Face The State Staff Report
While Colorado's House District 30 has traditionally been a stronghold for Democrats, political insiders now believe that shifting demographics and a contentious Democrat primary could open the seat for a strong Republican.
House District 30
Map courtesy CoMaps.orgOut of 2,944,512 registered voters in Colorado, 1,017,738 are Republicans, 900,8231 are Democrats, and 1,013,548 do not identify with either party, according to the latest data from the Secretary of State's office.
Kevin Priola, the GOP's HD 30 candidate, is hopeful that he'll pick up disillusioned unaffiliated voters. A political novice with the benefit of being a longtime Adams County resident, Priola, 35, says he thinks he can capture a significant number of non-Democrats judging by the dissatisfaction he says he has encounters walking to door to door.
“I’m hearing it’s time for change,” Priola said. “Constituents are not satisfied and unaffiliated voters are saying they’re ready for someone young and energetic.”
Priola says he is well known in the district because of his family-owned greenhouse in Henderson.
Although the horseshoe-shaped district traditionally elects Democrats, with HD 30 represented exclusively by Democrats for the last two decades, it also supported Republican Governor Bill Owens in 2002 and George W. Bush in 2004.
Democrat candidate Mark Nicastle attributes those notable election results to the great diversity of the district, from urban Aurora stretching out to the vast farmland near Bennett and looping north and west toward Brighton.
Nicastle, who lives on a 10-acre plot of land near Brighton, says those demographics dictate a diverse set of issues crucial to voters there. Water rights and immigration are most important to farmers, according to Nicastle, while many residents are also concerned about public safety issues.
As a police officer with nearly three decades of experience, Nicastle, 50, is also focusing on the impact that unfunded mandates have on law enforcement officials.
He says he also understands he will have to address what’s shaping out to be the most divisive campaign issue this November — the energy crisis. Nicastle says that lawmakers need to think outside the box when dealing with the environment, especially concerning the construction of new homes and suburban sprawl.
“We have to get more creative,” Nicastle said. “[It] makes good sense to me to legislate builders if we can give them a happy nudge toward being environmentally friendly.”
Nicastle said that he expects to face a tough primary.
“My biggest race is with Dave Rose who is a status-quo Democrat,” Nicastle said. “I’m a wider-eyed type of candidate.”
Democrat Dave Rose says he’s ready for the challenge, though.
“I’ve been on city council, mayor, and a public school principal,” said Rose, 65. “I have experience in diverse areas. He [Nicastle] has it one, I have it in many.”
Rose, who was Priola’s elementary school principal, says he sees the economy and health care as the biggest issues facing his district, where he’s lived in Brighton with his wife, Wilma, his whole life.
“We need to look at the priorities in our state budget and at some form of a single payer system that will provide all families and children service,” Rose said. He backs “a single payer system that will cover all Coloradans.”
Priola says both Democrats, who have each received union endorsements from their respective professions, are out of touch with their constituents and that he offers a new perspective on the legislative process.
“Lawmakers need to be more diligent with taxpayers’ money,” Priola said. “Democrats have had sole governing power for the last two years and their unilateral policies are out-of-touch with the mainstream. One party controlling all branches of government is bad for Colorado.”