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Aspen Public Radio’s 2024 Election Guide

Aspen Public Radio | By Aspen Public Radio Staff
Published February 22, 2024 at 8:50 PM MST

Editor’s note: Aspen Public Radio will continue to update this voter guide through the Nov. 5, 2024 general election. 

This guide was last updated on April 24, 2024.

How To Vote

GoVoteColorado.gov is the state’s main landing page. You can register to vote for the first time, check your voter registration, and view your sample ballot. If you’ve moved, you can change your address to make sure you receive your ballot. And once you’ve voted, you can also track your mail-in ballot’s status.

You can find more information about how to vote in specific upcoming elections through your local government’s website.

Key Dates

If you want to receive your ballot by mail, you must update your registration at least eight days before an election. If you plan to vote in person, you can register to vote through Election Day at a local voter service and polling center.

Voters have several opportunities to cast a ballot this year:

  • March 5: “Super Tuesday” primary election for president of the United States (You can find NPR coverage of the results here.)
  • April 2: Municipal elections for the town of Carbondale and town of Basalt (Official results are noted below.)
  • April 23: Special ballot measure election for the city of Glenwood Springs
  • May 21: Midland Avenue project special election for the town of Basalt
  • June 25: Colorado’s statewide primary election, including primaries for Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield counties, Congressional District 3, State Senate District 5, State House District 57, and University of Colorado regents
  • November 5: General election for president of the United States, state and congressional representatives, University of Colorado regents and local county commissioners

Candidate Forums

Note: Additional information on upcoming forums will be added as available. Recent coverage of past forums is linked under “Additional News Coverage” below. 

What’s On The Ballot

Where you live determines what you’ll see on the ballot this year. There are a number of local, statewide and national races and ballot measures coming up in 2024. We have included some of the key elections for our region below; more information, including ballot measures, will be added throughout the election season.

Glenwood Springs special election

Glenwood Springs’ special election is set for April 23.

  • The special election will feature one ballot measure: “Keep Glenwood Glenwood,” or Ballot Question A. 

    • The measure would require a public vote if: 

      • the city wants to annex land
      • the city wants to sell city-owned land
      • the city wants to build housing on city-owned land.
    • It would also require approval from Glenwood’s planning and zoning commission and city council for any development larger than four units. 
    • Question A passed with about 78% of the vote, according to preliminary results from the city.

Basalt Midland Project special election

A citizen petition has forced an election on the Midland Avenue project in downtown Basalt. The special election will take place May 21.

  • The special election will feature one ballot measure concerning Midland Avenue: Ballot Question 1 or "Initiated Ordinance to Amend the Town of Basalt Municipal Code."
    • The measure asks voters to amend the Basalt Municipal Code to require that:
      • the town "strictly adhere" to its original plans and budget proposed for any project where it seeks approval from town residents.
      • the town be prohibited from reducing the number, size, or configuration of public or private parking downtown unless public health or safety is at risk.

Basalt Town Council (four-year terms)

Basalt’s municipal election was on April 2. Winners have been noted in bold; vote counts have been updated to reflect official, certified results. Candidates will be sworn in April 23.

  • Mayor (one open seat)

    • David Knight (523 votes)

  • Town Council (three open seats)

    • Hannah Berman (460 votes)
    • Angele Dupre-Butchart (435 votes)
    • Rick Stevens (360 votes)
    • Kaja L. Rumney (321 votes)
    • Chris Mullen (195 votes)
  • The outgoing councilmembers are Glen Drummond (resigned on Nov. 30) and Elyse Hottel (did not run for reelection). David Knight currently holds a council seat, but decided to run for mayor instead.

Carbondale Board of Trustees (four-year terms)

Carbondale’s municipal election was on April 2. Winners have been noted in bold; vote counts have been updated to reflect official, certified results. Candidates will be sworn in April 23.

  • Town Trustee (three open seats)

    • Jess Robison (777 votes)
    • Christina Montemayor (685 votes)
    • Ross Kribbs (675 votes)
    • Susan Rhea (610 votes)
    • April Spaulding (352 votes)
    • Katie Tabor (306 votes)
  • The outgoing trustees are Marty Silverstein (term-limited), Lani Kitching (term-limited) and Luis Yllanes (did not run for reelection). 

County Commissioner Elections (four-year terms)

Primaries will take place on June 25. The general election takes place Nov. 5.

Garfield County Commissioner District 3 covers the Western portion of the county, from the Utah state line to just east of Rifle. Commissioner District 2 covers the northeast portion of the county, including Silt, New Castle, Glenwood Springs, Glenwood Canyon, and the portion of the county located in the Flat Tops Wilderness. District 1 covers only the southeast corner, including South Glenwood, Cardiff and the town of Carbondale.
Garfield County Commissioner District 3 covers the Western portion of the county, from the Utah state line to just east of Rifle. Commissioner District 2 covers the northeast portion of the county, including Silt, New Castle, Glenwood Springs, Glenwood Canyon, and the portion of the county located in the Flat Tops Wilderness. District 1 covers only the southeast corner, including South Glenwood, Cardiff and the town of Carbondale.

Garfield Board of County Commissioners

  • District 2 
    • Perry Will (R) 
    • Caitlin Carey (D) 
  • District 3 
    • Mike Samson (R) (incumbent)
    • Steven Arauza (D)
  • Republican John Martin (District 2), who has held his seat since 1996, will not be running for re-election. 
Pitkin County reorganized its commissioner districts last year in response to new census data. District 1 includes much of Aspen’s downtown core to the south of Main Street, as well as the Red Mountain, East of Aspen and Meadowood communities and some homes on the back side of Aspen Mountain. District 2 includes Aspen’s West End, as well as most of the Hunter Creek, Cemetery Lane, Truscott and Burlingame neighborhoods. District 3 includes most of the Maroon Creek and Castle Creek valleys, as well as West Buttermilk, the Aspen Airport Business Center, Woody Creek, McClain Flats, Juniper Hill, and some homes on Owl Creek Road. District 4 includes most of Snowmass Village and Old Snowmass. District 5 includes Redstone, Lazy Glen, the south side of Basalt, Emma, Meredith and Thomasville.
Pitkin County reorganized its commissioner districts last year in response to  new census data. District 1 includes much of Aspen’s downtown core to the south of Main Street, as well as the Red Mountain, East of Aspen and Meadowood communities and some homes on the back side of Aspen Mountain. District 2 includes Aspen’s West End, as well as most of the Hunter Creek, Cemetery Lane, Truscott and Burlingame neighborhoods. District 3 includes most of the Maroon Creek and Castle Creek valleys, as well as West Buttermilk, the Aspen Airport Business Center, Woody Creek, McClain Flats, Juniper Hill, and some homes on Owl Creek Road. District 4 includes most of Snowmass Village and Old Snowmass. District 5 includes Redstone, Lazy Glen, the south side of Basalt, Emma, Meredith and Thomasville.

Pitkin Board of County Commissioners

  • District 4 
    • Jeffrey Woodruff (D)
  • District 3
    • Greg Poschman (D) (incumbent)
  • District 5  
    • Francie Jacober (D) (incumbent)
    • Neil Reilley (D)
    • Toni Kronberg (D)
  • Steve Child (District 4) is term-limited, and will be retiring from his seat.
Eagle County Commissioner District 3 (in orange) occupies the western part of the county, from Glenwood Canyon and into the Flat Tops Wilderness, down to El Jebel and part of Basalt in the Roaring Fork Valley. District 2 (in blue) covers from the town of Eagle in the West to north of Edwards and Avon at I-70 in the East. District 1 (in purple) includes the towns of Edwards, Avon, and Vail, as well as Vail Pass in the east.
Eagle County Commissioner District 3 (in orange) occupies the western part of the county, from Glenwood Canyon and into the Flat Tops Wilderness, down to El Jebel and part of Basalt in the Roaring Fork Valley. District 2 (in blue) covers from the town of Eagle in the West to north of Edwards and Avon at I-70 in the East. District 1 (in purple) includes the towns of Edwards, Avon, and Vail, as well as Vail Pass in the east.

Eagle Board of County Commissioners

  • District 1
    • Matt Scherr (D) (incumbent)
    • Gregg Cooper (R)
  • District 2
    • Tom Boyd (D)
    • Sarah Smith Hynes (D)
  • Kathy Chandler Henry (District 2) is retiring from her seat. 

State and Federal Representatives

Primaries for each political party will take place on June 25; the general election is on Nov. 5.

Congressional District 3 covers about one third of Colorado, stretching from the state line with Utah in the northwest all the way down to Pueblo, Otero, and Las Animas counties in the southeast. It bisects I-70 in Eagle County, after Dotsero.
Congressional District 3 covers about one third of Colorado, stretching from the state line with Utah in the northwest all the way down to Pueblo, Otero, and Las Animas counties in the southeast. It bisects I-70 in Eagle County, after Dotsero.

Congressional District 3 

  • Democrats
    • Adam Frisch, Aspen
  • Republicans
    • Russ Andrews, Carbondale
    • Joe Granado, Fruita
    • Ron Hanks, Cañon City
    • Robin Heid, Montrose
    • Jeff Hurd, Grand Junction
    • Curtis McCrackin, Cedaredge
    • Austin O’Connell, Glenwood Springs
    • Stephen Varela, Pueblo
    State Senate District 5 includes all of Pitkin, Gunnison, and Hinsdale Counties. It also includes the portion of Garfield County along and south of I-70, as well as the Roaring Fork Valley, and the parts of Eagle County within the Roaring Fork Valley. The western parts of Delta and Montrose counties are also within the district's boundaries.
    State Senate District 5 includes all of Pitkin, Gunnison, and Hinsdale Counties. It also includes the portion of Garfield County along and south of I-70, as well as the Roaring Fork Valley, and the parts of Eagle County within the Roaring Fork Valley. The western parts of Delta and Montrose counties are also within the district's boundaries.

State Senate District 5 

  • Democrats
    • Cole Buerger, Glenwood Springs
  • Republicans
    • Marc Catlin, Montrose
State House District 57 encompasses all of Pitkin and Garfield counties, as well as the southwest portion of Eagle County that includes Dotsero and the Roaring Fork Valley.
State House District 57 encompasses all of Pitkin and Garfield counties, as well as the southwest portion of Eagle County that includes Dotsero and the Roaring Fork Valley.

State House District 57

  • Democrats
    • Elizabeth Velasco, Glenwood Springs (incumbent)
  • Republicans
    • Caleb Waller, Silt

Additional News Coverage

Note: Links here are compiled from several local and regional news outlets. They are listed within each category from newest to oldest, in order of publication date. This list does not include letters to the editor or opinion coverage. Aspen Public Radio will curate this list throughout the election season; outdated links will be deleted, and new coverage will be added, based on what is most relevant for voters.  

Basalt Town Council

Newly elected officials of Carbondale, Basalt elections emphasize small-town character and affordability | Aspen Public Radio (April 2, 2024)

Berman, Dupre-Butchart, Stevens victorious in Basalt Town Council election | Aspen Daily News (April 2, 2024)

2024 Town of Basalt Mayoral and Town Council Candidate Forum | Grassroots TV (March 4, 2024)

Carbondale Town Trustees 

Newly elected officials of Carbondale, Basalt elections emphasize small-town character and affordability | Aspen Public Radio (April 2, 2024)

Carbondale Town Trustee Candidate Forum | KDNK (March 21, 2024)

Get to know your Carbondale candidates | The Sopris Sun (March 13, 2024)

Glenwood Springs Ballot Question A

Glenwood Springs special election could change the residential development landscape in the city (April 17, 2024)

Glenwood Springs residents and developers weigh in on Ballot Question A’s impacts | Post Independent (April 10, 2024)

Basalt Midland Project Dispute

Basalt council rejects ordinance, sets voting date on Midland project | Aspen Daily News (March 13, 2024)

Clean sweep: All five candidates for Basalt Town Council support Midland Avenue overhaul | Aspen Daily News (March 6, 2024)

Garfield County Commissioners 

Garfield County GOP selects candidates: Samson runs unopposed, Will wins big in assembly | Glenwood Springs Post Independent (March 25, 2024)

Garfield County Caucus and Assembly see Carey and Arauza make their way onto primary ballot | Glenwood Springs Post Independent (March 17, 2024)

Perry Will: Garfield County Commissioners District 2 Republican candidate | Glenwood Springs Post Independent (March 15, 2024)

Mike Samson: Garfield County Commissioners District 3 Republican candidate | Glenwood Springs Post Independent (March 15, 2024)

Caitlin Carey: Garfield County Commissioners District 2 Democratic candidate | Glenwood Springs Post Independent (March 7, 2024)

Steven Arauza: Garfield County Commissioners District 3 Democratic candidate | Glenwood Springs Post Independent (March 7, 2024)

Pitkin County Commissioners 

Incumbent Commissioner Jacober forced into primary with two challengers | Aspen Daily News (April 24, 2024)

PitCo commissioner elections draw little interest | Aspen Daily News (April 16, 2024)

The electoral process begins for 3 PitCo commissioner seats| The Aspen Times(Feb. 11, 2024)

Three PitCo seats on the line in November | Aspen Daily News (Feb. 8, 2024)

Eagle County Commissioners

Republican Gregg Cooper is running for Eagle County commissioner seat | The Vail Daily(March 14, 2024)

Eagle County Commissioner ballot thinned to two Democratic candidates for District 2 seat | The Vail Daily (March 11, 2024)

Congressional District 3 

A lot of people are running for Congress right now — not all of them will make it to Colorado’s primary ballot | Colorado Public Radio (March 21, 2024)

Adam Frisch’s fundraising efforts cool after Boebert’s exit from CD3 | The Aspen Times (Feb. 28, 2024)

Bereft of Boebert, 3rd Congressional District Republicans chart new path | Colorado Public Radio (Feb. 17, 2024)

Five GOP candidates appear at CD3 forum | The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (Feb. 13, 2024)

Grand Junction mayor drops out of Democratic primary in 3rd Congressional District, clearing the field for Adam Frisch | The Colorado Sun (Jan. 31, 2024)

State ed board member Stephen Varela announces run for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District | Colorado Newsline (Jan. 11, 2024)

Carbondale’s Andrews aims to capitalize on Boebert departure | Aspen Daily News (Jan. 8, 2024)

‘Pro-Trump Warrior' Ron Hanks jumps in GOP primary in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District | Colorado Politics (Dec. 30, 2023)

State Senate District 5 

Valley resident poised for Dem nod in Senate contest | Aspen Daily News (April 9, 2024)

Senate District 5 Democrats share priorities from affordable housing to mental health | Aspen Public Radio (Feb. 15, 2024)

Glenwood Springs resident Cole Buerger announces run for Colorado’s state Senate | Aspen Public Radio (Aug. 17, 2023)

Additional Coverage 

Lauren Boebert won’t pursue special election nomination to replace Ken Buck after his abrupt resignation | The Colorado Sun (March 13, 2024)

What’s the fairest way for candidates with disabilities to get on the ballot? Advocates say caucuses | Colorado Public Radio (March 11, 2024)

Election results: Biden, Trump win Colorado. How did Pitkin County votes compare? | The Aspen Times (March 5, 2024)

Reproductive rights groups collect signatures in Aspen to get abortion protections on the November ballot | Aspen Public Radio (Feb. 26, 2024)

Aspen School District considers another bond measure for November ballot | The Aspen Times (Feb. 22, 2024)

Democratic candidates stress importance of affordable housing, gun restrictions and mental health at Basalt forum | Aspen Public Radio (Feb. 15, 2024)

Our Mission 

Aspen Public Radio’s mission is to support, nourish, and enrich our community by providing informative, entertaining, and educational radio and digital programming in a reliable and professional manner.

We’re using our mission statement to guide our election coverage this year, and into the future. We aim to focus on impact and context — showing how candidates and ballot measures will affect our community. And we want to make sure our stories are accessible and engaging, so voters can make informed decisions.

That’s why we created this election guide, with information on how to vote, details on local forums, and links to coverage from multiple sources, including our own stories. We’ll be updating it throughout the election season.

As we cover this year’s elections, we want to hear from you. Tell us about the issues that you think are most important in the upcoming elections and what kind of stories you’d like to hear by filling out our 2024 Elections Survey.

You can also reach out to us any time, at news@aspenpublicradio.org. We’ll consider your ideas, and possibly use them as a basis for further reporting, as we continue to cover the civic process from Aspen to Parachute.
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