DENVER – Republican state
The Ignacio rancher is asking voters in House District 59 to give him back-to-back terms, unlike in 2012, when he was defeated by Democrat Mike McLachlan after serving one term, from 2010-2012. He defeated McLachlan in a rematch in 2014.
In some ways, history is repeating itself.
The quiet representative, who resembles more of a cowboy than a politician, is facing a McLachlan yet again, this time Mike McLachlan’s wife, Barbara McLachlan.
“It’s not at all personal for me,” Brown explained recently, while sitting for lunch at the Durango Diner, his cowboy hat perched beside him.
“It seems like I have more people this time saying, ‘You’re doing a great job.’”
Brown seemed to find his voice after 2014. Rather than take orders from his Republican caucus, he found himself leading, and even bucking his party.
This year, it was the hospital provider fee conversation that set him apart. The proposal to restructure the fee, which is assessed on hospitals to draw larger federal health care contributions, became a partisan fight, with Republicans largely opposing the effort.
But Brown expressed support, noting that the proposal would raise money for rural schools and crumbling roads and highways.
“I said I’m going to vote in favor of it because it’s the best thing for my district,” Brown said, noting that a handful of Republicans ultimately supported the proposal. “I think I was the leader. I don’t know that the rest of them would have gone for it.”
In 2015, Brown also bucked the majority of his party in voting to fund a program that provides intrauterine birth control to low-income women. He’s staunchly opposed to abortion, and felt the program would actually reduce abortions.
This year, he voted against funding when the issue came up during budget negotiations. Brown clarified that it wasn’t the program he was trying to defund, he just felt the expansive state budget wasn’t the place to address it. The program was funded.
Barbara McLachlan has attacked Brown on the birth control issue. But not as much as she has thrown punches on climate change.
Brown is skeptical that climate change is linked to human causes, and said so to colleagues while speaking on the floor of the House. He says it’s not a critical issue for him, and that his work around water is actually addressing climate change.
He passed a bill this year that launched a study into water lost to Nebraska. If re-elected, Brown hopes to build on that, taking the results of the study to identify locations for storage.
“Say there is an increase in climate change, global warming, we better be managing our water,” Brown said.
“We’ll stop the need for drying up hundreds of acres of agricultural land, and we’ll stop the demand for Western Slope water.”
Highway funding also is a priority for him. If voters give him another term, he said he would continue to push his caucus to support a restructuring of the hospital fee, which gives him leverage over his opponent.
“The difference is, how do you get Republican support?” Brown said. “I can get Republican support, there’s no way she can get Republican support.”
pmarcus@durangoherald.com
J. Paul Brown
AGE:
63.
RESIDENCE:
Ignacio.
EDUCATION:
Graduated from Farmington High School, 1971; bachelor’s degree in animal science from New Mexico State University, 1975.
POLITICAL BACKGROUND:
Colorado House District 59 representative for four years, La Plata County commissioner for four years and school board member for Ignacio School District for 12 years.
OCCUPATION:
Rancher.
FAMILY:
Wife, Debbie; Four sons; 11 grandchildren.
TOP ISSUES:
Water storage and rights; Funding for roads and schools.
Voter information
The Nov. 8 election is the first presidential election in which all voters will receive a ballot through the mail if registered to vote by Oct. 31. Here’s some details:
Ballots will be mailed beginning Monday.
Ballots can be returned by mail or dropped off at secure, 24-hour drop boxes at: La Plata County Clerk & Recorder’s Office, 98 Everett St., Durango; Bayfield Town Hall, 1199 Bayfield Parkway, Bayfield; La Plata County Administration Building, 1101 E. Second Ave., Durango, or Farmers Fresh Market, 535 Goddard Ave., Ignacio.
Voter registration is open through Election Day.
Voter Service and Polling Centers in La Plata County will be open Monday through Saturday, beginning Oct. 24.
For a sample ballot and times and addresses for polling centers, go to
bit.ly/2dGU3VD
.
Election coverage
The Durango Herald will bring you daily election coverage through Oct. 23, with stories on every contested race and every local and state ballot issue. You can find all election coverage at durangoherald.com/election.
