State Senate District 25 is among the biggest in the metro area in terms of land mass. The district spans parts of north Aurora, Thornton, Commerce City and Brighton. It stretches all the way to eastern edge of Adams County, too, covering eastern plains towns like Bennett, Strasburg and Watkins. This fall, voters in that expansive district will choose a new representative. Incumbent Democrat and former State Rep. Mary Hodge is leaving her Senate seat due to term limits and seeking a spot on the Adams County Board of County Commissioners. Vying to replace her are two candidates familiar with the district and familiar with workings of the state Capitol. Democrat Jenise May, a former state representative, is squaring off against current state Rep. Kevin Priola, a Republican. With Republicans holding a slight edge in the legislature’s upper house, the battle for Senate District 25 could have far-reaching effects well outside the massive district.
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By BRANDON JOHANSSON, Staff writer
2 lawmakers with capitol experience square off for Senate District 25
Two lawmakers with experience at the state capitol are vying to replace long-time State Sen. Mary Hodge in District 25.
Hodge, a Democrat from Brighton, is leaving the senate seat this year due to term limits after 16 years spent in the House and Senate.
The campaign got a fairly early kickoff when Democrat Jenise May and Republican Kevin Priola announced in 2015 they would seek Hodge’s seat.
May, a former director of the Colorado Department of Human Services, represented House District 30 in the Legislature’s lower chamber. That district includes parts of north Aurora, Thornton and a swath of Adams County near Denver International Airport.
Priola has been in the state House since 2008 and currently represents House District 56, which includes much of northern Adams County.
Both candidates already represent much of Senate District 25 in the House, so they should be familiar faces when voters head to the polls.
May said she would back using the state’s hospital provider fee to cover new spending projects, including roads.
“Our current constraints leave us without the ability to invest wisely, leaving the state to spend even more money on emergency repairs than regular maintenance would require. In the short term, the legislature needs to designate the Hospital Provider Fee as an enterprise, freeing up millions of dollars slated to go to road projects,” she said.
But that measure doesn’t fix the state’s long term spending issues, she said.
To do that, May said she would support asking the voters to let the state keep some tax revenue that would otherwise be refunded to taxpayers.
“In the long term, we’ll have to ask voters to allow the state to keep the revenue already collected above the artificial cap, allowing us to make these needed vital investments during good economic times,” she said.
Priola, a Henderson business owner, did not return calls for comment.
On his website, Priola said the economy is the most-important issue facing state lawmakers. But whipping up new revenue will be tough: He opposes new taxes or fees.
“Our free enterprise system is critical, and he will work to promote small businesses in the community so they can thrive, grow, and provide good jobs to the Thornton, Brighton, Aurora, Bennett and Watkins communities,” his website said.
Priola also lists energy as a top issue, saying he supports expanded oil and gas development, as well as renewable sources.
“This will create American jobs and bring down energy costs for working families,” he said.
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A Colorado native, Jenise May grew up in metro Denver. She was the executive director of the Colorado Department of Human Services and previously represented House District 30 in the legislature.
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Kevin Priola grew up in Brighton and now runs several business in Henderson. A graduate of the University of Colorado, he was first elected to the state House in 2008. He is married and has four children.
[/wc_accordion_section] [wc_accordion_section title=”Jenise May’s issue questions and responses“]
Would you vote to end capital punishment in Colorado? This is a complex and emotional issue for many in Colorado. While I personally oppose the death penalty, as a state senator I would be representing the views of this very diverse district and I will follow the wishes of my constituents on this issue.
How should the state pay for substantial expansion of state roads? Colorado’s history has always been boom and bust, and in the past we could make investments in our infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc.) during good times, making up for the lack of funding during the bust. Our current constraints leave us without the ability to invest wisely, leaving the state to spend even more money on emergency repairs than regular maintenance would require. In the short term, the legislature needs to designate the Hospital Provider Fee as an enterprise, freeing up millions of dollars slated to go to road projects. In the long term, we’ll have to ask voters to allow the state to keep the revenue already collected above the artificial cap, allowing us to make these needed vital investments during good economic times.
Should the state cede some local control of fracking to counties and municipalities? How much? We need all sides at the table to come to some kind of agreement about how communities can protect residents from industrial activity in their neighborhoods, without violating the mandates in the state constitution.
Should Colorado repeal gun-control laws from 2013? What the legislature passed in 2013 were common gun safety measures. We have already seen the positive impact that requiring universal background checks has on safety, and many people with criminal records being rejected every year. It’s common sense to require everyone to have a background check before buying a gun. It’s also common sense to require in-person training for people who want a concealed carry permit, which was not mandated until I carried the bill to close that loophole. Gun ownership is protected by the Second Amendment, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t have certain safety requirements around that right. We can’t stop all tragedies, but we shouldn’t make it easier for dangerous people to have access to deadly weapons.
Would you support a bill to ban red-light traffic cameras? No, this is a local issue. When I walk doors, one of the top complaints I get is about motorists speeding through neighborhoods and the unsafe conditions for children and other pedestrians. We should not take away this tool from local governments while replacing it with nothing. I don’t agree with local governments using red-light cameras and speed radar as cash cows to fatten their own budgets. The state should look at requiring funds gathered to be used to actually enhance safety.
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. I agree that voters should be able to vote to raise their own taxes, but elected officials should be allowed to do their jobs and pass a budget that makes the right investments in our future.
Should a revised presidential primary system allow for non-affiliated voters to vote for party candidates? Yes. With more and more voters choosing to not to affiliate with either major party, especially in Senate District 25, we should enhance their ability to participate in the political process by offering them more opportunities to decide who represents them.
Will you vote for Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton or someone else? I could never support Donald Trump given his antagonistic views and actions against so many people in my own community. This district is very diverse and his divisive rhetoric is the opposite of what we need right now. His attacks on a Five Star family were especially offensive to me as my husband and three of our children have served or are serving in the armed forces. To me, Donald Trump is unfit to be Commander-In-Chief. A voter I talked to recently said it best, “You have the choice between Donald Trump, who is dangerous, or Hillary Clinton, who has trust issues, I’ll take Hillary.”
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? Colorado has non-discrimination legislation in place that protects transgender Coloradans, and no local government should be able to violate those protections.
What one thing, above all, would you ask fellow lawmakers to do or change to increase student performance on standardized tests? First of all, standardized testing policies have to be re-examined to ensure they are effective at tracking student growth, and not just testing for the sake of testing. For example, many test scores are not returned until the next year, at which point they are useless for actually tracking the needs of students. Can you imagine a business evaluating their employee and saving the results for the next year to tell them where they need to improve? At the very least tests results should be available to educators in the same quarter in order to be useful. I think that alone will help teachers and students improve performance.
[/wc_accordion_section] [wc_accordion_section title=”Kevin Priola’s issue questions and responses“]
Did not respond.
[/wc_accordion_section] [wc_accordion_section title=”LIGHTER SIDE: Jenise May’s personality questions and responses“]
What food do you hate most? Liver.
Do you indulge in recreational marijuana? No.
Who would play you in a movie about your life? At the doors I’ve been told Tina Fey.
What Olympic Sport so you wish you could win gold at? Bobsledding.
What was your favorite childhood candy? Hot Tamales.
If you could be an eyewitness to one event in history, what would it be? The launching of Apollo 11.
If the Secret Service gave you a code name, what would it be? Iron Lady.
If you had to sing karaoke, what song would you sing? Car karaoke counts. The House That Built Me – Miranda Lambert.
What epitaph would you like written on your tombstone? Jenise didn’t beat around the bush. She saw a problem, got to the point, and found a solution.
Is a hot dog a sandwich? No. It’s in a category all its own.
What is the last concert you attended? Santana.
What movie do you never tire of watching? Fiddler on the Roof.
Dogs or cats? Cats.
What’s the most overrated thing about living in Colorado? Skiing.
[/wc_accordion_section] [wc_accordion_section title=”LIGHTER SIDE: Kevin Priola’s personality questions and responses“]
Did not respond.
[/wc_accordion_section] [wc_accordion_section title=”Jenise May’s campaign finance“]
Click here for Jenise May’s Campaign Finance Reports
[/wc_accordion_section] [wc_accordion_section title=”Kevin Priola’s campaign finance“]
Click here for Kevin Priola’s Campaign Finance Reports
[/wc_accordion_section] [wc_accordion_section title=” Jenise May’s endorsements“]
[/wc_accordion_section] [wc_accordion_section title=”Kevin Priola’s endorsements“]
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