One of the most famous political speeches is one by Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt’s known as The Man in the Arena. In that speech is an oft-quoted section:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

State Sen. Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton, was the “man in the arena” this past legislative session in the Colorado General Assembly. Though his face was not marred by “sweat and blood,” that isn’t to say he wasn’t scarred or hadn’t taken some hits. During that session much of the criticism of him came from members of his own party who were frustrated as he opposed or supported certain measures counter to their views.

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What was Mullica’s offense? He chose to oppose certain measures such as SB 213 that was strongly pushed by Gov. Jared Polis. That measure would have shifted power from local communities on land use matters in their communities to the state. Instead, Mullica supported his local communities and respected their role in establishing land use and zoning policies. His opposition to several progressive measures as well as his support for SB 109 (that sought to increase penalties for those selling illegal drugs toward stemming the rising number of overdose deaths from drugs such as fentanyl) have irked some of the more liberal members of his caucus. Mullica though has made clear that in arriving at his position on legislation, he looks at the bills through the lens of his constituents and seeks out their views and concerns on these matters. Those positions, that mirror the views of his district, at times place him at odds with the majority of his party.

The reality is Mullica comes from a different era when there were “Blue Dog Democrats” in Congress and state legislatures. Blue Dog Democrats generally represented districts where a majority of the constituents were blue-collar workers. These individuals were engaged in manufacturing, construction, etc.,  and they are the people who make up much of Mullica’s district in Adams County. Like Mullica, these Blue Dog Democrats were staunch supporters of blue-collar workers and their families and their values. Blue Dogs championed legislation related to jobs, housing and health care that helped those families. At the same time they understood the importance of public safety and were strong supporters of those in law enforcement who served their communities.

Much like other Blue Dog Democrats, Mullica also is someone who recognizes and appreciates the role of business, especially small business. He understands the impact new laws as well as rules and regulations may have on businesses. He is sensitive to the fact that in some cases the anticipated good from those actions are greatly outweighed by the cost and difficulty for business to implement them. Rather than see business as an adversary, Mullica has sought to work with business in seeking solutions and compromise on important measures.

Mullica recognizes bipartisanship and compromise are traits to be valued rather than belittled. He realizes cooperation and consensus on matters of importance brings our people and state together and also best serves the interests of our state. He is someone who looks beyond party labels as he seeks to accomplish his goals with many of his bills having cosponsors who are Republicans.

Much like the number of people employed in manufacturing, mining, agriculture, and construction has declined so have the numbers of Blue Dog Democrats in Congress and state legislatures. Though their numbers have dropped the spirit of that group lives on in some legislators such as Mullica.

As long as Kyle Mullica remains in the state Senate, he will continue to be the Man in the Arena. He will stand alone, if need be, to defend his principles and support his constituents. The Senate is a better place because of individuals like him. We can only hope more legislators will step into the “arena” and join Mullica in creating an environment of greater cooperation, bipartisanship and consensus in the future.

Greg Fulton is the president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, which represents more than 600 companies directly involved in, and affiliated with, trucking in Colorado.