An older crowd filled the stadium seats of the Thornton City Council Chambers Monday night to hear candidates for four contested state Senate seats outline how they would each best serve their constituents' needs.
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The candidate forum was sponsored by the Metro North Chamber of Commerce and was moderated by Scott Perriman and Mikkel Kelly of Metro North Newspapers. It was later broadcast on public TV. Approximately 40 people, some showing their support by wearing stickers and buttons, were present to hear the candidates' public policy stances.
The highly formal Q & A session saw Perriman and Kelly ask each of the eight candidates a series of five questions, with candidates then given 90 seconds to respond. They were asked to first introduce themselves and state the intention in running for office. The format ensured that responses were calm and collected, the candidates stayed on topic, and none of them resorted to ad hominem attacks.
When asked why she decided to run, Libby Szabo, Republican candidate for Senate District 19 in Jefferson County said she thinks the government’s priorities are out of touch with her district.
“Government is no longer for the people by the people,” she said. “It’s for the government by the government.”
The candidates were then posed three questions on certain aspects of the legislative process and about specific policy issues. Perriman first asked if they think the structure and function of the legislature is working and given the partisan nature of general assembly, what they would do as legislators to be successful in implementing laws.
State Board of Education member and Szabo's opponent in SD 19, Evie Hudak said she thinks spending restrictions in the state constitution can tie lawmakers' hands.
"I do believe that legislators need to be able to carry bills," Hudak said. "One of the good provisions of our law is that we can change the statutes, that's why they're called the Colorado revised statutes. Because laws need to be updated as time passes and situations change."
When asked about the role government should play in respect to the high rate of foreclosures and sub-prime loan crisis, incumbent Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, started off his answer by stating he's sure about the role government should not have.
"The one thing government shouldn't do is make the people who are struggling and successfully making their payments become the guarantors for the folks who can't," Mitchell said.
Mitchell faces opponent Joe Whitcomb, a Democrat, who pointed to the federal government's policy during the Great Depression and how in response the housing crisis in the 1930s, put a moratorium on foreclosures.
In response to Rep. Mary Hodge's answer to a question about education funding, where Hodge stated "It's the job of government to educate children," Katie Witt said she thinks parents should take more responsibility in their children's education.
"It's not the government's responsibility, it's our job, it's our responsibility as parents to educate our children," Witt said. "The public school system is a wonderful resource for parents, but it's my job to make sure my child can read."
Witt faces Sen. Brandon Shaffer, the Assistant Democratic Senate Leader in November, both hail from Longmont.
Republican Robert John Hadfield squared off against Hodge, a Democrat, and made his case for Senate District 25, the Adams County seat being vacated by Sen. Stephanie Takis, D-Aurora.
The forum lasted just under an hour and afterward candidates met with constituents and community activists for some one-on-one interaction.