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Elizabeth Velasco (i) Democrat
Residence: Glenwood Springs
Profession:
Education: Associates of Arts, Culinary Arts
Experience: Worked as a cook in the service industry, had an interpreting and translation business, worked as a wildland firefighter and public information officer with the forest service.
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
championing working families, climate resilience, and protecting our constitutional rights.
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
I have worked in a bipartisan way all of my time in the legislature, from grid resiliency, to supporting our first responders I will continue to work with anyone to help all the people of Colorado thrive, no matter our immigration status, zip code or color of our skin.
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 an opportunity for collaboration and partnership, in issues like immigration, workers rights and climate adaptation.
Russ Andrews Republican
Residence: Carbondale
Profession: Financial Adviser
Education: Bachelors of Engineering, Marine Engineer
Experience: Current Secretary of the CO GOP, Ran for CD 3 in 2024
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
Improving our transportation corridors, which rank 48th in the nation. My opponent voted 4x in 2025 to REDUCE CDOT funding.
Protecting Western Slope water from the Front Range and from downstream users
Making Colorado more affordable by eliminating our sanctuary state status..
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
Eliminate Colorado’s “sanctuary state status. When our democrats invited some 600,000 illegal immigrants into our state, they never considered where and how to house them. Increasing housing demand while maintaining a static housing inventory NECESSARILY drives up housing prices, along with food and healthcare prices. It also weakened our Medicaid and school budgets; 2026 will be the first year Colorado spends more on Medicaid than on education.
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
Eliminating some of the 167 new spending priorities created by Gov Jared Polis and using those proceeds to double CDOT’s budget
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?
Eliminating many of Polis’ 167 new spending agencies.
