Denver voters say affordability tops primary election concern

With Colorado’s primary election approaching on June 30, candidates are making their case to voters and highlighting the issues they believe matter most. But campaign priorities don’t always match the concerns people experience in their everyday lives.

That’s why we’re launching our brand new Bucket List on the Street series, designed to hear directly from Coloradans about the topics that are shaping their communities and daily lives. For this pilot installment, we took to the streets to ask five Coloradans one question: “Ahead of the June 30 primary election, what local issue affects your day-to-day life the most, and why?” 

Our goal is to create a space for local voices and to better understand what’s top of mind for the people who call our state home. From Denver to Boulder and beyond, residents shared the issues that are shaping their daily routines, influencing how they think about the future of the region and, in some cases, guiding what they’ll be looking for when they cast their ballots.

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‘Everything is just getting more expensive’

One issue appears to be the runaway favorite for what’s affecting daily life the most: affordability and cost of living. In a city that’s only getting more expensive to live in, bringing down the cost of rent, groceries and everyday goods is at the front of the minds of many Denverites.

For Christina, a 40-year-old Denver resident, affordability was an easy answer. 

“Definitely affordability,” Christina said. “In terms of affordability within the city, I moved here in 2013, and [prices] have just gotten more and more. And even though they are building so many places, usually the apartments are smaller and for more money, and you’re not getting as much for it. That’s the biggest issue, honestly. It’s changed so much over the last decade or so.” 

‘It’s not sustainable’

Hayes, a 24-year-old resident of Denver’s Sloans Lake neighborhood, echoes that sentiment. While housing prices dominate conversations about affordability, he says that he’s feeling the squeeze at the grocery counter too. To him, connecting with a candidate who has a solid plan to bring down the cost of living is a priority in the upcoming primary.

“I would say probably cost of living,” Hayes said. “I’ve been spending a lot of money on groceries nowadays. Everything is just getting more and more expensive, and it’s not sustainable. So I’m really looking for a candidate who is going to work to keep the cost of living down.”

Affordability and sanity

Paul, age 49 from the Boulder area, also identified affordability as his primary issue. But he connected the issue to a broader desire for politicians to prioritize the issues that are affecting normal people on an everyday basis.

“I think overall, it’s just affordability,” Paul said. “For me, I’m a Democrat, and I think we are long overdue for some sanity in office and the administration. I’m hoping that we can channel energy to focus more on regular everyday life and less about some of these larger administration and political topics.”

Traffic troubles 

For Nyah, age 25, traffic has been the issue that irks her most. Getting everywhere has become too difficult, which is something that she’d like to see addressed.

“Currently, it’s traffic for sure,” said Nyah, age 25. “I feel like getting just five miles takes way too long. I don’t know if it’s because of where I came from; I’m just not used to it. But definitely the traffic is just an issue.”

‘I want people to feel safe’

Aidan, a 22-year-old resident of Westminster, worries most about safety within his local community. After seeing masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers outside of his work, he says the experience has left him concerned about the neighborhood’s atmosphere and the implications it may have.

“I live in Westminster, and I am a waiter and bartender at a Mexican restaurant,” Aiden said. “I’ve been seeing ICE around my local restaurant, walking around, masked agents and stuff. Just living close to that area, it’s super frightening. And I want to make sure people feel safe and at home in the community where they have a right to live and give us access to everything great.”

Taken together, the answers offer a snapshot of what residents are carrying into the primary: rising rent and grocery bills, traffic, neighborhood safety and concerns about immigration enforcement.

We’ll be back next week with another edition of Bucket List on the Street. The first few installments will focus on the primary election, but the series will continue exploring the everyday questions shaping life across Colorado.

At its core, Bucket List on the Street is all about listening. We’re keeping our boots on the ground, talking to local residents and bringing their voices into the conversation. Thank you for reading. If you have a question you’d like our team to ask residents, contact us here.