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Amy Parks Republican
Residence: Loveland
Profession: Communications Strategist
Education: Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Masters in Corporate Communication in progress
Experience: I am a Communications Strategist in the water industry, and I filled the HD51 vacancy to complete the term after the passing of former House Minority Leader Hugh McKean in 2022.
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
1) Affordability. Families should keep more of what they earn. We need to defend the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, stop the fee workarounds lawmakers use to avoid voter approval, and revisit regulations that drive up the cost of energy, housing, insurance, and groceries.
2) Public safety. Give law enforcement the tools and funding to do the job, and make penalties actually deter crime. When repeat offenders face no consequences, families pay the price.
3) Colorado’s foundational industries: water, agriculture, and energy. These industries feed our families, power our homes, and sustain our rural and suburban economies. They deserve a Capitol that supports them.
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
1) Hold the line on the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights and stop the “fee” workarounds.
2) Fix the energy policies driving up utility bills.
3) Open Colorado up for business again. We need to reduce the regulatory burdens that are chasing businesses out of our state.
4) Get out of the way of building. Regulatory cost is a housing cost, and it gets passed straight to buyers and renters.
5) Require real price transparency in health care. I’ve spent years on the phone with insurers over my kids’ care. Families deserve to know what something costs before they owe it.
6) Invest in water storage and forest health, including regional water strategies that do not sacrifice one community for another.
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
Policy works best when both sides are at the table. Unfortunately, we’ve seen years of single-party rule pushing a partisan agenda, silencing millions of Coloradans. I’m willing to engage with all members. A few places I think that’s genuinely possible:
1) Disability and special education services
2) Health care price transparency
3) Water storage and forest health
I pledge to handle disagreements respectfully and put people before politics.
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 governor is a chance to move things forward that may not have been a priority for Gov. Polis. Water storage permitting has stalled while our population grew, forest mitigation funding has never matched the risk we’re carrying, and waitlists for disability services has gone unaddressed through multiple budgets. At the same time, Gov. Polis vetoed bills that would have raised costs and hurt our schools, and he defended charter schools. Those vetoes were a check on the Capitol’s worst instincts, and we may not have them anymore. If that is the situation, my job is to build the coalitions that stop bad policy before it reaches the governor’s desk.
Jacki Marsh Democrat
Residence: Loveland
Profession: Jewelry Designer
Education: Early Childhood Development & Medical Assisting courses
Experience: I was elected 4 times and served as Loveland’s Mayor for 8 years. During that time, I also served on 15+ Boards & Commissions. Experience as Purchasing Director, General Management, etc.
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
Affordability is my main concern for Colorado residents. That includes Affordable & Attainable Housing, in particular curbing metro district abuse, opening new paths to homeownership, building more starter homes, etc. Affordable & Accessible universal healthcare from birth to death, including preventative care, dental, hearing, behavioral health, & vision services. Affordable & Accessible transit that allows people to have variety of transportation options within their community, including supporting the Front Range Passenger Rail.
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
I would support requirements that developers include both affordable & attainable housing units for low-middle income households within their plans for development. Carving out a new pathway for apartment owners to be able to sell individual units to residents. I will also be advocating for Metro District reform, so homeowners aren’t paying twice for infrastructure improvements, disguised as developer advances.
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
I think affordability is key to all Coloradans, regardless of party affiliation. I think these issues cross the aisle. Local government is inherently nonpartisan, I spent 8 years working in that environment.
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 believe we can move forward legislation to further reform Urban Renewal Areas, specifically in terms of not allowing farmland to be referred to as blight and not allowing the diversion of property taxes for 25 year terms. We could move forward legislation that removes the barriers to union formation, specifically the Worker Protection Act that has been passed twice by the House & Senate and vetoed by the Governor.
