A few weeks ago, I asked what was on your mind—and you answered. Over 400 of you shared your feedback, and I’m incredibly thankful. Today, I want to highlight some key takeaways from the survey.

The top concern you raised—and one I deeply share—is the importance of defending our country and upholding our democratic system of government during these challenging times. Your comments were powerful. Here are a few that stood out:

• “Protecting and defending the Constitution…at this point, nothing else matters.” 

• “Nothing is more important than preserving our broken democracy and strengthening it. The policies don’t matter without institutions that administer and  implement them.” 

• “Colorado is currently in good shape. We must protect ourselves from the onslaught of attacks on our rights from the federal government.”

These sentiments echo my concerns about what we’re seeing from Washington. I recently discussed this very challenge and how I’m fighting back against unconstitutional actions of the Trump Administration:

Another common survey theme was that “Donald Trump is only a symptom of something that has been brewing for decades.” You highlighted the need to fix the broader economic and societal problems. 

As many of you said, it’s a big challenge to make ends meet and stretch our dollars. One supporter said, for example, that “I chose high house prices as my top area of concern because they are the biggest concern of almost everyone I know.” Another stated, “Colorado is a great place to be, but it’s scarily expensive.”

Many of you also voiced concerns about the threats to young people—from gun violence and climate change to ensuring opportunity and helping future generations feel more hopeful about their future. The fraying of our democracy came up, too—as one supporter said that we must “learn how to engage our conservative counterparts so we can bring our society out of its misery. The absence of the ability to have a rational discourse is paralyzing our country.”

Your feedback also included encouragement about our campaign. Thank you for acknowledging our hard work on addressing the opioid crisis, protecting consumers, defending our rights, and more. I agree with you on the importance of our work ahead—to protect Coloradans and defend our rule of law.  

We’re living through challenging times that will test our republic. I believe that we can and will meet the challenges of this moment. Together, we can keep Colorado a beacon for our Nation on what a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” looks like.  

Thank you for being part of this critical work.

Phil