In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination on Sept. 10, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox urged the nation to seek an “off-ramp” from the path that leads to political violence.

Colorado leaders told Colorado Politics they agreed with Cox in principle, but some questioned whether such a route even exists — and if it does, they question who is driving the vehicle forward, and whether those drawing maps can influence organizations, lawmakers and citizens enough to alter how they navigate America’s growing social and political divisions.

During the Sept. 12 press conference announcing that a suspect in Kirk’s shooting had been arrested, Cox said, “We can return violence with violence. We can return hate with hate. And that’s the problem with political violence is it metastasizes because we can always point the finger at the other side. At some point, we have to find an off-ramp, or it’s going to get much, much worse.”

Kirk, a co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was killed on Sept. 10 in Utah on the same day that Colorado citizens were beginning to grapple with news that two students had been shot at Evergreen High School in Jefferson County.

The school shooter later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. As the investigation continued, it appeared the school shooter’s motive was political.

In talking to Colorado Politics this week, Polis praised how Cox has handled Kirk’s assassination, which has garnered worldwide attention and reaction from both sides of the aisle, with some condemning the act of violence and others saying it “means war.”

“I think that, you know, governor Cox was very well prepared for this moment with the work around Disagree Better,” Polis said. “I think he really rose to the occasion by trying to use this tragedy as a way to unite people and to get past our differences and recognize our common goals as Americans. And I share that same sentiment.”

Democratic U.S. Rep. Jason Crow told Colorado Politics that one act of violence is too much.

“There’s no doubt that political violence is starting to spiral in America right now,” he said. “We’re seeing an increase in the number and severity of the incidents. This needs to stop. Everyone needs to step back from this. We need to lower the temperature in the room. That’s going to take very, very clear and bipartisan condemnations of violence. That requires people being willing to stand up to, sometimes, their own party.”

Next exit: Political change?

Days before deciding to resign from the Colorado House of Representatives, Minority Leader Rose Pugliese said that with the two shootings, it was a hard week to digest.

With long pauses and sighs, an emotional Pugliese said she doesn’t know if there is an off-ramp from the divisive political environment where civility is lacking not just among citizens but also among elected officials.

“I think we’re at very challenging times,” said the Colorado Springs Republican. “I really do think our state, you know, when I’m door-knocking, the people really do want the middle. I know that’s hard for my side. I know I get beat up from my side. I get beat up by Democrats, and as a leader, you know, you expect to have those hard conversations, but where do we go from here?”

When she resigned on Sept. 15, Pugliese said a “toxic” environment in the House has pushed her to her limits. She said she felt tested in last month’s special session when she felt House Majority Leader Monica Duran attacked her over former Rep. Ryan Armagost’s social media posts that appeared to make fun of how a Democratic lawmaker was dressed. A resolution against his behavior passed with bipartisan support.

While Duran did not respond to requests for comments, in a provided statement, House Speaker Julie McCluskie said, “I am deeply concerned about the rise of hateful rhetoric, personal attacks, and the increasing temperature of our political debates. We can all do better, and we must. Now is the time to change course and for leadership in both parties to model the respectful dialogue and engagement this moment demands. All elected officials in Colorado, and everyone in a position to influence the public square, should do so as well.”

Senate President James Coleman, a Denver Democrat, said, besides the anger nationally, he also has concerns about the lack of civility in the Colorado House.

“We are thinking we can’t reach the average common citizens to change if we can’t even reach others in this building,” Coleman said. “I feel sorry for the House. I’m sorry, I do because I come to the House and I know the culture and I know that it’s gotten worse.”

When asked about finding an off-ramp in Colorado, Coleman questioned whether leaders should focus on the road or take a harder look at who is driving the bus.  

“The vehicle is not a coupe with two seats,” he said. “The vehicle is a bus, and the person driving the bus is me. The person driving the bus is (Senate Minority Leader Cleave Simpson). The person driving the bus is (Pugliese). The person driving the bus is (McCluskie). We have a responsibility to our caucuses and to our chambers. We have a responsibility to drive that bus off the ramp and bring our members with us, and then our members drive their constituents off their ramps. But we have to have enough people bold enough to put humanity over elections.”

Simpson agreed with Coleman, noting that the two Senate leaders may be on opposite sides of political policy, but they continue to work together to lead by example. However, Simpson said the Colorado school shooting and Kirk assassination left him questioning why he continues to be in the political fray, referring to the country’s extreme divisiveness as the “Twilight Zone.”

“I’d be lying if I didn’t question my sanity over the last couple of days,” Simpson told Colorado Politics on Sept. 12. “It’s been a tough two or three days for sure. And again, I am trying not to take the easy way out and just let this moment come and go. I don’t want to do this anymore. I want to try to set an example, work with President Coleman and Majority Leader (Robert) Rodriguez, and again, demonstrate through very thoughtful and intentional actions. This is the time to work on and create what that off-ramp is and what it looks like.”

Still, Simpson said finding the right off-ramp will be tough because he does not understand what would push someone to take another person’s life over political differences.

Violent incidents and threats increase

The threat of political violence in America is increasing. The Kirk assassination was not the first incident to concern lawmakers. According to the Associated Press, besides ongoing court proceedings against Tyler Robinson, 22, who is accused of killing Kirk, there are other ongoing cases, including charges against Luigi Mangoioni, 27, who is suspected of the fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York.

In Minnesota, Democratic state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were gunned down at their home. Vance Boelter, 57, faces federal charges for the June attacks.

While President Donald Trump condemned the assassination of Kirk, critics on the left pointed to his own rhetoric as a contributing factor.

Critics on the right point to recent polling that shows 56% of all self-identifying “liberals” believe killing the president is a justifiable means of pursuing their political goals, or in a September 2025 YouGov poll, 25% of self-identified “very liberal” Americans said political violence could be justified, while only 3% of conservatives supported political violence in the same poll.

Meanwhile, the case involving an attempt on Trump’s life is progressing. Ryan Routh, 58, stands accused of attempting to assassinate Trump in Florida one year ago.

In July 2024, a bullet grazed Trump’s ear from suspected shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, who was shot and killed at an election rally in Pennsylvania.

Despite recent incidents, Jeremiah Castle, associate professor of political science at Metro State University of Denver, said political violence is still rare in America. Examples of periods of political violence in U.S. history include the American Revolution and the Civil War, and there was a wave of assassinations in the 1960s, he added.

“But for the most part, political violence has been relatively rare in the United States, and that’s part of why the assassination of Charlie Kirk is so shocking,” he said. “And similarly, the attempted assassinations on Donald Trump this summer, the Minnesota lawmakers this summer. For the most part, these have been relatively isolated incidents.”

On the other hand, threats of violence against elected officials and the media are on the rise. While the Colorado State Patrol does not provide statistics, lawmakers and the governor’s office confirmed a worrisome trend.

As a single mom, Pugliese said she has grown fearful of serving because she is all her children have. When she heard about another school shooting, Pugliese said she pulled both of her children out of school.

“Making sure they’re safe. Making sure I’m safe is incredibly important,” she said. “There’s been a lot of discussions, especially with members, different members of my caucus, and even Republicans in the Senate, especially those of us with kids, you know, younger kids. What does security look like for us, for our children? You know, these are things that you always have in the back of your mind, but now are in the forefront.”

Coleman said he works with the state patrol to guide members of the Senate on best safety practices and threat assessments. That includes evaluating homes on where cameras are needed, where they are vulnerable and what they need to be safe.

Gov. Polis said increasing safety protocols and providing services to all state lawmakers has become a priority in his office.

Coleman himself has taken the steps to make his home safer as credible threats have been made against him and his family.

“I don’t understand why someone would want to target me,” Coleman said. “I look at the bills that I run. I don’t want controversial policy. I’m not an antagonist. I’ll show up at a rally or press conference. But you don’t see me out here, you know, calling people names because I disagree with their values or their stance. I respect everyone’s values. While I’m a Democrat, I believe in choice.”

Still, Coleman said recent incidents and threats pushed him and his wife to have a serious conversation with their children last week. They talked about the reality of politics in America. Coleman admitted it was a tough conversation where he felt vulnerable and concerned.

“The way I feel is abused,” Coleman said. “There’s somebody out there that is genuinely evil and doesn’t agree with me. They’re threatened by me trying to bring people together, and they just prefer to be divisive, because that’s how they’re going to get what they need and what they want. They don’t think bipartisanship works. They don’t think being pragmatic works. And they are members on all sides.”

Taking the express lane

In the 1950s, the American Political Association published a report calling for ideologically organized parties, saying it would be better for voters to have an obviously liberal party and an obviously conservative party.

Unlike in the 1950s, when citizens had a harder time defining ideological differences between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson, Castle said the political association wanted clear lines.

“So, the great irony is the American Political Science Association called for essentially what we have today and failed to anticipate the polarization and the one-upsmanship in terms of breaking institutional norms in Congress that would accompany clearly conservative and clearly liberal parties,” Castle said.

As Congress becomes more polarized, Castle said the primary question now is whether the average American is becoming just as polarized along ideological lines.

“I’ve seen some papers suggesting that there’s a lot of research on polarization at the mass level, indicating that the group psychology is playing an important role in tearing Americans apart,” Castle said. “That is, people naturally identify with social groups that are often on the basis of Democrat demographic traits like race, gender, religion, which lead them toward one party and that creates feelings of antipathy toward the opposing party. So, some researchers are asking, is it the case, for example, that appealing to a common national identity might be able to reduce the impact of some of these group differences in voters minds? There’s been a little evidence that it does, but I think that’s a potential off ramp to trying to remind ourselves, essentially, that we are all Americans.”

Regarding an off-ramp for Congress in the wake of the Kirk assassination, Castle said he is not optimistic. Using the partisan redistricting fights being carried out in a growing number of states nationwide to help parties gain an advantage in the 2026 elections, Castle said the battlegrounds are already being drawn. Texas is moving forward in what opponents say helps Republicans gain an advantage in the House. California countered with its own proposal for redistricting to help Democrats. New York, Indiana and other states without bipartisan boards like Colorado’s are joining the battle.

“Looking ahead, I am not seeing signs that politicians will adopt changes,” Castle said. “Instead, political scientists would say rather than an off-ramp, they are taking the express lane to keep doing what they are doing.”

In response, Rep. Crow said in all honesty, he understands the “cynicism of Americans and folks who are paying close attention,” admitting he shares their frustrations.

“A lot of my colleagues are pouring gasoline on the fire, and in fact, that is why I’m going to stand up and give a speech on the House floor, calling on Americans and my colleagues to take that off-ramp and to condemn political violence and also reaffirm our right to free speech and dissent,” he said. “What is unacceptable is to take advantage of a tragedy, to suppress speech and dissent and to demonize one another, and I’m going to stand up against that as well.”

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