and Colorado’s communities. I would like to see greater respect for home rule and local control, fewer unfunded and one-size-fits-all mandates, meaningful regulatory reform, stronger protection of parental rights and educational choice, and greater scrutiny of policies that increase housing, energy, insurance, and other household costs. We also need greater accountability and transparency in government spending. Rather than measuring success by how many new laws we pass, we should ask whether government is delivering essential services efficiently and making it easier, not harder, for Coloradans to live, work, raise a family, and retire here.
Lori Goldstein (i) Democrat
Residence: Westminster
Profession: retired Educator
Education: BS, CSU, Outdoor Recreation, MEd CSU, Science Education
Experience: Educator, 34 years, Adams 12 Board of Education 7 years
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
1. Investing in K-12 Education. 2. Expanding affordable housing. 3. Supporting working families
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
1. Provide targeted property tax relief (especially seniors) 2. Expand affordable child care and early childhood education. 3. Approach affordability with common sense and fiscal responsibility.
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
I see actionable common ground in things that help all Coloradans and things that do not have a large fiscal note.
A new governor will take office next year. What opportunities are there for legislation or other changes that did not gain traction under Gov. Jared Polis?
I see options to improve on K-12 education.
