Democratic state Rep. Jovan Melton is parrying a push from Republican newcomer Linda Garrison in the race to represent House District 41. Melton was first elected to the State House in 2012, while Garrison has never before run for public office. The two candidates generally disagree along traditional party lines on most social issues, including a woman’s right to choose an abortion, maintaining the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), and health care. Garrison is pro-life, while Melton is not; Melton favors disassembling TABOR while Garrison supports the amendment; and Garrison believes in restricting healthcare access for non-U.S. citizens, while Melton supports measures that provide healthcare for all Colorado residents.
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By QUINCY SNOWDON, Staff writer
GOP challenger faces steep challenge in unseating Aurora’s two-term south-central HD41 rep
Democratic state Rep. Jovan Melton is fighting for a legislative hat trick this November, though he’ll have to fend off a bid from Republican challenger Linda Garrison to win his third consecutive election in House District 41.
Melton was first elected to the State House in 2012, while Garrison has never before run for public office.
A native of northeast Denver, Melton won his previous elections in 2012 and 2014 by margins of about 23 percent and 7 percent, respectively, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
Education has emerged as a premier issue in both candidates’ platforms, with both the Democrat and the Republican lambasting the current state of public education.
“The public school system is not teaching our kids anything that is valuable for their future,” Garrison said. “I’d like to see the voucher system put into place so parents can pick which school they’d like to send their children to.”
Melton said he would support tweaking the state’s high school graduation requirements in order to create a stronger pipeline for students to attend local colleges.
“Among other remedies I will explore, I will introduce the Colorado College Ready Plan, which will change the state’s high school graduation requirements to match those of our community college system,” the Democrat wrote on his website. “We must ensure our K-12 system prepares students for college or vocational training in either a four-year or two-year program.”
On guns, Melton and Garrison asserted varying viewpoints that generally aligned with their respective sides of the aisle.
Melton said he would not support repealing the package of gun control legislation passed in 2013, and he would be in favor of bolstering the existing regulations.
“I supported the measures enacted and continue to support them because of the tragic impacts of gun violence, like in Aurora during the 2012 theater shooting,” Melton said in response to an Aurora Sentinel questionnaire. “In response, we passed commonsense measures that have helped keep guns out of the hands of criminal offenders by closing the background check loop, and simply require a person to reload their gun after 15 rounds.”
Garrison lauded existing Second Amendment protections.
“If all areas were OK for guns and there were no gun-free areas, we wouldn’t have people being shot and killed so easily,” she said. “So I think it’s important to have guns.”
The two candidates generally disagreed along traditional party lines on most other social issues, including a woman’s right to choose an abortion, maintaining the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), and health care. Garrison is pro-life, while Melton is not; Melton favors disassembling TABOR while Garrison supports the amendment; and Garrison believes in restricting healthcare access for non-U.S. citizens, while Melton supports measures that ensure healthcare for all Colorado residents.
Last legislative session, Melton made waves when he sponsored a bill with former Democratic Sen. Mike Johnston of Denver that bars law enforcement officials from intentionally using a chokehold to subdue a suspect. The Democrat also sponsored the so-called Homeless Bill of Rights, though that measure was eventually killed by a House committee.
Melton has raised slightly more than $9,000 so far this cycle, according to the latest campaign finance reports filed with the Secretary of State’s office. He had roughly $4,500 as of the latest report filed on Oct. 3.
Garrison’s financial situation is a bit stickier than Melton’s, as the Republican has already spent more than the $1,050 she has thus far raised, according to the Secretary of State. She was about $9 in debt, according to her Oct. 3 finance report.
House District 41 covers a wide portion of south-central Aurora that is roughly delineated by South Quebec Street to the west, South Buckley Road to the east, East Hampden Avenue to the south and East Mississippi avenue to the north. There are notable jogs along the area’s borders to the northeast and southwest.
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A native of northeast Denver, Melton won his previous elections for HD 41 in 2012 and 2014 by margins of about 23 percent and 7 percent, respectively, according to the Secretary of Sate’s office. He is the chair of the Black Democratic Legislative Caucus of Colorado, according to his website.
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A retired accountant, Linda Garrison has lived in Aurora for more than 30 years. In interviews and on her website, she repeatedly referred to her desire for increased fiscal constraints at the state level. This is the first time she has run for public office.
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Would you vote to end capital punishment in Colorado? I would not only vote to end capital punishment, but I sponsored legislation to end Colorado’s use of the death penalty in 2013, and would do so again. The death penalty is a failed policy. It does not deter violent crimes, it is far more costly to the state’s budget, and it is used disproportionately against minorities. I support life without parole as an alternative.
How should the state pay for substantial expansion of state roads? First of all, I support eliminating TABOR, which puts restrictions on the amount of revenue the state can raise and retain. Instead of refunding small amounts, we should invest in our infrastructure to ensure safety and expand commerce through transportation. Secondly, I support redirecting funds from wasteful spending like the subsides paid to private prisons last year in Burlington.
Should the state cede some local control of fracking to counties and municipalities? How much? I support increasing local control measures regarding permitting, resource usage (i.e. water), and imposing additional set backs. There is no blanket statewide solution that fits all counties or municipalities. What is good in some counties like Weld, is not good for Arapahoe County, and therefore local governments should have more say with regard to their communities needs and concerns.
Should Colorado repeal gun-control laws from 2013? No, I would not support repealing the 2013 laws. I supported the measures enacted and continue to support them because of the tragic impacts of gun violence, like in Aurora during the 2012 theater shooting. In response, we passed commonsense measures that have helped keep guns out of the hands of criminal offenders by closing the background check loop, and simply require a person to reload their gun after 15 rounds. With that said, I am willing to discuss how to improve the current law, but I would not repeal it.
Would you support a bill to ban red-light traffic cameras? Yes, I support banning red-light traffic cameras. There is data that shows they do not reduce over all accidents, but in fact increase rear-end collisions. I believe they are primarily used as sources of revenue for municipalities and they are not placed equitably across the city, but in areas of less affluence and wealth.
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? I would support such a measure as a first step towards solving our state’s fiscal challenges. Under TABOR, the state is required to refund revenues to taxpayers if the revenues exceed a specific formula based on population and inflation otherwise known as the TABOR limit. This prevents us from meeting many of our obligations like funding education properly, investing in transportation, providing much-needed services for our seniors, and addressing the rising cost of higher education. I believe that TABOR should be fully repealed, however, I believe removing some of the restrictions will help our state in the years ahead.
Should a revised presidential primary system allow for non-affiliated voters to vote for party candidates? While I do support moving the state to a presidential primary instead of the current Caucus system, I do not believe that revising the system for non-affiliated voters is necessary. Under the current same-day registration system, a non-affiliated voter can walk into a party caucus, register for that party, participate and unregister from that party immediately afterwards. This right is afforded to exclusively to unaffiliated voters. Therefore, I believe that the current system is sufficient to ensure that all voters can participate in primary elections.
Will you vote for Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton or someone else? I plan to vote for Hillary Clinton because I believe that she is the most experienced person running for office, has a proven track record for helping children and working families, has promoted equal rights for all people regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexuality, and has a lengthy record of foreign policy needed in a changing geopolitical world.
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? I do not support barring transgendered individuals from using restrooms or locker rooms by any level of government or public institution. I believe that the individual’s safety is paramount in these cases and warrants they use of the gender facilities that they live by if they so choose.
What one thing, above all, would you ask fellow lawmakers to do or change to increase student performance on standardized tests? Having gone to and graduated from our public school system, I believe that a students success can’t be measured solely on standardized tests, but from the individual help and attention given to them by our teachers and educators. My own successes can in part be credited towards teachers that devoted themselves to their work and ability to respond to my needs and the needs of other students. I would press fellow lawmakers to focus more resources towards hiring and supporting good teachers in the classroom. I believe that the quality of classroom instruction will translate into higher student performance and test scores.
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Did not respond.
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What food do you hate most? My waist size would say nothing, but I’m not a big fan of beets.
Do you indulge in recreational marijuana? I do not use recreational or medical marijuana. I know that some people find it relaxing, and I support the legalization of it passed in 2012, if it is used responsibly and kept away from children. However, it is something I don’t enjoy personally and have no interest in using.
Who would play you in a movie about your life? I would probably ask for Denzel Washington, but get Jaleel White. All throughout middle school, I was compared to Steve Urkel — it’s something I just accept now.
What Olympic Sport so you wish you could win gold at? Now that golf is an Olympic sport again, I have to go with that.
What was your favorite childhood candy? Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups!
If you could be an eyewitness to one event in history, what would it be? The Gettysburg Address.
If the Secret Service gave you a code name, what would it be? Squirrel!
If you had to sing karaoke, what song would you sing? Car karaoke counts. “Blowin’ in the Wind,” by Stevie Wonder.
What epitaph would you like written on your tombstone? He who is afraid to live is already dead.
Is a hot dog a sandwich? No, a hot dog is a hot dog, and I won’t budge on that!
What is the last concert you attended? Earth Wind and Fire.
What movie do you never tire of watching? “Dave”
Dogs or cats? Definitely dogs.
What’s the most overrated thing about living in Colorado? Nothing (trick question).
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Did not respond.
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Click here for Jovan Melton’s Campaign Finance Reports
[/wc_accordion_section] [wc_accordion_section title=”Linda Garrison’s Campaign Finance“]
Click here for Linda Garrison’s Campaign Finance Reports
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Not available.
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Not available.
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