Author: LYNN BARTELS Special to Colorado Politics

A decade ago, Walker Stapleton’s last name was an asset when he ran for state treasurer. But by the time he ran for governor in 2018, his great grandfather’s membership in the KKK had become a liability. Never mind that Walker Stapleton never knew Benjamin Franklin Stapleton, the former mayor of Denver. Or that the…

On the morning of July 5, I booked a round-trip ticket to Minneapolis for the bargain-basement price of $11 each way. By that evening, the trip had been canceled, thanks to family members in the Midwest who said, “We don’t want you here.” Because of coronavirus, I am 0-4 this year when it comes to…

When I heard another book about the Columbine High School massacre was about to be released, I groaned. I wasn’t thrilled even though the author is Randy Brown, someone I consider a good friend and one of the truth-tellers about that horrible day – April 20, 1999 – at the suburban high school. I met…

Shortly after Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet dropped out of the presidential race, Denver attorney Tom Downey started making calls on behalf of another presidential contender, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. For months, Downey has quietly worked behind the scenes, contacting locals he knew were likely to support Bennet if the senator was still on the Democrat…

Child care. Homelessness. Affordable housing. The issues that elected officials and concerned citizens discussed over tamales and bagels on a Saturday morning weren’t too surprising – except for now and then. The “Mega Town Hall,” as it was billed, featured Denver state lawmakers, Denver City Council members and board members from the Regional Transportation District. Most…

I grew up two miles from the Missouri River and spent my summers camping alongside and swimming in it. For 35 years, I worked as a reporter in New Mexico and Colorado, two western states where water, or rather the lack of it, is an all-consuming issue. “Whiskey’s for drinkin’ and water’s for fightin’ ”…

Cory Gardner is protecting big polluters. This won’t be the last time Cory Gardner leans on his special interest allies in Washington for support. Cory Gardner and President Trump blah blah blah … . The emails attacking Colorado’s junior senator arrive on a regular basis. The tweets are much harsher. At one point, I couldn’t…

On the third Saturday of each month, the Colorado Democratic Latino Initiative meets in a nondescript building on an industrialized stretch of Pecos Street just across the Denver County line in Adams County. The organization overseen by Mannie Rodriguez has played an outsize role in helping elect Democrats and encourage Latinos to run for office.…

Lynn Bartels A nasty political war is underway in Jefferson County over a tax measure on the Nov. 5 ballot, but the real ugliness will come next year if voters reject Ballot Issue 1A. Let’s start with $5.4 million in cuts to public safety at the same time that Jefferson County has seen an increase…

Lynn Bartels She had made that trip so many times – up the hill, through the tunnel, down the hill, eventually navigating Denver’s crowded, confusing streets, only to return home to Summit County empty-handed. But these days, Tamara Pogue Drangstveit happily treks to the metro area and elsewhere to talk to folks who regard her…