When the 2022 legislature balked at repealing the disastrous decriminalization of fentanyl it inflicted on our state three years ago, a fed-up Tim Reichert stepped forward with the most compelling case yet for making possession of the deadly drug a felony once again.

The Ph.D. economist and candidate for Congress took the initiative to crunch some hard numbers estimating just how many Coloradans have died from the synthetic opioid as a direct result of decriminalization in 2019. Tragically, Reichert’s calculations showed, it was between 600 and 700 deaths.

It was breakthrough research that warranted the legislature’s attention and certainly got ours. We published his findings in The Gazette in the hope it would prompt bold steps by state lawmakers in addressing the fentanyl crisis. Regrettably, they fumbled it despite Reichert’s groundbreaking effort. That’s on them.

It all served to highlight Reichert’s formidable potential to shape public policy. We found ourselves wishing he’d had a vote and a voice in the legislature during that debate.

Voters in Colorado’s 7th Congressional District now will have a chance to give Reichert a vote and a voice in the U.S. House of Representatives. Reichert is one of three Republicans vying to represent the 7th on the June 28 GOP primary ballot, and he stands out as the smart choice to face Democrat Brittany Pettersen for the open seat in next fall’s general election.

Democrats have cleared the field for Pettersen, a state senator from Lakewood, so she won’t face a primary opponent. They did the same next door in the newly created 8th Congressional District to ensure a lone Democratic contender there, as well. That could benefit the Democrats in each district, but both districts remain well within reach for Republicans. The newly reconfigured 7th is especially diverse and taps into all political veins, reaching from the western suburbs of the Denver metro area all the way south past Cañon City and west to Leadville.

Just as in the 8th, those voting the Republican primary ballot in the 7th have a chance to help swing control of the U.S. House from Democrats to Republicans. Political observers across the spectrum see that as a distinct possibility – some even say it is likely – amid national discontent with Democrats running both houses of Congress as well as the White House.

Reichert would be an ideal choice in the GOP primary – not only for the fall ballot but also to send all the way to D.C. His Main Street conservative positions as an economist could win support in the fall from unaffiliated voters as well as Republicans. He is a hawk on the inflation that is crushing Colorado consumers right now. He wants lower taxes and less regulation saddling small business. He wants to stop out-of-control crime, cut off the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs, and secure the nation’s borders. He supports education reform, including a return to holding schools accountable for academic performance.

Reichert articulates his stands on the issues well and with a lot of substance, as you’d expect of someone holding advanced academic degrees. Yet, he also is rooted in the meat and potatoes of Middle America and its working class. He was the first member of his family to attend college – and worked his way through higher ed as a roofer and road construction worker. He even worked full-time while completing his doctorate. He gets the kitchen-table issues that matter to the voters in his district. 

Primary ballots start arriving in the mail next week. Vote for Reichert. He has the smarts, the skill and the dedication to core principles to give Republicans their best shot at the 7th in November.

Denver Gazette editorial board