On March 28, hundreds of Colorado Democrats made the trek to Pueblo to do their civic duty and attend the Democratic State Assembly. They had been chosen by their counties to appear, vet, and vote for the candidates running for office who want to appear on the primary ballot in June.
Our two U.S. senators, Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, decided to skip it. Instead, they chose to buy their way onto the ballot by hiring a professional company to collect signatures. This is legal, but really? I am incensed.
At such a critical time in our country, our two long-term elected officials decided it wasn’t worth their time to make the effort, show up and participate in the process that got them elected in the first place. Why, you might ask? We can’t really know, but my guess, in Bennet’s case, is that he is running an unpopular campaign against Phil Weiser, who has been crisscrossing the state weekly for the past eight years, building a strong base of local supporters, of which I am one.
In this unprecedented time in our country, we need new energy – people who are willing to stand and fight for us. If these two senators are too tired to show up, let’s vote for candidates who are. I’m voting for Phil Weiser.
Alison Dance
Durango
