The toss-up race for the state’s House District 36 is probably of particular interest to those living on the east side of Aurora, where the district covers much of the city east of Chambers Road and south of East Colfax Avenue. House District 36, which has long been comfortably Democratic, is vacant this year after Democrat Su Ryden reached her term limit and ran, unsuccessfully, for Senate District 29.
On the Republican side, avid gun rights supporter Richard J. Bowman hopes to reverse a narrow defeat in 2014 to Ryden. Bowman fell short by less than 700 votes to Ryden, making the 2014 H.D. 36 election one of the closest in memory. Meanwhile, Mike Weissman, a longtime partner of 6th Congressional District candidate Morgan Carroll and a former director of voter protection for the Colorado Democratic Party, will try to keep the Dems streak going strong in the all-Aurora district.
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By RACHEL SAPIN, Staff writer
Aurora’s House District 36, long Democratically held, is up for grabs
This year, Democrat Mike Weissman is squaring off with Republican Richard J. Bowman for the seat long held by Democrat Su Ryden, who was term-limited. The seat has been a safe one for Democrats, particularly Ryden, who won by comfortable margins in 2008, 2010 and 2012. But that margin narrowed considerably in 2014, when Ryden defeated Bowman by less than 3 percent and 700 votes.
Weissman, who holds a doctor of law degree from the University of Colorado, is a longtime partner of 6th Congressional District candidate Morgan Carroll, working on her political campaigns in the past and serving as the Colorado Democratic Party’s voter protection director. He said a lack of transportation and infrastructure funding is an issue for voters, and said he supports using bonds to fund transportation improvements as long as it is clear what state revenue stream will be used to pay off those bonds.
“Doing nothing at all is not an option because our roads are rapidly becoming more congested, and this places an increasing burden on residents simply trying to get to work or school and deal with daily life,” Weissman said. “This is especially true in newer areas of House District 36, where residential construction has gotten well ahead of the transportation infrastructure.”
Weissman also said he is for some local control when it comes to fracking. While he doesn’t think municipal or county governments have the appropriate knowledge to determine scientific standards for the oil and gas industry — such as what chemicals are used — they should have a say over the location of a well pad, the height of structures or mitigation of noise.
“It’s appropriate that municipalities have some say over this latter set of issues, as they do over many other siting and zoning issues,” he said.
Weissman said a lack of funding is the primary problem with the state’s education system, and that providing more to schools would increase student performance.
“Colorado is among the bottom 10 states in terms of per-student investment in K-12 education,” he said. “Certainly, there are more factors involved in educational outcomes than funding alone, but better funding will address many barriers to student achievement.
“Right now APS and Cherry Creek (and other districts around the state) suffer from large class sizes, outdated facilities, high teacher turnover, lack of paraprofessional support and dated books and teaching materials,” Weissman added. “If we as a state and as Coloradans commit to investing more in the success of our kids, we will see the results of that investment in test scores.”
According to his website, Weissman supports comprehensive immigration reform and the rights of homeowners to use and enjoy their property without undue interference from homeowners’ associations.
Bowman, who works as a controller for the Univair Aircraft Corporation, is an avid shooter and has long been active in supporting gun rights. He said, if elected, he will vote to repeal the state’s high-capacity magazine ban, according to his website. That stance is in conflict with Weissman, who supports the state’s current gun laws and said they are working.
On his website, Bowman said he also opposes government interference in education. He told The Aurora Sentinel he would like to see the state pass a scholarship tax credit program.
“I am in favor of school choice. Control over curriculum should be by the parents and the local boards of education,” Bowman said.
He also said he supports state control over the oil and gas industry.
“The development of natural resources needs to be uniform across the state,” Bowman said. “The environment needs to be protected by the state to ensure no damage is done to our local communities and counties.”
Bowman said, in terms of transportation improvements, he would focus on spending money on roads rather than subsidizing mass transit and alternative fuel vehicles.
“With more fuel-efficient vehicles, revenues from the gas tax are not keeping pace with the needs and demands of road improvements and expansions,” he said. “A source for transportation revenue and funding for transportation is a top priority. Some opportunities for funding include a discussion of user fees, and (we should) put it to the citizens if they would like a 1 percent sales tax increase just to fund road expansion and maintenance.”
Bowman holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from the University of Colorado in Denver.
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Weissman, who holds a doctor of law degree from the University of Colorado, is a longtime partner of 6th Congressional District candidate Morgan Carroll, working on her political campaigns in the past and serving as the Colorado Democratic Party’s voter protection director.
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Bowman, who works as a controller for the Univair Aircraft Corporation, is an avid shooter and has long been active in supporting gun rights. Bowman holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from the University of Colorado in Denver.
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Would you vote to end capital punishment in Colorado? Yes. The death penalty is unevenly applied, exacts a great cost on our criminal justice system, is on increasingly shaky legal ground, and fundamentally is not a power a state should seek to assert over its citizens. As a share both of defendants executed in the last four decades and of defendants on death row now, minority defendants are vastly over-represented compared to the population at large. A death penalty trial can cost anywhere from hundreds of thousands to over $1 million — this funding can be more effectively used to improve public safety in other ways, such as revisiting “cold” cases or substance abuse treatment to reduce recidivism. There have been dozens of Supreme Court cases involving the death penalty since 1976, and I believe it is significant that in the last decade the court barred imposition of the death penalty against minor defendants (Roper v. Simmons) and developmentally disabled defendants (Atkins v. Virginia). Finally, an increasing number of states have decided that the death penalty is not necessary to have an effective criminal justice system. This includes both Republican-leaning states like Alaska and West Virginia, as well as Democratic-leaning states.
How should the state pay for substantial expansion of state roads? A couple broad principles inform how I think about this: 1) Transportation is broadly — just about universally — utilized, and there has to be substantial, broad-based public investment. The alternative is an increasingly two-tiered system of transportation with expensive tolled lanes and highways for a few who can afford it, and inadequate roads and highways for everyone else; 2) Transportation investment must consider not just roads and bridges but also transit systems including trains, buses and multi-use paths to allow commuting by bicycle and by foot. Not everyone owns a car, and having good transit systems gives people options and takes some of the strain off roads; 3) I am open to bonding as a means of financing transportation infrastructure, but it must be clear up front what the revenue stream is that will be allocated to pay off the bonds. Otherwise, the state’s obligation for these new bonds would risk competing with other areas of the budget, such as K-12 or higher education; 4) Doing nothing at all is not an option, because our roads are rapidly becoming more congested and this places an increasing burden on residents simply trying to get to work or school and deal with daily life. This is especially true in newer areas of House District 36, where residential construction has gotten well ahead of the transportation infrastructure.
Should the state cede some local control of fracking to counties and municipalities? How much? Probably. There are two separate sets of issues relating to fracking — I think of them as “scientific/technical standards” and “community standards.” Scientific/technical standards are things like what chemicals are used, what type of cement is used, the thickness of well casing, etc. Those standards should be uniform across the state and protective of human and environmental health. I don’t think municipal or county governments have the resources to be making those kinds of determinations individually. Community standards are things like the precise location of a well pad, the height of structures, or mitigation of noise — determinations that vary across different cities and towns in our states. It’s appropriate that municipalities have some say over this latter set of issues, as they do over many other siting and zoning issues.
Should Colorado repeal gun-control laws from 2013? No. The 2013 bills were reasonable public safety measures and consistent with the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for self defense in the home as set forth in District of Columbia v. Heller. I believe that criminal background checks can prevent dangerous individuals from acquiring firearms and I have met numerous gun owners who agree.
Would you support a bill to ban red-light traffic cameras? Probably, although there have been several variations on this idea over the last several years and I would always have to read a bill in detail before coming to a final decision (in this area and in any other area). I am particularly uncomfortable with any arrangement between a municipality and a private company by which the private company keeps a share of the ticket revenues generated by the cameras. The only motive in law enforcement should be public safety, not revenue.
Would you support a measure to ask voters to re-write the Taxpayer Bill of Rights to require a vote on tax increases, but to remove all other state budget restrictions? Yes. The “ratchet” aspect of TABOR makes long-term fiscal planning hard or impossible in our state and forces cuts even to popular services at inopportune times. I think there is bipartisan consensus among business leaders and nonprofit organizations in Colorado that some reforms must be made to TABOR. Many voters I have met over the last year find it hard to believe that our legislature lacks the agency to act on their behalf that lawmakers in other states have.
Should a revised presidential primary system allow for non-affiliated voters to vote for party candidates? Yes, although any revisions must also respect the First Amendment rights of affiliated voters. Generally, I strongly support re-instituting a presidential preference primary for 2020 and beyond, instead of a caucus. A caucus system is fine for smaller elections but it is simply too cumbersome a system to allow large numbers of people to participate easily. Colorado’s otherwise prevailing system of sending mail ballots to eligible voters ahead of time is a good system, and we should use that same system for presidential primaries in the future. We should be wary of proposed reforms that are actually antidemocratic, such as the provision in Initiative 98 that would allow parties to opt out of primaries in favor of closed party conventions. That is not the kind of reform I believe voters across the political spectrum want.
Will you vote for Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton or someone else? Clinton. Donald Trump’s extremist pronouncements about immigrants, women and Muslims are disqualifying and beneath the office of President of the United States. His candidacy has damaged civil discourse in our country and I fear he would damage both the institution of the presidency and our nation’s standing as a world leader, were he to win. There is plenty of room in our nation for a debate between Democratic and Republican party principles. Unfortunately that is not the debate Donald Trump is having.
Should the state prevent counties, schools and municipalities from barring transgender people from using restrooms and locker rooms for sexes other than what appears on their birth certificates? Yes. Discrimination is a matter of statewide concern and it is appropriate that the state set uniform policies that are protective of people’s rights.
What one thing, above all, would you ask fellow lawmakers to do or change to increase student performance on standardized tests? Increase funding. Colorado is among the bottom ten states in terms of per-student investment in K-12 education. Certainly there are more factors involved in educational outcomes than funding alone, but better funding will address many barriers to student achievement. Right now, APS and Cherry Creek (and other districts around the state) suffer from large class sizes, outdated facilities, high teacher turnover, lack of paraprofessional support and dated books and teaching materials. If we as a state and as Coloradans commit to investing more in the success of our kids, we will see the results of that investment in test scores.
Apart from funding, the extent to which preparation for standardized testing and “teaching to the test” competes with subject matter instructional time ought to be an ongoing question for the state legislature. Even after reforms in 2015, I am not sure we have yet finished addressing the question of standardized testing in Colorado.
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Would you vote to end capital punishment in Colorado? No.
How should the state pay for substantial expansion of state roads? With more fuel-efficient vehicles, revenues from the gas tax are not keeping pace with the needs and demands of road improvements and expansions. A source for transportation revenue and funding for transportation is a top priority. Some opportunities for funding include a discussion of user fees, and put it to the citizens if they would like a 1 percent sales tax increase just to fund road expansion and maintenance.
Should the state cede some local control of fracking to counties and municipalities? How much? No, none. The development of natural resources needs to be uniform across the state. The environment needs to be protected by the state to ensure no damage is done to our local communities and counties.
Should Colorado repeal gun-control laws from 2013? Yes. The 2013 gun laws do nothing to increase public safety. We need to ensure that citizens have the ability to adequately protect themselves and their families. We need to improve public monitoring of potential safety and security threats to our citizens.
Would you support a bill to ban red-light traffic cameras? Yes.
Would you support a measure to ask voters to re-write the Taxpayer Bill of Rights to require a vote on tax increases, but to remove all other state budget restrictions? No.
Should a revised presidential primary system allow for non-affiliated voters to vote for party candidates? No.
Will you vote for Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton or someone else? Donald Trump.
Should the state prevent counties, schools and municipalities from barring transgender people from using restrooms and locker rooms for sexes other than what appears on their birth certificates? No. The state should not be involved in issues that need to be decided at the local level.
What one thing, above all, would you ask fellow lawmakers to do or change to increase student performance on standardized tests? To pass a scholarship tax credit program. I am in favor of school choice. Control over curriculum should be by the parents and the local boards of education.
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What food do you hate most? Beef consomme. Had it once when I was little. Never again.
Do you indulge in recreational marijuana? No.
Who would play you in a movie about your life? Tobey Maguire.
What Olympic Sport do you wish you could win gold at? Summer, marathon. Winter, 50K nordic skiing.
What was your favorite childhood candy? Chuckles, the jelly candies. I’d always eat them in a different order each time.
If you could be an eyewitness to one event in history, what would it be? The U.S. Constitutional Convention in 1787.
If the Secret Service gave you a code name, what would it be? Matrix.
If you had to sing karaoke, what song would you sing? Car karaoke counts. Some relatively up-tempo traditional Irish pub song. But you really don’t want to hear me try to sing karaoke.
What epitaph would you like written on your tombstone? Lived the action and passion of his time.
Is a hot dog a sandwich? I appreciate that this is a controversial issue, but no.
What is the last concert you attended? Norah Jones.
What movie do you never tire of watching? “Avatar” — amazing graphics.
Dogs or cats? Cats, although I’ve had dogs at different times in life as well.
What’s the most overrated thing about living in Colorado? Affordability of housing. Until recently, it was a lot more affordable to buy a home or rent an apartment in the metro Denver area, and particularly in Aurora, compared to a lot of other urban areas around the country. That’s changed pretty dramatically, and it’s squeezing a lot of people.
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What food do you hate most? Sushi.
Do you indulge in recreational marijuana? No.
Who would play you in a movie about your life? Clint Eastwood.
What Olympic Sport so you wish you could win gold at? Trap shooting.
What was your favorite childhood candy? Snickers.
If you could be an eyewitness to one event in history, what would it be? The signing of the Declaration of Independence.
If the Secret Service gave you a code name, what would it be? Furry.
If you had to sing karaoke, what song would you sing? Car karaoke counts. “Ghost Riders in the Sky”
What epitaph would you like written on your tombstone? Duty to God and country.
Is a hot dog a sandwich? Yes.
What is the last concert you attended? Willie Nelson at Red Rocks.
What movie do you never tire of watching? “Zulu”
Dogs or cats? Dogs
What’s the most overrated thing about living in Colorado? Trout fishing
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Click here for Mike Weissman’s Campaign Finance Reports
[/wc_accordion_section] [wc_accordion_section title=”Richard Bowman’s campaign finance“]
Click here for Richard Bowman’s Campaign Finance Reports
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Congressman Ed Perlmutter (Congressional District 7)
Colorado State Senator Linda Newell (Senate District 26)
Colorado State Senator Nancy Todd (Senate District 28)
Colorado State Senator Morgan Carroll (Senate District 29)
Colorado State Representative Alec Garnett (House District 2)
Colorado State Representative Daniel Kagan (House District
Colorado State Representative Crisanta Duran (House District 5)
Colorado State Representative Lois Court (House District 6)
Colorado State Representative Angela Williams (House District 7)
Colorado State Representative Beth McCann (House District 8)
Colorado State Representative Paul Rosenthal (House District 9)
Colorado State Representative Mike Foote (House District 12)
Colorado State Representative K.C. Becker (House District 13)
Colorado State Representative Pete Lee (House District 18)
Colorado State Representative Max Tyler (House District 23)
Colorado State Representative Jessie Danielson (House District 24)
Colorado State Representative Brittany Pettersen (House District 28)
Colorado State Representative Tracy Kraft-Tharp (House District 29)
Colorado State Representative Joe Salazar (House District 31)
Colorado State Representative Dominick Moreno (House District 32)
Colorado State Representative Dianne Primavera (House District 33)
Colorado State Representative Steve Lebsock (House District 34)
Colorado State Representative Su Ryden (House District 36)
Colorado State Representative Janet Buckner (House District 40)
Colorado State Representative Jovan Melton (House District 41)
Colorado State Representative Rhonda Fields (House District 42)
Colorado State Representative Edward Vigil (House District 62)
Arapahoe County Commissioner Nancy Jackson (Commission District 4)
Arapahoe County Commissioner Bill Holen (Commission District 5)
Clear Creek County Commissioner Tim Mauck (Commission District 1)
RTD Director Claudia Folska (District E)
RTD Director Tom Tobiassen (District F)
Pueblo County Clerk & Recorder Bo Ortiz
AFL-CIO Colorado
American Federation of Teachers (AFT) – Colorado
Colorado Academy of Family Physicians
Colorado Association of Realtors
Colorado Bankers Association
Colorado Dental Association
Colorado Education Association
Colorado Mortgage Lenders Association
Colorado Professional Fire Fighters
Colorado State Conference of Electrical Workers
Colorado Voters for Animals
Communications Workers of America – Colorado State Council
Conservation Colorado
NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado
One Colorado
Pipefitters Local # 208
Plumbers Local #3
Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado
Sierra Club – Rocky Mountain Chapter
Secure PERA (Colorado Coalition for Retirement Security)
Service Employees International Union Local # 105
Sheet Metal Workers Local #9
United Food and Commercial Workers Local # 7
Former Colorado House Speaker Mark Ferrandino
Former Colorado House Speaker Terrance Carroll
Former Colorado State Senator Bob Hagedorn
Former Colorado State Representative Karen Middleton
Former Colorado State Representative Sara Gagliardi
Former Aurora City Councilor & Mayor Pro Tem Debi Hunter Holen
Former Aurora City Council Candidate Maya Wheeler
Former University of Colorado Regent candidate Naquetta Ricks
Former Aurora Veterans’ Affairs Commissioner Pam Bennett
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Not available.
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