WASHINGTON – Candidates for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District sparred over abortion and voter transparency Monday on a debate stage in Pueblo, but found common ground on mountain lion hunting.
When asked by Democrat candidate Adam Frisch how he will vote on Colorado’s ballot initiatives, Republican candidate Jeff Hurd refused to specify.
“You do know you're applying for a job where you actually vote in public, and so the people understand what you're voting for?” Frisch said. “You do realize when you go to Congress, you don't get to say, ‘I'm not going to tell people how I'm going to vote?’”
Hurd said there is a difference between how he votes privately versus as a member of Congress.
When asked about an implementation of ranked choice voting in Colorado, Proposition 131, Hurd said he is worried that ranked choice voting in elections will confuse voters, but he did not specify exactly how he will vote on the initiative. Frisch said he will vote “yes” because he believes it will allow more people to vote in primary elections.
“My goal is to get more people that are representative of the general population,” Frisch said. “... And so that's why I'm happy to support ranked choice voting and anything else that gets more moderate people in office.”
When asked about a ban on hunting big cats, Proposition 127, Hurd said he would be concerned about the banning of hunting big cats on the agriculture industry. Frisch said he will not support the ban.
A self-labeled “constitutional conservative,” Hurd is anti-abortion with exceptions of rape, incest and protecting the life of the mother. Hurd said he would vote “no” for a national abortion ban, saying abortion bans should be left up to states. On the other hand, Frisch said he would vote “yes” to codifying Roe v. Wade.
Frisch questioned Hurd’s conservativeness, saying “isn’t it conservative to support the family and let the family make that decision instead of politicians?”
When called out on abortion, Hurd shifted the conversation to discuss energy policy, specifically the shutdown of Comanche Generating Station, a coal-fired power plant in Pueblo. He said the shutdown will hurt families because it affects the local economy and taxes.
The candidates have different strategies for lowering the costs of living and housing. Frisch
advocated for congressional direct spending to help lower housing costs. Congressional direct spending is money that members of Congress can request to use on projects in their state.
Hurd wants to “be more careful” about how direct congressional spending is used. He wants to see increases in the housing supply by advocating for more housing permits. He also wants to focus spending on industries that supply housing materials such as lumber and steel.
Hurd wants direct spending to go toward energy or infrastructure projects such as the Arkansas Valley Conduit. The Arkansas Valley Conduit is a project that helps with access to clean drinking water.
“I think congressionally directed spending has a role in good governance, but we need to be careful stewards about taxpayer dollars,” Hurd said.
Both candidates have expressed a willingness to work across party lines in Congress, but would take different tacks in working with Rep. Lauren Boebert, who is seeking election in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District.
Hurd said he met with Boebert when he visited Washington last month. He said they agree on many rural policies, but have a different style when it comes to governing. Frisch said Boebert has not been focused on the needs of rural Colorado and would work with her on issues related to rural Colorado when they come up.
Maria Tedesco is an intern for The Durango Herald and The Journal in Cortez and a student at American University in Washington, D.C. She can be reached at mtedesco@durangoherald.com.
An earlier version of this story said Jeff Hurd is anti-abortion with the exception of rape and incest. It omitted that he also supports protecting the life of the mother as an exception.
