Democrat Adam Frisch, left, and Republican Jeff Hurd, right, are running in 2024 to represent Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District. (Left, William Woody for Colorado Newsline; right, courtesy of Jeff Hurd for Colorado)
The two candidates vying to represent Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District both focused on prioritizing policies that support rural communities during a debate in Pueblo Monday evening.
Democratic former Aspen City Council member Adam Frisch and Republican attorney Jeff Hurd met for their second and final debate ahead of the Nov. 5 election. The Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce hosted the debate at Pueblo Community College’s Hoag Theater, moderated by Colorado Politics reporter Ernest Luning.
Hurd emphasized that he was born and raised in the 3rd District and wants to make it a better place to raise a family, saying “my opponent has the money, but we have the people.” Frisch highlighted his public presence on the campaign trail, noting that the debate marked his 120th stop in Pueblo in the last two years, and said he wants to solve problems and bring bipartisanship to Congress.
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The district, which is one of three seats open in Colorado this election cycle, has been represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert since 2021. After winning reelection by just 546 votes against Frisch in 2022, Boebert switched districts and is running this year in the more conservative 4th Congressional District on the other side of the state.
Both candidates started their campaigns contrasting themselves as sensible alternatives to Boebert, and whoever wins the district has a good chance of working with her in the next Congress. Hurd said he could find common ground with Boebert when it comes to rural priorities such as economic development, agriculture and energy.
“I certainly have a different style than Rep. Boebert, but on the issues, I think there’s a heck of a lot we agree on, particularly when it comes to helping rural Colorado and making life better for you and for your family and for your children,” Hurd said.
Frisch said working with Boebert was “obviously never part of my plan,” but that “it would be great to work with her” when it comes to rural Colorado issues like domestic energy.
“The other 95% of the time I’ll let her do her own stuff,” Frisch said.
Focus on affordable housing
The candidates went back and forth claiming their opponent takes corporate donations for their campaigns while both maintaining that they don’t. Both said they want to decrease the national deficit, bring order back to Congress and support farmers and ranchers.
Frisch said to increase affordable housing in the district, he’d want to bring federal tax dollars back to the district to fund housing options determined by county commissioners, town councils and local housing authorities.
“We need more supply in a hurry, because it’s unbelievable the amount of people that are running into housing problems, and if you do not have a stable housing situation, you do not have a stable life,” Frisch said.
Train tracks in downtown Pueblo, Colorado are pictured on Aug. 22, 2023. (Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline)
Hurd said growing the housing supply needs to be the top priority, and making that more affordable is done by cutting “unnecessary tariffs and regulations” on materials like lumber and steel, and lowering energy costs. Hurd said renewable energy codes add unnecessary costs to creating new housing.
“Increase the supply, lower the regulation and make housing more attainable for everyone throughout this district, that’s what I would do,” Hurd said.
Hurd said congressionally directed spending is better spent on infrastructure projects and that directing that money to housing will only increase costs.
“We need to spend it smart and don’t just funnel it into affordable housing,” Hurd said. “We need to use those for infrastructure projects to create economic opportunities for families… There are other infrastructure projects, transportation projects that I think would be a much more effective use of those taxpayer dollars.”
Frisch and Hurd both said they would vote to certify the 2024 election results.
“After all legal means and challenges have been exhausted and the result is upheld, then that’s how our democracy works and yes, I would absolutely certify that election,” Hurd said. “That’s your duty.”
Abortion rights
Both candidates said they supported access to birth control and in vitro fertilization. Frisch said he would support legislation that codified the federal right to abortion and it’s an issue the government shouldn’t be involved in.
“Isn’t it conservative to support the family and let the family make that decision instead of politicians?” Frisch responded when Hurd said he wouldn’t support a national abortion ban as he is in favor of leaving it to the states.
“There are people on both sides of this issue that have sincere hearts and that are thoughtful, and I try to be somebody that doesn’t judge or be super critical of people,” Hurd said. “That’s the approach that I’ll have when I’m in Congress when it comes to this issue.”
Frisch said he would support a ballot measure that would implement ranked choice voting in Colorado, saying it could lead to more moderate candidates getting elected, while Hurd said he has concerns about it because people don’t understand it.
The candidates also touched on protecting water rights in the district, improving rural health care access and mental health care, and balancing energy needs with environmental concerns.
Republicans currently hold a narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Frisch has leveraged his near-victory to a massive fundraising haul over the last two years with nearly $13.8 million raised. Hurd has brought in about $1.2 million.
The 3rd District encompasses Colorado’s Western Slope and the southwest corner of the state, sweeping east to include Pueblo, Otero and Las Animas counties. It leans about 9 percentage points to the right, according to a 2021 analysis of recent elections.
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