DENVER (KDVR) — Races like primary races for governor, Secretary of State and some competitive congressional seats will be front and center on the primary ballots this month, but there are some other races at the state Capitol drawing a lot of attention too.
While the upcoming primary has some key GOP races, things are little quieter for Democrats, except for one race that has folks at the Capitol taking sides.
Katie March and Elisabeth Epps are both running for Colorado’s House District 6.
Elisabeth Epps, Katie March get support from the Capitol
Epps has the endorsement of the current House District 6 Rep. Steven Woodrow, who will be running for House District 2 thanks to redistricting.
“If you like Rep. Woodrow, you are going to love me,” Epps said. “We align on things, and I am going to help deepen the work that he is doing. Full disclosure though, it’s not quite accurate to even just say that he endorsed me. He’s actually one of the people who asked me to run.”
Epps is seen as the more progressive candidate in the race. She is not only backed by Woodrow but also by people like former House Speaker Terrance Carroll, Denver City Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca, Senate Finance Chair Julie Gonzales and Senate Judiciary Chair Pete Lee.
Katie March has strong support from Democrats at the Capitol too.
“I’m proud to be backed by a broad coalition of people,” March said.
She worked under multiple House speakers and has the support of outgoing House Speaker Alec Garnett and Majority Leader Daneya Esgar. Senate Appropriations Chair Chris Hansen and Senate President Steve Fenberg are also supporting her.
What are the candidates’ priorities in the race for Colorado HD-6?
If elected, March said she would focus on gun control and would push for a ban on assault weapons, reaching across the aisle to get it done.
“I think I have a track record of working at the Capitol to bring people together, to build coalitions, to be able to pass legislation. I think at the Capitol, you need to have compromise and be able to work with a lot of people in the building to be able to pass the really tough legislation, which is something I’ve done a lot of,” March said.
Epps said if she wins, she would use her life experience to focus on improving public safety, supporting environmental equity and advancing social justice.
“I am a lawyer by training, I have a law degree from a top-10 school. I was a legislative aide as well, 20 years ago in the federal system, in the U.S. Senate in D.C. So I’ve done that work and I recognize that it’s important,” Epps said. “The experience that’s relevant for HD-6 in terms of our next legislator is two-fold: It’s the experience of getting good policy passed but also the lived experience that gets you ready for this job.”