Candidate Q&A: Colorado House District 16

Boxes of stickers stating “I voted” are seen at the Adams County Government Center in Brighton, Nov. 7, 2023. (Kevin Mohatt for Colorado Newsline)

All 65 seats in the Colorado House of Representatives are up for election this year. Democrats currently hold a 56-19 supermajority and will likely retain the majority next year.

Democratic Rep. Steph Vigil won House District 16 in 2022 by 710 votes. She faces Republican Rebecca Keltie this year. Neither candidate had a primary challenger this year.

The district includes the north Colorado Springs area, stretching west of Interstate 25 to about Academy Boulevard, and then from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs campus south to about Platte Avenue.

Registered voters in Colorado should soon receive their ballots in the mail for the Nov. 5 general election, which includes races for president, Congress, the state Legislature, the University of Colorado Board of Regents and other local positions, as well as a handful of statewide ballot measures.

Voters can contact their county clerk if they have not received their ballot or check the online BallotTrax system. They can also visit the secretary of state’s website to make a plan to vote in person ahead of or on Election Day. Ballots need to be received by the county clerk by 7 p.m. on that day, so voters should make a plan to mail their ballot at least eight days ahead of time or drop it off in person.

Voters can find their state legislative districts at the General Assembly’s website.

If elected, what would be your top three priorities during the 2025 legislative session?

KELTIE: The top issues my constituents have mentioned numerous times in HD16 are affordability, crime and parental rights. To champion these issues first we must put forth common sense legislation that permits and encourages builders to fund and build safe affordable housing instead of punishing them and discouraging them from wanting to do so. We also must cut taxes and fees to an absolute minimum, allowing even more money to stay in Coloradans’ pockets where they can choose where to spend or give it themselves. For our crime issue, we must make sure to fund our law enforcement and fire departments. We must allow our law enforcement to work with ICE and other agencies to remove arrested criminals from foreign countries who mean to do our people and communities harm. For parental rights we must make sure we are not pushing through legislation that inhibits a parent’s rights regarding the rearing of and choosing for their children in and outside the school. The government should not be in the business of telling parents how to raise their children.

VIGIL: We have a lot to accomplish in terms of transportation, specifically in public and active transit, given the historic new funding we secured in the last regular session. As long as I’m in office I will keep working on expanding transportation choices that allow all Coloradans to move around safely, conveniently, and affordably. Justice in housing also continues to be important. As we have more supply coming online to solve the shortage problem, we also need to protect the interests of lower-income homeowners and tenants. Additionally, I have a suicide prevention bill that I’m excited to move forward with, which will promote suicide prevention training in workplaces and make sustaining progress on this public health crisis.

What unique perspective and life experiences would you bring to the General Assembly?

KELTIE: My 21 years in the military, years of business ownership, a full life experienced career as an engineer, IT project manager, managing multimillion dollar budgets, having worked within the government and civilian professional sectors and having worked nearly two decades in Atmospheric and Oceanographic Sciences have given me the well-rounded experience and knowledge to be more than capable of doing this job. Over my nearly 40 years of work and life experiences include working with leaders of foreign countries, militaries, NATO, U.S Department of Defense agencies, Department of Homeland Security, and Washington D.C. I have developed an extremely effective leadership and communication style. My work ethic is untouchable and my love for Colorado, America and my Americans is unparalleled. I believe when it comes to hiring people for a job, experience and qualification matter.

VIGIL: I’m unusual among elected officials in that I come to the office with a true working class background. People who work in service, retail, clerical, or the trades comprise close to half of the workforce, and yet make up a mere 1.6% of state legislators, and I am in that 1.6%. Lived experiences that are common throughout the general population should not be rare in decision making spaces, and I wanted to change that. Since taking office two years ago, I’ve taken on big challenges on issues like gig worker rights, housing justice, and clean energy, and I truly believe my scrappy, service industry work ethic has played a role in my legislative successes.

Coloradans told us through the Voter Voices survey that rising cost of living is a top issue for them this election year. How do you feel the Legislature can most effectively address the cost-of-living for Coloradans across all backgrounds?

KELTIE: Many of Colorado legislators are not adequately qualified, nor in tune with constituents, especially when it comes to cost of living and budgets. If they were, then they wouldn’t have put forth over 700 bills, passing over 500 of those bills just last year. Most of those bills came with a hefty price tag that has now put Colorado in a $1 billion spending deficit. Many were completely unnecessary regarding our current state of affairs. We must demand a reduced legislative action in Denver. Colorado isn’t that broken that requires over 700 bills. In an after-action response, we must go back and fix and/or recall some of these disastrous bills that are bankrupting our state and siphoning money out of our people’s pockets with zero control or regard. The people in Colorado are hurting. They’re tired of the out-of-control spending of their hard earned money.

Editor’s note: The most recent state economic forecast from nonpartisan economists predicted an approximately $900 million budget gap if lawmakers are to maintain a 15% reserve.

VIGIL: Over the last 20 years there has been a $50 trillion transfer of wealth from the bottom 90% to the top 1%, which has dealt a terrible blow to working families. We have simultaneously suppressed housing and transportation choices with overly restrictive land use policies, and put insufficient public investment into essentials like child care, health care, and higher education. Thankfully inflation has cooled to a manageable rate, but there is still work to do at a state level. Colorado should continue to work with our housing market to build abundant and diverse housing, strengthen working people’s right to collectively bargain, and hold big tech accountable for its impact on the workforce.

Democrats are expected to hold onto a wide majority next year. What does good governance look like in that political environment?

KELTIE: Regardless of who is in the majority, common sense and non-utopian reality needs to be at the forefront of every piece of legislation presented. We must get to a point of complete open professional communication, without feelings and emotions clouding judgments, regarding the best direction to take Colorado. Less, more precise, actions are required instead of using the firehouse method that we have seen in the past. The main plan we should be striving for and focused on is to ease the financial burdens and address crime and safety issues within Colorado. There is a small group within our Legislature that has a far different agenda and we must not allow that to derail what is actually needed in Colorado. Let’s get back to the basics for now, clean house and put Colorado on track to become the safest most prosperous state in the Union.

VIGIL: We definitely have a few policy areas that go beyond partisanship in Colorado, such as taking care of the great outdoors, and having reliable and efficient public services. We often disagree on how exactly to go about it, but I do think most of us want those things. It is also important to respect the voice of the people, and recognize that if the voters elect a supermajority of Democrats, then we have a responsibility to act on the issues we’ve championed out on the campaign trail. Just as I’ve done in my first term, I’ll continue to seek common ground across the aisle and hope that at least some members of the minority caucus are willing to work with me in return.

Residents across the state are concerned with air quality, from wildfire effects in the northwest to pollution along the Front Range. How can the Legislature work to ensure clean air for all Coloradans?

KELTIE: Wildfires in and outside of Colorado will always be a challenge. Demanding better cleanup, maintenance and stewardship of higher risk areas within Colorado is a start. For far too long the national parks and lands have been neglected, causing even more risk to our people and air quality when fires break out. As a state, we must push for better federal responsibility for these lands and allow our state to gain federal funding to help. Other states and countries contributing to our air quality and fire safety problems also need to be held accountable. As a state we could look at inner city options that help reduce our nitrogen dioxide levels. As an out of box idea only, possibly giving fiscally responsible incentives to city developers and office building owners to use a common sense greener rooftop approach proven to improve air quality and help reduce levels. These are discussions that should be entertained with experts. The wheels have already been created with some of these issues and it would behoove us to explore such proven ideas for Colorado.

VIGIL: One of the most impactful things we can do, which is also squarely within our reach as a state, is to reduce vehicle miles traveled per person. We do this by creating more viable transportation choices for those who don’t drive or would prefer not to, and by enabling gentle infill that allows Coloradans to live closer to work, school, and other necessities. We can’t electrify all the cars fast enough to get on top of the ozone precursor problem, and even if we could, diversifying transportation choices has so many other benefits — for our health, for our local economies, for traffic safety, and more. Colorado Springs in particular is a city that was founded especially for its healthy fresh air and easy access to nature. I think General Palmer would be deeply saddened to see our fair city entirely taken over by cars, and we can do so much better.