Having the candidates for governor and senator here in Grand Junction this week debating issues of vital importance to the Western Slope was a real privilege for voters on this side of the state.

We greatly appreciate Jared Polis, Heidi Ganahl, Michael Bennet and Joe O’Dea for taking the time to travel to this side of the state and answer questions meant to help our voters decide who would be best to lead us as governor and senator.

This really does give voters in Mesa County and the entire western part of the state a great resource as they decide who to vote for in this election. We’d encourage any voter who is still making up their mind to view the debates at Colorado Mesa University’s YouTube page.

The topics were wide ranging, from the hyper-local issue of road closures in Glenwood Canyon to regional issues like water. There were points of agreement, with Bennet and O’Dea finding common ground on the need for immigration reform. There were also many differences, especially on the future of energy in the state.

We think the debates will help voters compare and contrast the styles and priorities of the candidates.

We’d also like to thank the Sentinel’s partners – CMU, which hosted the candidates, and Colorado Public Radio, which broadcast the debate. It’s great we were all able to come together to help get this information out to the community.

It is important for candidates to come to this part of the state, meet voters and answer questions.

It’s easy for candidates to stay on the Front Range during campaigns. It even makes sense. That is where the vast majority of voters live. Still, this is a distinct region of Colorado with our own issues and problems that we deserve to have addressed. In some cases, by asking the question, we are able to signal to candidates what issues we feel are most important.

It can feel like the Western Slope gets the short end of the stick from the Front Range-dominated state government. By having candidates come here, we can put them on the record addressing issues specific to our communities and our lives. Whoever wins, when they start to govern, we can watch what they do and hold them accountable if they forget about us.

We also think it’s good for the candidates to come out here. They hopefully took the opportunity to talk with regular people while they were here. They’ll hear about some of our unique challenges, but it’ll show we also have similarities to the rest of the state. We’re worried about education. Our housing is too expensive. Heck, everything is too expensive.

Our hope is when they start trying to address these state-wide issues, they might give more consideration to places like Grand Junction, Craig and Durango. We’re similar to the rest of the state, but we also have important differences. That should lead to a better solution for our community and others on this side of the state.

Just to drive the point home, we think these debates were important and we urge you to watch them if you haven’t. You’ve got the opportunity to hear your future governor and senator discuss issues that directly impact your life.

Grand Junction Daily Sentinel Editorial Board

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