2020 Boulder Voting Guide

These are voting recommendations based on information provided in the "Colorado Blue Book", voting guides provided by progressive organizations (one example here), informer Boulder Mayor Suzanne Jones and Boulder County Commissioner Elise Jones. The endorsements and ballot positions are very much in line with the voting guides provided by progressive and environmental organizations. If you do not have a ton of time to do your own research for every single candidate and issue, this guide can help you get started.

Vote all the way down the ballot and pay special attention to the following measures that could be impactful:

Fiscal measures (the state faces a large budget shortfall as it is and these fiscal measures will have an impact on education, healthcare and environmental fundings among other things):

• • Amendment B (Gallagher Repeal): Vote Yes

  • Prop. 116 (tax cut): Vote No

  • Prop. 117 (make TABOR even worse): Vote No

Prop. 115  (Abortion Ban): Vote No and ask others to do the same.

Boulder Issue 2C (Xcel Franchise): Vote No because there're no enforceable commitments from Xcel that Boulder stands to benefit from by signing the 20-year franchise agreement. We should let the voters decide on municipalization once we have the full cost breakdown down the road.

• US President: Vote for Joe Biden/Kamala Harris (D). It’s not hyperbole to suggest that the future of our planet, our democracy, and our health are all on the line, so it’s essential that we end Trump’s presidency and replace him & Mike Pence with Joe Biden & Kamala Harris. And not just defeat Trump, but to do so in an overwhelming Blue Wave that sends the unequivocal message that America rejects his misogynistic, racist, anti-environmental policies as well as his uncivil, anti-factual, divisive style. While Biden may not have been your first pick for President, he will be an order of magnitude better than Trump and we will make history as a nation when we elect our 1st Black woman VP, (who could very well later become our 1st Black woman President!).

• U.S. Senator for CO: Vote for John Hickenlooper (D). While winning the White House is critical, the Democrats must also regain leadership of the Senate (i.e., win a net gain of three seats) to ensure progress on everything from healthcare to climate to future Supreme Court justices. Replacing conservative Republican incumbent Sen. Cory Gardner in CO with former Governor John Hickenlooper is critical to that goal. Again, while Hickenlooper, a centrist Democrat, was not our 1st choice due in large part to his close ties to the oil & gas industry, he is now emphasizing climate action and wilderness protection and will be much better than Gardner, who votes the Trump position nearly 90% of the time.

• U.S. Representative (2nd CD): Vote for Joe Neguse (D). Joe is doing a great job as our current Congressman, leading the charge on climate as an early supporter of the Green New Deal, sponsoring a CO wilderness bill, and casting reliably progressive votes. He introduced more bills in Congress than any other freshman members and had more bills signed into law than anyone in CO’s delegation. As you’ll recall, Joe, the son of Eritrean immigrants, is the first African American elected to Congress from CO. He’s also genuinely one of the nicest, most positive and articulate people you’ll ever meet.

• U.S. Representative (4th CD): Vote for Ike McCorkle (D). If you live in Longmont, vote for long-shot newcomer Ike to replace super conservative, anti-choice, anti-environmental incumbent and Republican Party Chair Ken Buck. Ike is an 18-year Marine veteran and Purple Heart recipient, as well as the single dad of three children and a self-avowed “unapologetic environmentalist.” 

• CU Regent–CD 2: Vote for Callie Rennison (D). The Board of Regents is the governing board of the University of Colorado system. Callie Rennison, a professor at CU Denver’s School of Public Affairs is running for the open 2nd Congressional District seat. She’s a 54-year old Democrat from Superior (and rock climber!) endorsed by outgoing CD-2 Regent Linda Shoemaker, whose priorities are stable funding for higher education, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and affordability. 

Since 2018, the Democrats have had a political trifecta in Colorado, meaning they hold the Governor’s seat (Jared Polis), a 19-16 seat majority in the State Senate, and a 41-24 seat majority in the State House. They used their majorities to pass landmark legislation last year on climate, oil and gas regulation, gun control, full-day kindergarten and other important issues -- and it would be great to hold these majorities so we can pass more progressive bills at the state level for the environment, women’s rights, education, health care, etc. So, vote Democrat! This is already a no-brainer in Boulder County, which boasts particularly great Democratic candidates worthy of your enthusiastic support:

• State Senator -- District 17 (Lafayette, Louisville, parts of Longmont & Erie): Vote for Sonya Jacquez Lewis (D). As a pharmacist, organic farmer and Latina lesbian, Sonya has been a great advocate for protecting the environment, expanding healthcare coverage, and protecting civil rights as the State Rep for HD 12, and now wants to take her advocacy to the open state senate seat being vacated by Mike Foote.

• State Senator -- District 18 (Boulder): Vote for Steve Fenberg (D). A young progressive who helped start New Era Colorado (a nationally recognized youth voter engagement group), Steve has quickly become a progressive rock star at the State Capitol, quickly becoming Senate Majority Leader and successfully championing major bills on oil & gas reform, climate, student debt, healthcare, and much more.

• State Rep -- District 10 (Boulder): Vote for Edie Hooton (D). Edie has been a solid progressive legislator, especially on immigrant and women’s rights, the environment and education.

• State Rep -- District 11 (Longmont, Lyons, Niwot area): Vote for Karen McCormick (D). A veterinarian, Karen is running to replace termed-out Jonathan Singer (she ran last cycle for the 4th congressional district) in order to advocate for progressive policies on healthcare, education, reproductive rights and the environment.

• State Rep -- District 12 (parts of Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville): Vote for Tracey Bernett (D). An engineer and entrepreneur (and world-ranked master runner!), Tracey is running for Sonya Jacquez-Lewis' open seat in HD 12, where she will focus on air quality, climate action, equity and reforming TABOR.

• State Rep -- District 13 (Boulder & nearby mountain counties): Vote for Judy Amabile (D). Judy is a progressive entrepreneur and small business owner running to fill the seat of Speaker of the House KC Becker, who is termed out. Judy plans to focus her legislative attention on increased access to mental health services, bold solutions to address the climate crisis, and sustainable wages for working families. 

• State Rep – District 33: (Broomfield, parts of Erie & Superior): Vote for Matt Gray (D). A former deputy district attorney, Matt has sponsored bills to address transportation, oil & gas impacts, assistance for seniors and those with disabilities, and domestic violence.

• District Attorney: Vote for Michael Dougherty (D). Michael is our current DA and is running unopposed for re-election. He has done a great job in his first three years in office, during which he’s established a wrongful conviction project and cold case task force, helped pass drug sentencing reform, and championed alternatives to jail for non-violent offenders including juveniles, veterans, and people suffering from mental illness and/or drug addiction.

• County Commissioner -- District 1: Vote for Claire Levy (D). After eight years, Elise is termed out and she is thrilled that Claire is running for her open seat. Claire has a wealth of progressive public service experience, including working as a state lawmaker, assistant county attorney and the executive director of a nonprofit focused on solutions to poverty.

• County Commissioner -- District 2: Vote for Marta Loachamin (D). Commissioner Deb Gardner is similarly termed out at year’s end. The democratic candidate for her seat is Marta Loachamin, a housing advocate, teacher, small business owner and resiliency expert from Longmont. If elected, Marta will be the 1st commissioner of color ever elected in Boulder County.

• Vote for Mark Lacis: Mark currently serves the Town of Superior as its Mayor Pro Tem and was elected to the Town Board in 2016. Previously, he served on the Town’s Planning Commission. Mark testified at the State Capitol in support of Senate Bill 181 about the importance of local government control in siting decisions for oil & gas development. Mark also voted to discontinue the use of the weedkiller Glyphosate (RoundUp) in open space areas and parks, to improve public health and the environment. Mark is committed to developing a vibrant downtown and providing opportunities for local businesses to thrive. He is running for re-election.

• Vote for Tim Howard: Tim is a strong leader and advocate for the health and safety of Colorado citizens. He served on the board of LOGIC which played a critical role in passing Senate Bill 181. Later on, he led a group of Superior residents to successfully push back a major fracking threat. Tim's is also a strong advocate for progressive candidates, including women candidates. Tim's financial and business background provides him with a skillset that will serve Superior well.

• Vote for Paige Henchen:  Paige advocates for affordable housing, sustainable development, and equity and diversity. She is very engaged with the community since she moved to Colorado. She serves on the board of Resource Central and volunteers for Social Venture Partners. She will continue to build and improve the community as a trustee.

Retain all the judges since they have all met the performance expectations per Colorado Commissions on Judicial Performance (with one exception below):

• (Ning) Vote No for Judge Patrick Butler: The judge gave a very lenient sentence to a rapist. Our vote is the only way to express our disagreement on his judgement. More information can be found in an Guardian Article about the CU Assault Case.

• Amendment B – Repeal Gallagher Amendment: Vote Yes. The Gallagher Amendment is a piece of the Gordian knot of constitutional provisions (along with TABOR) that severely hampers CO’s financial prosperity. An outdated measure passed in 1982, it locks into the CO Constitution the proportion of local property taxes paid by homeowners versus non-residential (commercial, business, agriculture, industrial). As property values have increased over time in CO’s urban areas, the result has been that small businesses are paying a crushingly disproportionate amount of taxes (4 times the rate that homeowners pay and increasing quickly – one of the reasons small shops get priced off of Boulder’s Pearl Street); in rural areas, where property values haven’t increased much or at all, town budgets are being starved, leading to cuts in basic services. (Property taxes, as you know, are used to fund local government services like police and fire protection, hospitals, transportation, and K-12 education.)

Amendment B would eliminate Gallagher, freezing assessment rates at their current values; any future increases to the tax rates would require a vote of the people. This issue is admittedly super complicated – you can read more on pages 7-13 of the state blue book.

• Amendment C – Conduct of Charitable Gaming: Toss Up. This constitutional amendment would make it easier for nonprofit organizations to run raffles and bingo games to raise money for charity. A relatively minor measure, the vote on Amendment C won’t have major impact either way; it could help increase funding for nonprofit charities but would also make bingo-raffle games more like for-profit gambling.

• Amendment 76 – Citizenship Qualification of Voters: Vote No. This unnecessary and divisive constitutional amendment attempts to solve a problem that doesn’t exist (noncitizen voting) and would upend the state law allowing 17-year olds to vote in primaries if they’ll be 18 by the time of the general election. A no vote retains the current voting requirement that you must be a citizen of the United States who has lived in Colorado for 22 days and who has registered to vote.

• Amendment 77 – Local Voter Approval of Casino Bet Limits and Games in Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek: Vote No. This constitutional amendment would allow voters in these three gambling towns to raise or eliminate the current $100 betting limit and decide on new casino games. It would also expand the current use of gambling revenues for community colleges. While arguably a local control measure, 77 would risk increasing the impact and frequency of problem gambling.

• Proposition EE – Taxes on Nicotine Products: Vote Yes. This measure would increase taxes on cigarettes, tobacco and vaping products, and use that revenue to address the state’s vast shortfalls in funding for pre-school, rural schools, K-12 education, affordable housing, eviction assistance, healthcare and tobacco education programs. Admittedly, it will increase costs for people already addicted to these unhealthy products, and revenues will likely decline over time, but yes is still the right choice.

• Proposition 113 – Adopt Agreement to Elect U.S. President by National Popular Vote: Vote Yes. This measure reinforces "one person, one vote,” and the concept that everyone’s vote should count equally. Currently, the Electoral College unfairly over weights the votes of people in small states compared to the votes of people in large states with large urban populations. In contrast, 113 would commit all of CO’s electoral votes to the presidential candidate who receives the most number of votes nationwide. Under the current system, two of our last three presidents (Bush and Trump) lost the popular vote but still became President; 113 would prevent that from happening, once enough states adopt this policy.

• Proposition 114 – Reintroduction and Management of Gray Wolves: Vote Yes. This statutory change would result in the reintroduction of grey wolves to appropriate landscapes in western CO. Once native to our state, wolves were eliminated by bounty hunters. Reintroducing wolves would restore some wildness and ecological balance, and ranchers would be compensated for any livestock losses.

• Proposition 115 – Prohibit Abortions After 22 Weeks: Vote No. This measure is the 4th attempt in 12 years to ban abortion in CO, and would force women to carry a pregnancy to term even in cases of rape, incest, risks to the women’s health or a lethal fetal diagnosis. Women should be allowed to make this decision for themselves (in consultation with their healthcare providers).

• Proposition 116 – State Income Tax Rate Reduction: Vote No. While on first blush, the idea of paying less taxes might be appealing, most of us would get less than a $50 reduction, while half of the saved revenue would go to 2% of CO’s wealthiest taxpayers. Meanwhile, the state, which is already suffering major budget cuts from the COVID-19 pandemic, will struggle to make up shortfalls in funding for key services like public schools, healthcare, human services and transportation. Also, this is being pushed by the Koch Brothers – need we say more? 

• Proposition 117 – Voter Approval for Certain New State Enterprises: Vote No. Like Prop 116, this measure is being pushed by anti-government conservatives who want to further restrict funding for the essential public services that state government provides. Under the state’s existing constitutional revenue limit (TABOR), new taxes require a vote of the people, but fees collected by state enterprises (i.e., government-owned businesses) from the people who directly benefit from a particular program do not. 117 would change that, making it harder to establish state enterprises that perform important governmental functions, like higher education, healthcare, wildlife protection, etc. We should let our elected legislators continue to make the decisions about establishing state enterprises rather than burdening voters with even more ballot questions (would you want a ballot even longer than this one?).

• Proposition 118 – Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program: Vote Yes. This measure supports healthy families by requiring the state to set up an insurance program to provide paid family and medical leave. Currently 4 out of 5 Coloradans don’t have paid time off when they have a baby, are sick or need to take care of a sick family member. 118 sets up a program for up to 12 weeks of paid beginning in 2023, paid for by affordable contributions from employees and employers, with an exemption for small businesses.

• Ballot Issue 2B — No Eviction Without Representation: Vote Yes. This measure establishes a fund, paid for by a $75 fee on landlords, that provides legal representation if residential tenants are being evicted, and can also be used for rental assistance to people facing eviction. Legal representation of tenants creates greater opportunity to avoid abrupt eviction of people who are hard pressed economically.

• Ballot Issue 2C—Public Service Company Franchise: Vote No. Most agree that Boulder would be better off—financially and environmentally—if we had our own municipal electric utility (like Longmont, Ft. Collins, and 27 other CO cities) so we could decarbonize, decentralize, and democratize our energy supply. The question has always been at what cost to buy our freedom from our current electric provider Xcel (aka Public Service Company). Boulderites have repeatedly voted to pursue municipalization, most recently in 2017 when City Council committed to have the courts determine the final costs of municipalizing and bring it back to the voters for a final go/no go vote. Instead, under pressure from Xcel, this Council put a 20-year franchise agreement with Xcel on the ballot instead. There is no need for us to lock ourselves into a long-term franchise with Xcel (we have been out of franchise for a decade!)—instead we should stay the course by voting NO, and in two years we can have a final go/no go vote on municipalization with the full costs & benefits known.

• Ballot Issue 2D — Repurpose Utility Occupation Tax: Vote Yes. Whether or not the 2C franchise measure passes, repurposing the Utility Occupation tax supports the achievement of the City’s climate goals, with energy assistance for disadvantaged residents who are unable to pay their utility bills. (If 2C passes, 2D is needed; if it doesn’t pass, 2D is moot.)

• Ballot Issue 2E—Charter Amendments Related to Direct Election of the Mayor: Vote Lean Yes. 2E would change our current system from having the Boulder City Council choose which council member serves as mayor, to having the voters directly elect the mayor; and it would utilize ranked choice voting to do so (if your top choice doesn’t get a majority, your vote then goes to your second choice, and so on). Proponents say it will give voters more say and make the mayor more accountable. But 2E wouldn’t change Boulder’s city manager/ ”weak mayor” form of government where a professional administrator runs the city and the largely volunteer city council is the legislative body, with the mayor serving as chair of the city council but with little other power. While there is nothing really broken with Boulder’s current system, it is true that Boulder is the largest CO city to not directly elect its mayor, although many smaller CO cities (e.g., Lafayette, Littleton) chose their mayor as Boulder currently does. One downside is it could create more turnover in the mayor position since council terms are for 4 years but 2E would create a 2-year mayor position. So, up to you. . . Trying out ranked choice voting is the more interesting part of 2E, though we would have preferred it was separate from the mayoral question.

• Ballot Issue 2F — Charter Amendments Related to the Arts Commission: Vote Yes. Increasing the number of people on the Arts Commission from 5 to 7 will broaden the support and talent available to achieve the Commission’s mission and ease the workload on individual Commission members.

• Ballot Issue 2A —Disposable Bag Tax: Vote Yes. 2A would impose a new tax (up to 25 cents) on single-use disposable bags (both plastic and paper) starting in January 2022, with 10 cents going to the retailer and 15 cents going to the city for sustainability-related initiatives and programs. The goal of the tax would be to disincentivize single-use disposables such as plastic bags, and instead to promote re-use options.