Overview:
For Bucket List on the Street, five Coloradans discussed the type of governor they'd like to see before the June 30 primary.
In Colorado’s primary election on June 30, Colorado voters will choose their next governor. Denver-area residents want a governor with qualities that go beyond which political issues they support.
This week on Bucket List on the Street, our new series, we asked five Denver area residents one question: “What qualities are you looking for in your ideal gubernatorial candidate in the run-up to the primary election on June 30th?”
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, residents shared the values and priorities they’d like to see from the next governor.
‘The most important thing is honesty’
Multiple residents we spoke to stated honesty as the first quality they were looking for in the Colorado governor. One of them was 66-year-old Denver resident Bruce Harthoorn.
“I know that sounds naive, but I’ve had it up to here with lies,” Harthoorn said. “I’m looking for someone that I can trust, that will tell me the truth and be straight.”
Besides honesty, Harthoorn said the most important political issue to him is income inequality, so he’s looking for a governor who will help address the issue.
“I think with AI coming up, people are going to be losing jobs a lot, and we’re going to have far more people who aren’t working than are,” Harthoorn said. “We’re going to have to sum up some way to sustain that. I’ve been a big believer of universal basic income for a long, long time, and I think that’s the way to go.”
‘My biggest concerns would be environmental‘
Another Denver resident, Karen Baklouti, 66, said she wanted a governor who cares about the environment.
“I want a governor that’s going to protect our parks and our wild areas in the state,” Baklouti said. “Also our water rights.”
On top of caring for the environment, Baklouti said she wants a governor who can oppose the current federal administration without making Colorado a target.
“I’m also very anti the current administration,” Baklouti said. “So I hope we have a governor that can stand up in a way that’s not going to end up getting Colorado retribution because we’re seeing a lot of that.”
Likes Colorado’s current political landscape
Denver resident James Harvey, 42, said he has enjoyed what he’s seen from Denver’s governor since he moved to Denver from Philadelphia.
“I’m looking for the same type of governor that I’ve seen while being in Denver,” Harvey said. “That opens up the same possibilities I’ve seen in Philadelphia, where it’s not so much a political DEI but so much diversity, so much inclusivity and everybody being treated with the same equality.”
Harvey added that at the very least, he wants a governor who is responsible.
“I don’t want an incumbent that’s leaving things behind like school, education, security just for the common people,” Harvey said.
Concerns with immigration
Boulder resident Eleanor Malcolm, 21, said the most important thing to her is that the new governor opposes ICE and works to make sure immigration laws are humane.
“I’m looking for someone who would support defunding ICE and work hard to make sure that the immigration laws don’t violate human rights and the rights granted to us by our constitution,” Malcolm said.
Honesty, safety, environment and economy
Denver resident Robert Henderson, 56, is looking for certain values as well as priorities in Colorado’s next governor.
“Someone who’s honest,” Henderson said, “someone who looks out for the economy, someone who’s about keeping this country safe. Make sure the people are well listened to and make sure the environmental issues are taken care of.”
Taken together, the answers offer a snapshot of what residents care about in their ideal candidate for Colorado governor: Honesty, responsibility, and specific stances on issues like environmental preservation, immigration, and current economic development.
We’ll be back next Sunday, June 21, with another edition of Bucket List on the Street. June’s installments will focus on the primary election, but the series will continue exploring the everyday questions shaping life across Colorado. Thank you for reading, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
