AURORA | For decades a Republican stronghold in Colorado, political tides have turned in Arapahoe County, where almost every elected political seat is held by a Democrat.
Republicans are hoping to turn the tide again, seeking to exploit voter unhappiness on a wide range of issues.
In Douglas County, a Republican stronghold for decades, Democrats are slowly making inroads to winning local government seats and hope to edge out more Republicans this year.
Adams County this year is seeing a remarkable dearth of competitive races, despite pushes back and forth over recent years for each party to take control in the historically Democratic stronghold.
In District 2, Republican challenger Carl Schuldies is running against incumbent Democrat Jessica Campbell. In District 4, GOP challenger Sonda “Sunny” Banka is running against incumbent Leslie Summey. One area of contention focused on the county’s oil and gas regulations. Earlier this year during primary challenges commissioners Jessica Campbell and Leslie Summey touted the restrictions they helped put in place as some of the strongest in the state, but said the county is limited by state law.
Click below to read more about the candidates and races, including question and answer surveys of the candidates for each office.
“Unfortunately, we don’t make the decision as to whether or not companies can engage,” Summey said in June. “I’m looking at some things that would allow us to separate land and mineral rights, so that we can move some things differently.”
Southeast area oil and gas drilling sites have sparked pushback from numerous neighborhoods and communities in the region.
Campbell added that she is working at the state level to expand the ways counties can restrict oil and gas projects.
“We need to work with our legislators to give us broader decision making ability for cumulative impact and other discretion,” she said.
Both incumbents tout what they say is a county that is financially more stable than it was several years ago, in part because of a so-called de-Brucing measure from two years ago. Both incumbents touted the ways it has improved county services, such as by allowing the county to put $1 million into the Aid to Agencies program, which funds local nonprofits.
“Because we de-Bruced, we are not furloughing or laying off employees like everybody else has,” Campbell said in June. “It is not the end-all be-all, you are correct, but it has saved this county and allowed us to continue to provide services.”
Summey also highlighted county policies she supported that help seniors be able to age in place, such as allowing construction of accessory dwelling units in unincorporated parts of the county.
Republicans Banka and Schuldies say they can point to problems with over-reaction by the commission and over-regulation, creating laws and encumbrances that don’t pay off in more affordable housing, living or generally safer communities.