I’ve traveled Colorado extensively to listen to all people—including visiting each Colorado county multiple times. From seeing our state from corner to corner and listening to Coloradans, I’ve built strong relationships in rural communities, learned from people across our state, and deepened my appreciation for our independent, western way of life. 

I continue to hear a disturbing message from rural Coloradans—too many feel unheard and undervalued at the State Capitol. One common refrain is that they see our state imposing one-size-fits-all solutions that don’t make sense in rural Colorado. We need to do better. As governor, I will ensure that rural Coloradans are partners in the policy-making process, have a voice on state boards and commissions, and are listened to and collaborated with. 

Rural Outreach and Collaboration

As governor, I will continue to show up and listen in rural Colorado—just as I’ve done as attorney general. That’s a pledge and a promise I’m proud to make: that I will be a public servant for all Colorado communities and I will always show up and listen. Showing up in rural Colorado consistently and listening is how the Governor’s Office and state government can fully understand rural needs and ways our state can support rural communities’ ability to thrive.

Many rural community leaders have told me that state agencies are unresponsive to their individual needs or impose obstacles that rural communities cannot surmount—particularly rural towns and counties with less funding and staff resources. Colorado’s regulations must work for all communities, not just those along the Front Range. And government agencies should always be responsive, approachable, and collaborative—that means responding to inquiries, prioritizing outreach, and listening to communities when they have concerns or problems interfacing with state government. This is especially true for rural towns, cities, and counties that have fewer resources and staff to navigate complex bureaucratic processes within state agencies. 

I believe that it’s important to have a dedicated outreach partner within the Governor’s Office as a go-to resource for rural communities. This role will also interface with state agencies to improve their work with rural communities. As attorney general, I established a rural outreach director at our department—that was an important step to ensure we heard rural concerns and had a presence in rural issues and debates, and a value I will take with me to the Governor’s Office.  

As governor, I will sign an executive order on day 1 establishing a Director of Rural Affairs and Collaboration within the Governor’s Office—and making it a cabinet-level appointment. And to ensure this function remains a permanent fixture in state government, I will work with the legislature to codify it in state law.

I will also ensure that rural Coloradans have a seat at the table when and where public policy is made—that includes ensuring that appointments to state boards and commissions have strong rural voices in their memberships. And I will direct these boards and commissions to hold meetings and hear public input beyond the Denver metro area, in regions throughout the state so that they are accessible to rural communities and not just those who live within a short drive of the State Capitol.

Prioritizing Rural Economic Development

Farming and ranching are key drivers of our economy, and supporting and partnering with rural communities is crucial for Colorado’s prosperity. The state’s economic development efforts must prioritize rural communities as much as they do Front Range communities. As governor, I will sign an executive order directing the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade to develop an updated rural economic development plan that identifies opportunities to incentivize businesses to locate in communities like Burlington, Lamar, Fort Morgan, Grand Junction, and Craig. These and other rural communities offer a high quality of life, along with other incentives to attract employees such as affordable housing, recreation opportunities, and a strong sense of community. Part of this effort will be a full inventory of state programs that benefit rural economic development, like the Rural Jump Start Program, to determine what is successful and can be broadened and strengthened to provide greater support for rural businesses and jobs. 

To enhance rural Colorado’s competitiveness, it must have full connectivity. It is unacceptable in the 21st Century that some homes remain unconnected from the Internet. I will prioritize marshaling the state’s resources and infrastructure to closing this final gap in achieving full, and reliable connectivity for all communities. As part of meeting this challenge, I will direct the Transportation Commission and Colorado Department of Transportation to reduce red-tape and bureaucratic obstacles that hinder the use of state highway system public rights-of-way to allow the installation of broadband.

And, I will stand firmly against “buy and dry” tactics that drain water from rural communities and pipe it to new suburban housing developments. Water should never be a zero sum game—which too often comes at the expense of rural Colorado, costing farming jobs and agricultural community health. As governor, I will fight any efforts by speculators that harm rural Colorado communities. 

Rural Housing

As attorney general, I launched a successful pilot program to increase good, safe, and affordable housing in rural Colorado. By partnering with Colorado higher education institutions in rural communities—Pueblo Community College, Lamar Community College, Trinidad State College, and Otero College—the Attorney General’s Office provided funding for academic programs that support students entering the building trades and for redevelopment of dilapidated housing structures with health hazards such as asbestos in need of remediation. This program—the Colorado Partnership for Education and Rural Revitalization (“COPERR”)—is a model of what the state can do to support students entering the trades in rural Colorado while also providing new housing options in rural parts of the state. And as I have committed, we must do better and implement Proposition 123 housing support in a manner that works for rural communities.

Supporting Rural Communities’ Access to Healthy, Local Food

All Coloradans need and deserve access to healthy, local foods to thrive, but many communities­­—especially in rural areas and some inner city areas­—live in food deserts or face the threat of becoming one as local grocery stores close. As governor, I will support community-based and innovative solutions that help provide healthy, locally grown foods to market and ensure that communities can have access to them. Colorado has several promising initiatives and organizations exploring solutions like these, including the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition which has developed community-led action plans for regional strategic food system revitalization in Alamosa County and the broader San Luis Valley, and Ranch Foods Direct which helps small farmers and artisanal food producers in Colorado sell their products directly to consumers. I will continue and expand state support for local food systems, such as the Community Food Consortium created by the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Community Food Access Program which helps bring together small food retailers to address shared distribution and cost challenges. For urban areas, there is the need to both address food deserts and food insecurity, as organizations like Food to Power do.

Supporting and Highlighting our Rural Way of Life: Protecting and Championing the National Western Stockshow and the Colorado State Fair

Highlighting our farming and ranching businesses is part of supporting these important industries. As governor, I will prioritize investments and partnerships with Colorado State University—such as H.B. 15-1344—to support, update, and maintain the National Western Center. These investments show the state’s pride in serving as home of the National Western Stockshow, and they demonstrate the State of Colorado’s strong commitment to remain the home of the Stockshow for generations to come. 

And as governor, I will be a champion to ensure the state government strongly supports the Colorado State Fair, ensuring it is well resourced and its buildings and operational needs are fully maintained. And I will always stand behind the bedrock principle that the State Fair remains a fixture in its rightful and proper home—the City of Pueblo.