Republican candidates Kelley Anne Dennison and Christina Blunt are running against each other in the June 30 primary for Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District. The Steamboat Pilot & Today asked each candidate five questions about some of the key issues facing the district. 

Question 1: What would you say is the most significant challenge faced by residents in Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, and how would you approach a solution?

Dennison: Affordability — I know that’s what everyone says, but they never truly tackle it. Every level of government is always passing the buck to the next higher level. By the time it lands in D.C., our representatives are too busy playing politics to look back at the people they were elected to serve. I want to create real change for Americans in CO-2 by focusing on solutions at home, not just more rhetoric in Washington.

Blunt: Affordability of everything. Immigration is a big challenge, as seen in a lecture titled “Immigration, World Poverty, & Gumballs” by Roy Beck. The world is out-birthing us, and no matter how many people we bring here to help them, we will never be able to help the impoverished people of the world here. We must help them where they are by working with those countries that are interested in prosperity for their citizens by taking out the cartels, terrorists and gangs in tandem with their government that threaten our way of life and our citizens. Tariffs will aid in restoring our prosperity per the Revenue Act of 1913. There is an adjustment period.

Question 2: A large percentage of voters in your district have identified high housing prices and rising cost of living as important issues to them. If elected, what federal actions would you support to increase affordability for local workers?

Dennison: Constituents are getting hit from both directions. Local and state governments won’t act to reduce energy and production costs, even though much of that falls within their authority. At the federal level, no one is standing up to reckless spending, which impacts lenders and contributes to inflation or to foreign policies that drive up commodity prices. In Congress, I would support and propose legislation that protects Americans from this growing strain on affordability and economic sustainability.

Blunt: Going to 100% tariff-based revenue. Revoking the IRS and all taxes. Continue taking out the cartels, terrorists and gangs that threaten our citizens, way of life and culture. Working with other countries like El Salvador, who completely changed their country around by getting crime under control. Enforcing the laws of our country with regards to immigration. Making sure legislation is in place that garners accountability for money Congress has allocated. With the excess of illegal immigrants here, it drives up the cost of everything.

Question 3: Within the last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has conducted several operations in your district that have resulted in the detention of residents. What role should Congress play when it comes to oversight of federal immigration enforcement, and are there any changes to federal immigration policy you would support?

Dennison: I think we need to change the incentives. Obviously, ICE is part of the Department of Homeland Security, which limits congressional oversight unless structural reforms are made, but the mission itself is important. It is important enough that it should be carried out in a way that does not drive criminals further underground. We need an immigration system that discourages entrenchment, strengthens border security and creates a lawful path to citizenship that makes following the legal process more worthwhile than taking the risk of entering illegally.

Blunt: I would educate our citizens on the best way to support others and how much money we give to other countries whose citizens are not seeing the benefit of our aid. Then, I would suspend all aid to any country whose citizens want to flee from. ForeignAssistance.gov shows that we have given out billions of dollars, if not trillions, over time and nothing has changed to improve the lives of the countries we have funded. Stop all immigration until we have all the illegals out of here. I would double down on our NICE (National Immigration Custom Enforcement) agency. I would increase funding until all who are not here legally have been removed.

Question 4: Colorado is facing widespread drought conditions this year after having experienced its lowest snowpack on record. What policies would you support to prevent wildfires in the state during periods of elevated risk?

Dennison: Fundamentally, wildfires are part of the natural order. We always have to remember that we built in the forest, not the other way around. As a native Coloradan from Estes Park, I understand those risks firsthand. Unless we can prevent every abandoned campfire, discarded cigarette or lightning strike, wildfires will continue to happen. What we can do is ensure our firefighters, forest management teams and disaster response agencies have the support, funding and resources they need to respond quickly and effectively while also investing in responsible forest management and wildfire mitigation efforts.

Blunt: Responsible forestry by clear-cutting all dead standing beetle kill and replanting our forest, and issuing permits for lumber companies to clear-cut beetle-killed trees, then replant. We have seedling trees that can be planted right away. We missed the opportunity to make use of the dead standing trees with the beetle kill blue running through them.

Question 5: What is one issue where you disagree with your own party, and why?

Dennison: One area where I sometimes differ from my own party is on foreign intervention and prolonged military involvement overseas. While there are times when America must stand strong, I believe intervention should always be approached cautiously and with clear objectives. Endless escalation overseas can place enormous financial strain on Americans while adding to an already unsustainable national deficit. I believe strong national defense and fiscal responsibility should go hand in hand, and our focus should remain on protecting American interests, preserving stability at home and avoiding unnecessary conflicts abroad.

Blunt: Right now, the party is not passing the SAVE America Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act). It needs to pass; 176 countries require voter ID to cast a ballot. Those not passing it have been paid to not pass it. If that is not the reason, then what is the reason for not passing it? Who is paying them?

The winner of the Republican primary will face Neguse in the November election. Ballots for the June 30 Colorado primary were mailed to voters starting Monday, June 8. To check your voter registration status, visit GoVoteColorado.gov.