On the Issues: 3CD candidates Frisch and Hurd

 In Congress I will work closely with local farmers, ranchers, communities, and water managers on solutions for managing the water resources that are vital for the San Luis Valley’s agricultural economy, its recreational industry, and its ecosystem. I will:

Support Infrastructure Improvements. Investing in modern water infrastructure is key to long-term sustainability. I will work to bring federal investment to improve irrigation systems, water storage, and delivery infrastructure.

• Advocate for Local Control and Decision-Making. Those who live and work in the San Luis Valley know best how to manage their water. I will advocate for federal policies that empower local stakeholders to make decisions that best suit their needs.

• Secure Federal Resources for Groundwater Management. With ongoing challenges in groundwater management, I will work to secure federal grants and resources that support sustainable groundwater practices. This includes funding for innovative conservation programs, aquifer recharge projects, and advanced irrigation technology to enhance water use efficiency.

• Oppose Water Exportation Schemes. I will strongly oppose attempts to export water out of the San Luis Valley. I will collaborate with local leaders to resist these threats, ensuring that water remains in the valley to sustain agriculture, local communities, and the environment.

No. Preserving Western and Southern Colorado’s water supply and defending it from leaving the area and flowing to the Denver metro or leaving the state is one of my top priorities. It’s clear that any attempt to study the Rio Grande could be used as a pretext for taking Colorado water out of Colorado. As a member of Congress I would lift up the work Cleave Simpson and the team at the Rio Grande Water Conservation District in their efforts to manage the Rio Grande Basin, because I believe that decisions around how to manage water should be driven by the people and communities who live there, not Washington DC.

I would not support a federal study of the Rio Grande Basin that includes Colorado’s portion of the basin. The Rio Grande Water Conservation District and local stakeholders in the San Luis Valley have long managed water resources effectively through state and local plans, such as subdistrict replacement plans, water management plans, and water court decrees.

These systems are finely tuned to the unique needs of Colorado communities and have successfully balanced water use for decades. Introducing a federal study could risk undermining these well-established processes and the autonomy Colorado has maintained in managing its water. Any federal effort should respect these local and state-driven approaches and instead focus on areas that may require intervention, such as in New Mexico.

I fully support local control when it comes to our schools, and especially when it concerns what is being taught in the classroom. That is a decision that is best left to local school boards, teachers, administrators, and families. But the reality is that property taxes drive the majority of funding for our schools, and when it comes to rural Colorado, that often means students get left behind. We need the Department of Education to provide resources that will help ensure rural and underserved students in our state aren’t left behind, so that kids in Alamosa and Cortez receive the same high-quality education as their peers in more urban areas.

No, though I do believe the U.S. Department of Education needs significant reform to better serve our communities and our children. This includes shifting more decision-making power and resources back to states, local school districts, and parents. By reducing the federal government’s role in education and redirecting resources to where they have the most impact—right here at home—we can create an environment where schools can innovate and tailor their programs to best serve their students.

A reformed Department of Education—one that is innovative, flexible, and efficient—could play a vital role in advancing national educational and scientific initiatives. I believe such initiatives are critical for America’s competitiveness and national security in light of threats posed by countries such as China and Russia.

Every Colorado student deserves a quality education, and should not be based on the wealth of each individual community. I believe in a student-centered approach that helps every child reach their full potential. I am pro public school choice, because I believe that families should be able to decide for themselves what education is best for them, and because I know these schools make a real difference when it comes to addressing the inequalities that plague our public education system.

I support school choice funding for private schools, including private charter schools and religious schools. I believe that parents should have the ability to choose the best educational options for their children. Every child is unique, and a one-size-fits-all approach to education does not work for any family. Whether it’s a public, private, charter, or religious school, parents should be empowered to decide where their children will thrive. School choice helps create competition and innovation in education, which can lead to better outcomes for all students. Every child deserves access to a quality education, and parents should have the freedom to choose the best environment for their children. I know and value education: it can be one of our best tools to pull children out of poverty. The ZIP code where our children live, or their parents’ socio-economic status, should not automatically determine where those children go to school.

Colorado communities and businesses depend on affordable, reliable energy. Colorado is and must remain a leader in domestic energy production. With everything from wind and solar farms to responsible oil and gas production, to innovative ideas like geothermal and next-generation nuclear, Colorado remains at the forefront of energy production. We must expand on our all-of-the-above approach while focusing on creating jobs and continuing to infuse our communities with the economic benefits of being energy producers. We also need to peel back regulations on transmission line permitting so we can have more lines ready to bring CD-3 created power to the grid.

Colorado’s energy sector is vital to our economy, particularly in rural areas where oil and gas jobs support families and communities. I fully support expanding responsible and sustainable oil and gas exploration in Colorado. Colorado’s abundant energy resources, particularly oil and gas, play a critical role in lowering costs across the economy—from the cost of food and gas, to transportation, to manufacturing, to the cost of our homes.

Colorado’s energy industry can also contribute to national security. By producing more energy domestically, we reduce reliance on foreign sources and strengthen our geopolitical position, ensuring a more stable and secure future for Colorado and the entire country. I believe we can achieve energy independence while protecting our natural resources. Federal and state policies should respect local decision-making and ensure that our energy development benefits all Coloradans, particularly rural communities that rely on these jobs. As someone deeply familiar with the importance of energy for western Colorado, I will always advocate for an approach that supports our rural economies and safeguards our environment for future generations.

Communities across rural Colorado are experiencing the climate crisis firsthand, and the San Luis Valley is on the frontline. After driving 65,000 miles and talking to growers from across the CD3, I have heard loud and clear that as our climate gets hotter and drier, our crops, livestock, rivers, and livelihoods are all being impacted. In Congress I will focus on helping Colorado farmers and ranchers prepare for even worse growing conditions. We must adapt to the reality that we’ll have much less water available. We also need to break the dam on permitting reform to build more transmission lines, and continue incentivizing development of renewable energy.

I believe climate change is occurring and poses challenges, but we must address it through thoughtful energy policy that promotes economic growth and human development. The federal government should focus on permitting and regulatory reforms (for both traditional and low-carbon resources) that facilitate responsible energy production. Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District can do it better than anyone else: we have key resources for responsible energy development—including high-quality coal, natural gas, uranium, and minerals crucial to renewable projects—that can lead to reliable, abundant, and affordable energy that substitutes for higher-carbon fuels abroad. Exporting Colorado energy also protects our allies from energy blackmail from countries like Russia or China.

When the federal government facilitates energy development in Colorado, it means national security for America and economic security for Colorado families. It means lower costs at the grocery store, at the gas pump, in electric bills, and throughout the economy. It means tax and lease revenue to our communities. And it also means higher-paying blue-collar jobs, which in turn foster more stable families and stronger communities.

I believe every woman should be able to make important medical decisions for herself free from government interference, and I oppose using the FDA or the Comstock Act to revoke access to Mifepristone.

I believe in upholding the rights of states to make their own decisions regarding access to drugs like Mifepristone, especially in states where abortion is legal. I oppose using the FDA or the Comstock Act to revoke access to Mifepristone in these states, as it would override state sovereignty.

I am the son and brother of OB-GYNs, and a father to an amazing daughter. I will always defend the right to access reproductive health care, and would never vote to allow the government to interfere with a woman’s medical decisions.

I would oppose a federal ban on abortion because as a constitutional conservative I believe this issue should generally be left to the states.

We desperately need to secure our Southern Border. Our immigration system is broken — but politicians on both sides of the aisle seem more interested in scoring political points than solving the problem. CD3’s current and future economic prosperity and our national security depend on a border that operates safely and efficiently. We need to secure our border with more agents, provide updated technology to law enforcement to detect fentanyl and other contraband infecting our communities, and allow for more judges to swiftly rule on asylum claims. Then we can begin to work on reforming our immigration system in fair, merit-based ways that provide an updated agriculture worker visa program for our ranchers and farmers and support Dreamers.

The United States has always been a nation of immigrants. My wife, originally from communist Czechoslovakia, is one of those immigrants—and there is no prouder American than her. I strongly support legal immigration and expanding opportunities for legal immigrants. But a country that can’t control its border isn’t meeting its fundamental responsibilities toward its citizens, including national security, economic security, and upholding the rule of law. We must secure the U.S./Mexico border immediately. Border Patrol and law enforcement must be given all resources necessary to enforce the law. The federal government must also do everything in its power to work with local law enforcement to crack down on drugs and crime flowing into our country. Our asylum system must be reformed to promptly and efficiently expedite asylum claims, to ensure genuine claims are addressed, and to prevent abuse of the asylum process. For Dreamers (those who were brought to our country illegally as children), I support a path to legal status that recognizes their contributions to our country provided they have otherwise followed the law and meet certain criteria, such as having completed some education, maintained employment, or having served in the military.

olorado’s agricultural employers depend on the H-2A farm worker visa program to ensure they have enough workers to bring in their crops and put food on our tables.. Make no mistake: securing our border and stemming the flow of drugs and illegal immigration into our country is critical – and it should be paired with a balanced amount of legal pathways to working and living in America. Increasing farm worker visas is good for Colorado producers, and will save families money at the grocery store.

Yes, I support increasing the number of farmworker visas to assist with labor in Colorado’s agricultural fields. Agriculture is vital to our economy and is the backbone of many rural communities in our state, including those in the San Luis Valley. Ensuring that farmers have access to the workforce they need is crucial for operating effectively. Expanding programs like the H-2A visa can help meet these labor demands, ensure crops are harvested on time, and support the economic vitality of our agricultural sector. Any visa expansion should protect workers and streamline processing to benefit both employers and workers.

Sending our troops into combat is an extremely grave decision. I would only support such actions when our country’s direct and imminent national security is in jeopardy.

I would support deploying U.S. troops into combat when there is a clear national security threat, a defined mission with achievable objectives, and when such action complies with the Constitution and relevant federal laws. Deployments should always align with American interests, have a clear plan for engagement and exit, and provide appropriate transparency and accountability to the American people.

Our nation’s security depends on the United States remaining an active ally to our Middle East partners, including through military support, and dedicated diplomacy. The United States has direct and important national interests in a peaceful, prosperous and stable Middle East.

I would support direct U.S. military involvement in the Middle East if there is a clear and imminent national security threat to the United States or its allies, a well-defined mission with achievable objectives, and a strategy that ensures both regional stability and America’s interests.

People in rural and small-town Colorado are fed up with politics. Neither party has been able to address the real challenges facing our communities like rising costs, low wages, and lack of access to necessities like housing and health care. I will put politics aside and work to find common-sense solutions that create jobs and lower everyday costs; defend our water supply and keep Colorado water in Colorado hands; and ensure Colorado remains a leader in domestic energy production.

My top priorities as a member of the House of Representatives would be:

1. Securing the Border: I will fight to ensure that our borders are secure, that immigration laws are enforced, and that law enforcement and Border Patrol have all of the resources needed to protect our country.

2. Unleashing Colorado Energy: I will fight against Democrats and their anti-energy policies so that we can create more energy jobs across Colorado. More Colorado energy means lower costs across the economy and higher-paying jobs in rural Colorado that support strong families and strong communities.

3. Protecting Colorado Agriculture and Water: Colorado’s agricultural community contributes billions to our economy, helps our environment, and is a core part of the identity of rural Colorado. I will fight for the farmers and ranchers like those in the San Luis Valley, and will always protect the water they need to feed our families and provide food security for our country.