Murib: A path forward for Democrats
Valley Voices
Courtesy photo
In 2024, pundits called Colorado a “blue island in a red wave.” Colorado saw 30 counties, including GOP strongholds, shift towards Democrats. Our year-round organizing programs achieved large increases in voter turnout in key districts. Democrats maintained majorities in the state legislature, on the CU Board of Regents, and on the State Board of Education. Colorado Democrats even enjoy a double-digit lead in approval ratings over our national counterparts.
But, the fact remains: Democrats suffered setbacks and we would be foolish to ignore clear warning signs. Like every other state, Colorado voter turnout dipped and key races were won and lost by some of the tightest margins in the country.
A majority of Americans view Republicans as representing the interests of the working class and poor while Democrats represent elites. We know this isn’t true, especially given the GOP’s pursuit of tax cuts, handouts for the ultrawealthy, and tariff wars that drive up costs all while slashing federal funding for things like school lunches, veteran health services, and grants that drive small business growth and job creation. Tech billionaires who control social media channels and large newspapers are also bending the knee for Donald Trump, reminding us of the importance of local media.
As chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, I want to offer Democrats a path forward.
Voters need us to acknowledge that the rich got richer and wage earners haven’t gotten a meaningful raise in decades, all at the same time that the cost of living has exploded. We’re all paying too much for gas, groceries, housing and child care, and giant corporations price gouge us at every turn. Democrats believe in strengthening the right to unionize, making sure the richest among us pay their fair share, holding irresponsible megacorporations accountable, and putting working people first by incentivizing companies to invest in bigger paychecks, not stock dividends — the times call for boldness on these issues.
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At the same time, starting a small business in this economy is too hard and a scary prospect for new entrepreneurs. We can inspire these voters by sharing our values of cutting regulatory costs on small businesses while preserving health, safety, and environmental standards. Democrats believe in slashing taxes for working people and making sure the wealthiest among us pay their fair share with a progressive tax code: back-to-basics Democratic values that help us invest in great schools, better-paid teachers, and reliable infrastructure that create jobs, lift people out of hardship, and helps entrepreneurs operate and scale at the rate of their success.
Colorado can be the best state to be a small business while also being the best state to be a worker, helping more people live their own American dream — a patriotic message that voters of every political background can believe in.
Finally, we need to rein in the dark money groups poisoning our politics from both the left and the right. A constellation of special interest groups and the ultrawealthy spend millions on misleading and negative advertisements and ballot initiatives to put the issues of a few ahead of the challenges facing many, making it harder for candidates on both sides of the aisle to break through.
Dark money groups too often wage proxy issue wars against each other, using candidates as their unwilling weapons, fueling division and causing voters to tune out. Voters are tired of this mockery and Democrats like Sen. Michael Bennet are leading the charge for us to take campaign finance reform seriously even when it offends the special interests.
Some good news: Colorado Democrats are leading the nation, and the next generation of leaders like our valley’s own Reps. Meghan Lukens and Elizabeth Velasco, and Sen. Dylan Roberts are poised to make Colorado even stronger. Our state is bustling with energy and potential, and Democrats have a bench of leaders across the state who reject the politics of yesterday.
For young Democrats, diversity is a strength and a way of life, not a political talking point, and like most voters, we are pro-freedom of marrying who you want, managing your own health care without government interference, and earning a great paycheck no matter who you are.
The president and his allies’ strategy is to divide us and make us feel like helpless observers as he runs roughshod over our economy and ignores the law. We can never lose sight of the fact that we are the ones who can make a difference in our community, and bring people together around our shared values. To reclaim our standing with working people, we must be fearless in redesigning and rebuilding the Democratic Party. We must do our part by unquestionably standing with workers, farmers and ranchers, small businesses, labor organizers, immigrants, students, and anyone who wants to live safely with an opportunity to get ahead. That’s a Democratic Party we can all believe in.
