Colorado’s vast 3rd Congressional District is blessed with the most beautiful and productive land our state has to offer.  

Our diverse industries produce goods and services that reach around the world, and our welcoming communities make this the best place to live in the country. Expansive public lands, forests, energy resources, agriculture and recreation provide unparalleled opportunities and also present unique public policy challenges that require thoughtful leadership. I prefer to focus on getting the job done for the people who put their trust in me to represent this special place.

As a result, I was recognized as the eighth most effective GOP lawmaker overall in the last Congress, because of our work to advance legislation opening the door for opportunities in our communities while protecting our Colorado way of life.

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I am running to continue my work in Washington on behalf of the people of the 3rd District to ensure rural voices are not forgotten or left behind in important policy discussions and federal dollars sent to our state make it to our communities and not just Denver.

With your support, I will continue to lead as the lone rural voice on the powerful House Financial Services Committee and as vice chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus to shine light on our issues and advance policies to provide economic opportunity, defend our Constitutional freedoms, uphold property rights, protect public lands and responsibly develop all of our energy resources. Furthermore, I will continue working to address the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts on our communities as we all work together to get through this unprecedented time.

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As COVID-19 reached Colorado, I reached out to our rural medical facilities, including health clinics, hospitals and small providers to listen to their concerns and regional public health officials and the Governor’s office to ensure rural Colorado was included in all planning and that our needs were being met. We immediately began to address any potential shortages of personal protective equipment, hospital beds and ventilators. While we were hoping for a best-case scenario where much of this would not be needed, we prepared for the worst.

Our response was focused on keeping our most vulnerable safe while using federal relief to ensure temporary and immediate support was provided to small businesses, families and health care providers all facing lost revenues and wages as the state ordered businesses temporarily closed. The policies I supported are already having a significant impact on recovery and getting our communities back to normal as soon as possible.

In an effort to get support and resources to our communities, I supported the CARES Act, which provided over $2.2 billion to Colorado for relief efforts. A portion of those resources were supposed to be distributed to smaller communities across the state to help cover COVID-19 response efforts.

I fought Governor Polis as his administration attempted to keep all of that money for the state budget. Ultimately, the governor was caught in a web of contradictions that have yet to be cleared up; however, on a positive note, a portion of those funds are now going to go to our communities as intended — though not enough as far as I’m concerned. The fight continues. 

As we continued to address the economic fallout of COVID-19, I worked to widen access to the Paycheck Protection Program, ensuring small businesses have the resources they need to weather the shutdown, keep employees on payroll and get the 3rd Congressional District back to work.

During these challenging times, we need to look at every possible solution to grow our economy. My continuing efforts are focused on creating Opportunity Zones, responsible all-of-the-above domestic energy production, access to capital and increased manufacturing. To help jumpstart manufacturing growth, I have worked to hold China accountable for its unfair economic practices and abhorrent human rights abuses. One major lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic is that our country must reduce our reliance on China for medical supplies and essential goods. As we work to increase American manufacturing, the 3rd District is an ideal location to bring these new jobs and opportunities.

My record is one that reflects the priorities of our diverse communities and addresses the issues we are facing as a district, state and country. With your support, we can continue to forge a path toward expanding American innovation and prosperity right here in the 3rd District. It has been an honor to serve as a voice for rural Colorado, and I hope to continue this work with your support.

Scott Tipton of Cortez is the incumbent candidate for the GOP nomination for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.