Candidate Q&A: Colorado’s 1st Congressional District

A view of the dome of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 25, 2022. (Quentin Young/Colorado Newsline)

Coloradans will elect representatives to the 119th Congress in all eight of the state’s congressional districts in 2024. Members will be sworn in to serve two-year terms beginning on Jan. 3, 2025.

Republicans currently hold a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives, which they have used to stonewall President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda while targeting his administration with a spree of investigations and impeachment inquiries. Democrats are looking to flip the lower chamber while holding on to the White House and the U.S. Senate.

Incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette has represented the 1st District since 1997. The district, which encompasses the City and County of Denver, is Colorado’s most heavily Democratic congressional seat, according to voter registration statistics.

DeGette faces Valdamar Archuleta, a massage therapist and president of the LGBTQ group Log Cabin Republicans of Colorado, along with two minor party candidates, Critter Milton of the Unity Party and Daniel Lutz of the Approval Voting Party.

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.

Lutz and Milton did not return questionnaires.

Key provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are set to expire in 2025. Which if any of these tax cuts should Congress extend, and what other significant changes to the federal tax code would you support?

ARCHULETA: Congress should extend the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act. An April 2019 New York Times article stated that 65 percent of people across all income brackets got a tax cut. Those who didn’t were primarily individuals who were unable to deduct their state tax payments, which shouldn’t be allowed anyway. The U.S. Tax Code is 2,652 pages long with more words than the King James Bible. It needs to be simplified. I would consider looking into a simplified flat tax on individual income and a flat business transfer tax for corporations. This would eliminate complex features of the current tax code.

DEGETTE: We know that one of Trump’s major promises from the 2016 election was to cut taxes for his wealthy friends, and he did. If he wins another term this year, he wants to make those tax cuts permanent. According to Trump’s Project 2025 plan, the tax burden will shift from the wealthy onto the middle class. However, if Democrats are in control, we can implement tax policies that benefit working families, for example, extending and expanding the Child Tax Credit and the subsidies for health care coverage. These policies help more families buy necessities for their kids and help make health coverage more accessible. I also support not renewing tax cuts that benefit Trump’s wealthiest friends. I have long supported and will continue fighting for a fairer tax code, one that requires the wealthy and well-connected to pay their fair share.

What legislation would you pursue in Congress relating to abortion and reproductive rights?

ARCHULETA: According to the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision by the Supreme Court, it was determined that it is unconstitutional to legislate abortion at the federal level. The conclusion was that abortion is not covered by the privacy clause of the 14th Amendment. This was the clause both Roe and Casey, the two principal abortion rights cases, were based on. Therefore, via the 10th Amendment, this becomes an issue to be legislated at the state level. Any federal legislation will be challenged and ultimately thrown out. I will not vote to pass any bill legislating abortion at the federal level nor will I spend my time pursuing something that will fail when I can be working on something else.

DEGETTE: I fully support a federal law that protects the right to abortion nationwide. As co-chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus, I’m fighting to get the Women’s Health Protection Act signed into law so that Americans’ reproductive freedom is restored — because everyone should have the freedom to make their own health decisions without interference from politicians. I’m also fighting for policies that address the larger social and economic barriers to health care access so all Americans can get the reproductive care they need. Meanwhile, Trump and his extreme GOP allies in Congress aren’t just trying to ban abortion nationwide; they are also threatening access to birth control and fertility treatments, like IVF. That’s why it’s so important that Americans elect a pro-choice majority to the U.S. House, maintain and grow the majority in the Senate, and put Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz in the White House.

Do you support Donald Trump’s plans for the “largest mass deportation in the history of our country,” including deployment of the National Guard in Colorado communities to forcibly deport all of the approximately 200,000 undocumented immigrants residing in the state?

ARCHULETA: I’m all for legal immigration and want to reform the process so it’s not as time-consuming and expensive as it is now. However, the amount of illegal immigration into our nation under the current administration is both unsustainable and a drain on our communities’ resources. The hyperbolic language used in describing deportations needs clarity. First, individuals in the criminal system who are here illegally will be deported. Second, “final orders” will be enforced on people who have seen a judge and were denied amnesty. Third, overstays on visas will be sought out and required to leave. While this is happening we need to stop incentives for illegal immigration and the incoming rate will fall and many will leave on their own. This is necessary for our country’s well-being, and I do support this.

DEGETTE: No — I do not support Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportations or the use of the National Guard to remove undocumented immigrants forcibly. Trump’s plan is rooted in cruelty and doesn’t address the actual issues. His approach is not only inhumane but also harmful to families and communities. We need comprehensive immigration reform that provides a path to citizenship, upholds human dignity, and strengthens our communities. I supported the Senate’s bipartisan border security compromise because it was a step forward. It’s unfortunate that congressional Republicans, at Trump’s direction, blocked what could have been the strongest bipartisan border deal in decades. However, Trump wanted to keep immigration as an election issue rather than work toward real solutions.

Long-term inflation in housing and health care costs are responsible for the biggest strain on household budgets compared to a generation ago. What can Congress do to reduce the costs of owning or renting a home or accessing medical care?

ARCHULETA: Energy costs are always a factor when it comes to shipping and producing building materials, which are passed on to the consumer. Establishing American energy independence is necessary for reducing these costs. Also, a large portion of the costs in building a home comes from regulations and bureaucratic fees. Reducing needless regulation will reduce the cost of housing. In line with this also would include unburdening property owners with tiresome legislation. Not only will this affect homeowners but the cost ultimately is passed on to renters. The cost of medical care needs to be standardized and transparent. You should know going into a procedure what it will cost. Knowing what medical facilities charge going in will allow the public to “shop around” which in turn will create competition and lower prices. This would just be a start.

DEGETTE: There are several things Congress can do. We need to address housing affordability and homelessness. This summer, I secured a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing program, which will help Denver better serve our community and improve housing infrastructure. We also must continue investing federal funds in low-income housing and rental assistance programs. Additionally, we must continue the subsidies that help more Americans afford their health coverage plans under the Affordable Care Act. These subsidies have enabled millions of Americans to access quality, affordable health insurance, and it would be disastrous to allow them to expire next year.

Many Coloradans surveyed by the statewide Voter Voices project list their top issue this election year as democracy and good governance. As a member of Congress, how would you seek to find common ground with members of the opposite party, and rebuild shared trust in our elections and institutions?

ARCHULETA: I want to go to Washington to represent the people of the 1st Congressional District, the Denver metro area, not a political party. I have demonstrated in this campaign that I am willing to put principles above party. I have always been willing to work with people of all belief systems and political ideologies and I will continue to do so. I also think protocols such as term limits, single-subject bills, transparency in legislation, and ending congressional insider trading are essential in winning back the trust of the people. These are all things in my platform that I want to establish in Congress. Let’s put an end to being a career politician and keep the people’s house for the people.

DEGETTE: It’s crucial to build strong, positive relationships with colleagues from all sides of the political spectrum because finding common ground is often the best way to get results. Over the years, I’ve proudly worked with my colleagues across the aisle to get important policies enacted. For instance, 8 years ago, I worked with a Republican from Michigan to develop and pass my 21st Century Cures Act, which reshaped biomedical research. This Congress, as the top Democrat on the Energy subcommittee, I worked alongside the chairman who is a Republican to pass legislation addressing America’s clean energy production. President Biden recently signed this bill into law. We can also strengthen our democracy and promote election integrity by enacting bills like the one House Democrats passed in the last Congress, H.R. 1, For the People Act. I was proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation that would improve access to the ballot box and enhance voting system security.