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Vic Meyers Democrat
Residence: Trinidad
Profession: Security Guard
Education: B.S. Mathematics
Experience: 17 years in corrections; former middle school math teacher, school board member, union board member, Army sergeant, and youth drug/alcohol prevention coordinator.
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
1. Protect privacy by prohibiting private surveillance infrastructure on government property and preventing warrantless sharing of Coloradans’ data.
2. Create community-owned rural agricultural processing facilities that keep jobs, profits, and economic activity in our communities while supporting family farmers and ranchers.
3. Reduce the nonviolent prison population and reinvest the savings in crime labs, substance-use and mental-health services, public schools, and health care.
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
My community-owned agricultural processing facilities will bring jobs to rural Colorado while allowing farmers and ranchers to keep more of the value they create. I support increasing property taxes on second homes while reducing them on primary residences. I support prohibiting private equity firms, institutional investors, and corporations from owning single-family homes. I support requiring health insurers operating in Colorado to offer coverage statewide, rather than allowing them to cherry-pick markets.
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
Our rural communities need a voice in Denver, and representation in the majority matters. However, good ideas don’t always follow party lines. I believe progressive Democrats and traditional Republicans can find common ground on privacy, supporting family farms and ranches, strengthening rural economies, and limiting corporate influence. I’ll work with anyone, regardless of party, when it benefits the people I represent.
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?
There are several of Polis’ vetoes that I did not agree with and hope to see passed under a new governor. First is the Worker Protection Act to put workers ahead of corporations. Next is the bill to prohibit surveillance-based pricing and wage setting that put consumers before corporations. And third is the bill to stop credit-card companies from charging swipe fees on the sales-tax portion of purchases. This bill put small businesses ahead of the big banks. These are all examples of government working for the people instead of corporate interests.
Ty Winter (i) Republican
Residence: Trinidad
Profession: Small Business
Education: Some college
Experience: After serving HD47 for four years, I’ve gained the experience to effectively represent our communities, fight for hardworking Coloradans, and deliver results.
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
House District 47 faces many challenges, but my focus remains on the issues that matter most to the people who live here.
First, I will continue fighting to protect our water and keep it in our agriculture-centered communities.
Water is the lifeblood of Southern and South Eastern Colorado and critical to our future.
I will also continue supporting small businesses, agricultural producers, and policies that promote economic growth and create good-paying jobs.
Strong communities depend on strong local economies.
I am committed to maintaining access to healthcare in rural areas, making Colorado more affordable, promoting public safety, supporting quality education, advancing a reliable energy portfolio, and protecting taxpayers from unnecessary government burdens.
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
Colorado needs to focus on lowering the cost of living, not adding more costs to families and businesses. I support protecting TABOR, reducing unnecessary taxes and fees, cutting regulatory burdens, and respecting local control so communities can build housing that fits their needs. We also need to expand opportunities for good-paying, blue-collar jobs, especially in HD 47. Affordability goes beyond housing—it includes energy, healthcare, food, transportation, and taxes. The best way to improve affordability is to reduce the costs government adds to people’s lives while growing our economy and giving Coloradans more opportunities to succeed.
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
The rural-urban divide is real, and there is a stark difference between the needs of the Denver metroplex and districts like House District 47. I believe our caucus has many good ideas that deserve serious consideration when it comes to making Colorado more affordable. We also need to work with our colleagues across the aisle to ensure that not all legislation should have a blanket effect across Colorado. What may work in the metro area may not work in our communities. We need to recognize those differences, respect local needs, and work together on practical solutions that benefit all Coloradans.
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?
It is hard to say what working with the next governor will look like until we see who is part of the administration, including the commissioners, department heads, and liaisons. Once we know who those people are and how the administration is going to operate, we will have a better idea of where there may be opportunities to work together and get things done. We have different constituencies with different needs, and those needs are important. I will work with the administration where we can, but I will also push back when necessary to protect the people and communities I represent.
