Longtime Arapahoe County lawmaker and state Rep. Rod Bockenfeld is running again to represent the House district that extends east of Aurora this fall, facing off against Democrat business owner Kathleen Conway.

In campaign materials and in their survey for The Sentinel, the two described different philosophies regarding growth, policing and health care.

Bockenfeld pushed back against the idea that the state would step in to regulate growth in communities with limited water resources, calling it a “complex local control issue.” He said the government could address road congestion by incentivizing businesses to stagger their work schedules, offer telecommuting jobs and promote carpooling.

“We have a congestion problem and not a capacity problem,” Bockenfeld wrote in his candidate survey. “The mere fact you get cars moving again instead of sitting idle in traffic improves air quality.”

Conway was supportive of the state barring growth in areas that lack water, bringing up looming water shortages. She said the state’s ability to accommodate new residents is limited by environmental factors and that homes build in wildfire zones where water is an issue are an example of the state ignoring the needs of current residents.

On the topic of law enforcement, Conway said she viewed Senate Bill 20-217 as a “step in the right direction” in terms of protecting both police and the public. The bill stripped police officers in the state of qualified immunity protections, required them to intervene and make a report when other officers use excessive force and mandated that more cops wear and use body-worn cameras.

She also said she would support police agencies being required to have some sort of independent oversight body that could review uses of force and deaths in custody, for example.

“Every police agency should have an oversight mechanism,” she said in her candidate survey. “Hospitals have reviews of anything thought to have gone wrong. Even newspapers have editors and proofreaders.”

Bockenfeld agreed with Conway on the topic of independent oversight groups but said he believed SB20-217 had made it harder for police to do their jobs, calling it a “knee-jerk” reaction to the death of George Floyd and saying it should be repealed.

Regarding the price of health care, Bockenfeld argued that the state should lobby the federal government to abolish Obamacare, which he claimed would drive down costs, and remove regulations on pharmaceutical companies.

“That is why pharmas are reluctant to pass some of those research and development costs onto other countries,” he wrote. “The cost of research and development of new drugs should be shared by worldwide consumers and not just the U.S.”

Conway blamed greed on the part of health insurance and pharmaceutical companies for the high cost of care.

She suggested that the state “force insurance companies to pass all rebated discounts they receive … on directly to the patient at the pharmacy” so savings aren’t instead “pocketed by the insurance company, hospitals and middlemen.”

Meet Rod Bockenfeld


Rod Bockenfeld

Republican Rod Bockenfeld has served House District 56 since 2019, before which he served as an Arapahoe County commissioner from 2005 until 2017. He worked as a banker and small business owner prior to his career in politics, earning his bachelor’s degree in law enforcement administration from Western Illinois University as well as a degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder Graduate School of Banking. Bockenfeld has been married to his wife Susan for more than 35 years and has five children and five grandchildren.
Should the state end partisan elections to the offices of state treasurer, secretary and attorney general, making them administrative positions nominated by the governor and confirmed by the state senate? 

Absolutely not. Political parties have platforms that many people rely upon as a guide when they don’t know the candidate specifically. 

Colorado recently enacted far-reaching reforms affecting police agencies across the state. Mandating truly independent review of police-related deaths and injuries wasn’t among the new requirements created by Senate Bill 20-217. Should every police agency be required to create some type of independent oversight mechanism? 

Police agencies already do this. I don’t have any problem making it mandatory. 

Despite many lauded changes in Obamacare, the cost of health care in Colorado and across the nation has continued to climb steadily, outpacing almost every other nation. What can the Legislature do to not just halt regular increases, but push down health care costs? 

Push the federal government to abolish Obamacare and re-establish a free market solution to drive down costs. Get the federal government and insurance companies out of the business of negotiating down drug costs for Medicare / Medicaid and their specific companies. These costs are being cost shifted to the average consumer. The cost of research and development of new drugs should be shared by worldwide consumers and not just the U.S. The FDA needs to reduce its regulatory burden on pharmas. That is why pharmas are reluctant to pass some of those research and development costs onto other countries. 

Many argue that the generally poor condition of Colorado roads and underfunded schools is due in large part because of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, which prevents legislators from raising taxes and caps tax revenues, returning “excesses” to residents. Why is this true, and what’s the solution, or why is this untrue, and how can Colorado better fund roads and schools? 

It is untrue. Over the years, our state government has grown substantially above cost and inflation. The state’s budget has been more than adequate to support our roads and schools. The politicians in control have chosen to fund other priorities. They do this because they know that roads and schools are hot-button issues for constituents. If they eve have to come back to the constituency for a tax increase, they want the roads and schools to be the incentive to get it to pass. 

Some local city lawmakers were elected on a platform that they would lobby the state to repeal SB20-217, the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity bill. Has this legislation positively or negatively impacted policing in Colorado? Would you propose any changes? 

It has quite obviously negatively impacted policing. No one wants to apply for these law enforcement jobs today. Our experienced law enforcement officers have retired or moved on.   SB 20-217 was a knee-jerk bill responding to George Floyd’s death, which had nothing to do with Colorado, and should be repealed. 

Would you vote for a ban on so-called assault-style weapons? Why? 

No. The term assault weapon is a propaganda ploy to create fear in people. These are semi-automatic weapons commonly utilized for personal protection, hunting and agricultural purposes. Automatic weapons are already banned in this country. Automatic weapons are the ones used in the military for assault purposes. 

Having legalized and regulated recreational marijuana, should Colorado pursue legalization of recreational psilocybin, also known as hallucinogenic mushrooms? 

No. We have not fully understood the impacts of legalized marijuana on our state. Why would we want to legalize another drug? 

Would you support legislation imposing restrictions on abortions, or should Colorado stay the course in preventing the government from making those decisions for women and their health care providers? 

Yes on restrictions. Colorado’s current law is inhumane and grotesque. Allowing a baby to be killed up until an hour before its birth is not supported by the majority of the people in this state. At a minimum, most people understand that there is a point where a fetus is viable and that must be taken into consideration. 

If you could unilaterally write and impose any law you wanted, what would it be? 

An omnibus bill that would repeal all policies over the past couple of years that have impacted our affordability, created rising crime rates and impared our parental authority by the current one-party rulers. 

If you could unilaterally sunset any existing Colorado law, which would it be? 

The bogus fentanyl bill that allows a drug user to possess up to .5 of a gram before it is considered a felony.  An amount of this drug equal to 3 grains of salt is enough to kill someone.  This bill only creates a workaround for drug dealers so they can stay out of jail. 

Should the state seek to prevent growth in communities that cannot prove sustainable water sources? 

No. This is a complex local control issue. Sometimes water districts have to be established on a non-renewable water source in order to create a financing mechanism to afford a sustainable water system. 

Colorado cannot pave its way out of highway and road congestion and the air-quality problems it creates. Should the state make a concerted effort to reduce overburdened roads and highways some other way? How? 

Yes. First off, we have a congestion problem and not a capacity problem. There are too many people that are trying to travel by car at the same time. The state needs to incentivize businesses to stage work schedules, create more telecommuting jobs and promote carpooling.  The mere fact you get cars moving again instead of sitting idle in traffic improves air quality. 

Do you trust the election process in Colorado? And will you accept the outcome of this election as announced? 

Yes and yes. However, election integrity concerns do exist and must be continually addressed.  

Do you believe the 2020 Presidential Election was absent of widespread fraud and fairly won by Joe Biden? 

The last election was clearly rigged. Mark Zuckerberg, a billionaire, was allowed to pour over $400 million into our election system predominantly to support one party over another. COVID-19 was used as an excuse to mass mail ballots throughout the states. States that were not accustomed to managing mail ballots had to change their election procedures at the last minute. People were hired with Zuckerbucks to harvest ballots. Special interest organizations were used as coordinators of ballot collections. Signature verification standards were lessened.   Election rules were changed without legislative approval.  

Under this scenario, what could go wrong? Elections should never be handled this way. It hurts how people view our democracy. 

Joe Biden was certified as President, therefore he won the election. Everyone must move on.
Get to know Rod Bockenfeld
I don’t answer these kinds of questions. Generally, I find them silly and irrelevant to good government. 

What’s the most Colorado thing you’ve done recently? 

What is the last concert you attended? 

What restaurant do you frequent most? 

If you had a superpower, what would it be? 

What was the last book you read? 

What is your least favorite household chore? 

If you had to pick one television show to watch forever, what would it be? 

Did you have any New Year’s resolutions? What were they? 

What were you most excited to do after pandemic restrictions eased? 

What fun fact about you would most surprise people who know you?
Meet Kathleen Conway


Kathleen Conway

Democrat challenger Kathleen Conway is running to represent Colorado’s House District 56, which includes Arapahoe County east of Aurora. She is a small business owner and spent 11 years working in the Douglas County Office of Clerk and Recorder. Conway has also worked as an English as a second language tutor and GED instructor, and has been involved with the Colorado Governor’s Foreclosure Prevention Task Force.
Should the state end partisan elections to the offices of state treasurer, secretary and attorney general, making them administrative positions nominated by the governor and confirmed by the state senate? 

No. State treasurer, secretary of state and attorney general are positions that are too

important for the proper workings of state government to be decided by any partisan governor

or state senate. These positions should only be decided by the vote of the citizens. 

Colorado recently enacted far-reaching reforms affecting police agencies across the state. Mandating truly independent review of police-related deaths and injuries wasn’t among the new requirements created by Senate Bill 20-217. Should every police agency be required to create some type of independent oversight mechanism? 

Yes. Every police agency should have an oversight mechanism. Hospitals have reviews of

anything thought to have gone wrong. Even newspapers have editors and proofreaders. 

Despite many lauded changes in Obamacare, the cost of health care in Colorado and across the nation has continued to climb steadily, outpacing almost every other nation. What can the Legislature do to not just halt regular increases, but push down health care costs? 

Greed has overtaken the health insurance industry and big pharma. One way to decrease prescription costs would be to force insurance companies to pass all rebated discounts they receive get passed on directly to the patient at the pharmacy and are not pocketed by the insurance company, hospitals and middlemen. 

Many argue that the generally poor condition of Colorado roads and underfunded schools is due in large part because of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, which prevents legislators from raising taxes and caps tax revenues, returning “excesses” to residents. Why is this true, and what’s the solution, or why is this untrue, and how can Colorado better fund roads and schools? 

TABOR’s population plus inflation formula is not backed by any credible economics or fiscal policy research and it never was. From the day it became law it has been a hindrance to policy maker’s ability to make prudent budget decisions. The most negatively affected has been K-12 education and Colorado roads. Even if it was ended today, it would take generations to repair the economic damage to just roads and our education system due to Douglas Bruce and his TABOR amendment. 

Some local city lawmakers were elected on a platform that they would lobby the state to repeal SB20-217, the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity bill. Has this legislation positively or negatively impacted policing in Colorado? Would you propose any changes? 

The public has a right to have high expectations of the law enforcement agencies they employ. This bill is a step in the right direction to protect the police and the public. 

Would you vote for a ban on so-called assault-style weapons? Why? 

A car can be a deadly weapon. To operate one in Colorado you need instructions, testing, and a license. Responsible gun owners who are trained in using and properly storing automatic weapons respect the power of the weapon. They agree that allowing them to be owned and used by people without at least the same degree of licensing and training given to a car owner is a recipe for disaster. 

Having legalized and regulated recreational marijuana, should Colorado pursue legalization of recreational psilocybin, also known as hallucinogenic mushrooms? 

I would need to have more information on these. There seems to be a lot of conflicting claims. 

Would you support legislation imposing restrictions on abortions, or should Colorado stay the course in preventing the government from making those decisions for women and their health care providers? 

Government does not belong in the business of telling women or men what to do with their

bodies. The decision to abort or not belongs to a woman with the guidance of her doctor and

her spiritual advisor. Colorado should stay the course. 

If you could unilaterally write and impose any law you wanted, what would it be? 

There should be a law against so-called animal rescues paying out of state puppy mills for pups and dogs bred for just this purpose. It is not a rescue if they paid money for them. It just makes the rescue the retail outlet for these terrible places. Kind people unknowingly adopt them. They have been brought to the state without proper medical care and are exposing the dogs and cats here to strains of diseases from which we cannot protect them. 

If you could unilaterally sunset any existing Colorado law, which would it be? 

None that I know of currently. 

Should the state seek to prevent growth in communities that cannot prove sustainable water sources? 

Yes, they should. Water in Colorado is running out. Many people in Colorado do not know how

close we are to water shortages right now. Ranchers and farmers do know this. Developers

don’t care as by the time the high-usage homes are sold and run out of water, they will be gone. 

Colorado cannot pave its way out of highway and road congestion and the air-quality problems it creates. Should the state make a concerted effort to reduce overburdened roads and highways some other way? How? 

The late former governor Dick Lamm once said that we need to be careful about growth as

every new resident that arrives takes away a little more of Colorado from those of us already

here. The ability for Colorado to handle the population increases is not limitless from an

environmental standpoint. Spending money to attract more residents instead of providing for

the air, water, roads and quality of life for those already here is a big mistake. Allowing homes

to be built in wildfire zones and areas where the available water is in question is an example of

this. There are county commissioners still telling the public that there is 1,000 years of water still

available when they know the Colorado Geological Survey says otherwise. 

Do you trust the election process in Colorado? And will you accept the outcome of this election as announced? 

Yes. As a former chief deputy clerk and recorder responsible for 11 elections, I know the system is safe. I will accept the results of the election. 

Do you believe the 2020 Presidential Election was absent of widespread fraud and fairly won by Joe Biden? 

Yes. No credible evidence to the contrary has been offered.
What’s the most Colorado thing you’ve done recently? 

Invited friends over to watch the Broncos. 

What is the last concert you attended? 

The Eagles at Mile High. 

What restaurant do you frequent most? 

El Pinito in Elizabeth. 

If you had a superpower, what would it be? 

I would like to have the ability to fly. 

What was the last book you read? 

“The Last King of America” by Andrew Roberts. 

What is your least favorite household chore? 

Oven cleaning. 

If you had to pick one television show to watch forever, what would it be? 

Lassie. 

Did you have any New Year’s resolutions? What were they? 

Yes. I resolve to do no more resolutions. 

What were you most excited to do after pandemic restrictions eased? 

I missed in person meetings. So much more can be accomplished in person. I hate Zoom. 

What fun fact about you would most surprise people who know you? 

I’m a good softball pitcher and played on leagues for many years. 

One reply on “COLORADO VOTES 2022: Rep. Bockenfeld gets re-election challenge from Democrat Conway in HD56”

  1. Now that the Democrat (Polis) proposed Colorado Option is a bust in meeting its objectives, and that Pres. Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act is going to continue subsidizing Obamacare for another three (3) years, do you think the Aurora Sentinel’s Editorial Board will have the COURAGE to reverse its decision to endorse my inexperienced, Democrat promoting failed health policy, opponent from Elbert County. I DON’T THINK SO!

    Vote Bockenfeld for real healthcare policies that work.

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