The Colorado Springs Gazette final

Polis, Ganahl face off at debate

Democratic governor, GOP challenger paint contrasting scenarios of Colorado

BY ERNEST LUNING ernest.luning@gazette.com

Democratic Gov. Jared Polis and his Republican challenger, Heidi Ganahl, painted contrasting pictures of Colorado during their first debate Wednesday night in Pueblo.

Seeking reelection to a second term, Polis described a state on the rebound after “some of the toughest years in our history” — including historic wildfires, a global pandemic and worldwide inflation — while Ganahl, a University of Colorado regent, repeatedly asserted that the state is “heading in the wrong direction” and blamed the incumbent for making Colorado among the most dangerous and unaffordable states in the country.

Sponsored by the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce, the debate was staged in an auditorium filled with rowdy groups of supporters of both candidates on the Colorado State University-pueblo campus and was streamed online.

The hourlong debate yielded a few revelations, including that between the two, it’s Ganahl who owns an electric car, while Polis said that he’s “proud” to drive a vehicle with an internal combustion engine. Polis also quipped that last year’s much-maligned proclamation declaring “Meat Out” day had the opposite effect when a sustained backlash from conservatives and the state’s livestock industry spurred meat consumption through “reverse psychology.”

But the candidates mostly stuck to the themes they’ve campaigned on all year, staking out different approaches to the economy, public safety, health care and energy.

“Today, Colorado has one of the strongest economies in the nation,” Polis said, pointing to plunging unemployment rates and tens of thousands of new jobs “here today and on the horizon tomorrow.”

Polis touted cost-saving measures put in place during his first term with the help of Democratic majorities in the Legislature, including expanding access to health care while reducing insurance premium costs for some residents, capping the cost of insulin, and making early childhood education available without cost to parents.

“It’s been an honor to serve, and this election is fundamentally about moving forward rather than backward, because we know that we have more work to do,” he said. “Of course, my opponent is right: Colorado has real challenges. We need to stay focused not only on talking about the solutions, but also in getting them done, by bringing this same grit and determination and problem-solving that Coloradans are known for.”

“You’re living on ‘Fantasy Island,’” said Ganahl, referring to a popular 1970s-era TV show. “Under your leadership, the people of Colorado face horrible problems with crime, inflation and drugs.”

Describing herself as a problem-solver and “an outsider, not a politician,” Ganahl repeatedly hammered Polis over 2019 legislation he signed that reduced criminal penalties for possession of certain amounts of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid tied to surging drug-related overdose deaths in the state.

“It’s the No. 1 killer in Colorado of young people; thousands have died since that bill,” Ganahl said. “The numbers are numbing.”

Polis, who signed a bill this year that restored felony charges for fentanyl possession in certain cases, defended his response to the crisis, citing bipartisan legislation to establish criminal charges that allow law enforcement to “go up the supply chain” to target drug dealers.

“Everybody here knows it’s also about making sure that we can get addicts the treatment they need,” he said. “We also funded more testing for fentanyl, more treatment, making sure that people can recover their dignity and get back to being productive members of society.”

Ganahl repeatedly returned to her criticism of the 2019 law, which reduced possession of small amounts of the potent drug to a misdemeanor, and called on Polis to explain why he signed it.

“That policy is destroying our state,” she said. “Decriminalizing fentanyl was one of the most destructive things a governor has ever done to Colorado, and we will change that. We will make it a felony to have any possession of fentanyl.”

Ganahl added that she intends to address the fentanyl crisis by declaring a state of emergency but didn’t elaborate on that pledge.

Polis threw some punches of his own, at one point saying Ganahl picked a running mate “who denies that Joe Biden won the presidential election two years ago,” referring to GOP lieutenant governor nominee Danny Moore.

Without explicitly disputing Polis’ charge, Ganahl defended the Aurora small-business owner and Navy veteran, who was removed as chair of a state redistricting commission in a unanimous vote by fellow commissioners last year after his social media posts contending that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump came to light.

“Danny’s made it very clear,” she said. “He respects Joe Biden and he’s his commander in chief, as have I.”

Calling Ganahl’s budget proposal “a terrible tax plan,” Polis also alleged that its two central components — to cut the state’s 22-cent gasoline tax in half and eliminate the state’s income tax — will lead to drastic reductions in law enforcement.

Noting that half of the proceeds from the gas tax are dedicated to funding the Colorado State Patrol, Polis called the existing arrangement “very important, because that way the State Patrol doesn’t need to go and fight for money with all the other priorities like schools and everything else.”

Added Polis: “Her tax plan would defund corrections and prisons, letting criminals out on the street where they will do us more harm.”

Ganahl, who hasn’t explained how she’ll carry out her campaign promises without drastic cuts in state spending, called Polis’ defense of his record on crime “a slap in the face” to parents who have lost children to fentanyl, Coloradans whose cars have been stolen and law enforcement officers.

“I’m not going to defund state troopers. That’s ridiculous,” said Ganahl, who claimed that under Polis, State Patrol ranks have fallen by nearly onethird. Noting that her father was a police officer, Ganahl added: “I am a law-and-order girl, and I will make sure that we respect law and order here in Colorado and respect law enforcement and give them the tools and resources they need to do their jobs, so that our kids are not dying from fentanyl or crime.”

Noting that Ganahl has embraced Trump and called herself the “MAGA candidate Colorado has been waiting for,” Polis said the choice faced by voters is between “extreme ideas from someone who is dead set on taking away our rights and taking Colorado backwards” and what he described as his “proven leadership, working with Republicans and Democrats to get it done.”

Throughout the debate, Ganahl dismissed Polis’ arguments as election-year stunts and vowed to “unleash Colorado” if elected.

“Polis wants you to reelect him to fix the problems that he created,” Ganahl said. “Polis is the problem — crime, drugs inflation. When you vote, hold him accountable, because the media won’t, the donors won’t. I mean, it’s bad.”

The candidates have agreed to appear at three more debates and negotiations are underway for a fourth. They’ve also scheduled a handful of joint appearances at forums, where they’ll answer questions but not interact on stage.

Their next debate is set for Oct. 13 in Denver. Sponsored by CBS4 and The Colorado Sun, it will be broadcast statewide.

On Oct. 16, Polis and Ganahl plan to square off in Colorado Springs in a televised debate sponsored by The Gazette, the El Pomar Foundation and KKTV.

They’re set to meet again on Oct. 25 in Grand Junction for a debate that will be put on by Colorado Mesa University and the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.

Polis has confirmed he’ll show up for a debate scheduled to be televised statewide from Fort Collins on Oct. 27 — less than two weeks before ballots are due — sponsored by 9News, Colorado Politics, The Denver Gazette and several local TV stations from around the state. A Ganahl spokeswoman said her campaign is still hammering out details but has yet to commit.

Ballots start going in the mail to most Colorado voters on Oct. 17 and are due back to county clerks by 7 p.m. Nov. 8.

LOCAL & STATE

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2022-09-30T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-09-30T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://daily.gazette.com/article/281758453169435

The Gazette, Colorado Springs