Colorado as the hub of a new state network

Colorado sits at the heart of America.
Our farms feed the nation.
Our rivers water the West.
Our roads connect red and blue, rural and urban.

But today, too many rural towns are being left behind.

Hospitals are closing.
Families are traveling hours for emergency care.
And basic rights are being quietly eroded by systems that no longer work for the people they were meant to serve.

I moved to Colorado in 2024 to give my family a better future and to protect them from the kind of institutional collapse I witnessed firsthand in my home state of Idaho. I came here because Colorado still believes in community, local stewardship, and the idea that government should serve the people who live here.

Now, I see familiar warning signs emerging.
And I know what happens if we wait too long to act.

I’m running for governor to protect Colorado’s family farms, keep rural hospitals open, and ensure that our land, water, and essential services remain in local hands — not controlled by distant corporations or federal backroom deals.

I’m also running to confront a quieter crisis, one that affects workers, parents, veterans, students, and people with disabilities across this state.

Colorado must become the first state in America where our strongest civil-rights law (the Americans with Disabilities Act) is treated as non-negotiable, enforceable, and fully respected in every workplace, school, hospital, and public institution.

Right now, too many Coloradans are pushed out of jobs for asking for accommodations, denied support in schools, retaliated against at work, or mistreated by systems meant to protect them.

That isn’t just a policy failure.
It’s a civil-rights failure.

Colorado should be a place where:

• Workers aren’t punished for having disabilities
   
• Rural students receive real, enforceable protections
   
• Veterans get the accommodations they earned through service
   
• Hospitals and counties follow the law
   
• No one fears losing their job, housing, or safety for asking for help
   

We don’t need more government overreach.
We need a government that actually works and actually protects its people.

That’s why I’m running.
To defend our land.
To defend our communities.

And to defend the rights and dignity of every Coloradan — from the plains to the mountains, from the Front Range to the San Luis Valley.

A healthy, secure Colorado isn’t just good for our people — it’s good for our economy. When we keep hospitals open, protect local farms, and provide stable housing, we reduce long-term costs, create durable jobs, and grow Colorado’s tax base.

This is how the plan pays for itself.

1. Keep Dollars Local

Farmer-owned and community-owned cooperatives reduce dependence on middlemen and corporate monopolies. Profits stay in Colorado communities instead of flowing to Wall Street or overseas. Local trade strengthens small towns, stabilizes rural economies, and keeps families rooted where they live.

When our farms thrive, our towns thrive.

2. Reduce Emergency and Crisis Costs

Keeping hospitals open dramatically reduces the need for expensive emergency transports and crisis-driven care. Community-based healthcare saves millions in preventable state expenditures.

Replacing detention-based responses with housing-first and cooperative healthcare solutions lowers long-term costs while improving outcomes. It is far less expensive and far more effective, to heal people than to cage them.

3. Create Jobs Through Cooperative Investment

Cooperative hospitals, housing, and infrastructure projects create immediate construction jobs and stable long-term employment. Jobs tied to agriculture, healthcare, renewable energy, and disaster preparedness allow families to stay in rural communities.

Veterans, young adults, and displaced workers gain clear, practical pathways into stable careers. When we invest in people, we invest in Colorado’s future.

4. Protect Colorado’s Food Supply

Direct trade agreements ensure that Colorado food feeds Colorado first. Stable, locally controlled food systems protect families from national market shocks and supply disruptions.

Regional partnerships generate fair-market, premium revenue for producers. Food security is economic security.

5. Save Money Through Disaster Preparedness

Disaster-ready cooperatives reduce losses from wildfires, floods, and droughts. Preparation costs far less than rebuilding entire towns after catastrophe.

Emergency hubs that double as community centers maximize public investment while protecting lives and property. Prepared communities save both lives and taxpayer dollars.

6. Grow Revenue Without Raising Taxes

Revitalized rural towns mean more local businesses, more workers, and a broader tax base. Cooperative models attract outside investment without creating federal dependency.

Resilient communities strengthen tourism, agriculture, and local economies. Growth comes from the ground up and not from higher taxes.

This plan isn’t just morally right because it’s financially responsible. By keeping hospitals open, protecting farms, preventing disasters, and investing in people, we reduce costs for taxpayers while building a stronger, more resilient Colorado economy from the ground up.