In a race to represent Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, both candidates face headwinds.
For incumbent Rep. Jeff Hurd, a Republican, the challenge is overcoming voter frustrations — even contempt — with Congress, and polling that shows the head of his own party, President Trump, is highly unpopular with the electorate.
For challenger Dwayne Romero, a Democrat, it’s about convincing voters that he can do a better job representing a district that hasn’t voted for a Democrat in 18 years.
Yet, both candidates remain upbeat. And, in a nod to the realities of a district that has grown more and more competitive in recent years, both say they will stand up to their own party leaders, if they must, to get the job done.
“I’m not in it for fame and fortune,” said Romero, during a recent interview with Aspen Public Radio. “I'm not looking for a third career, I'm in this to fight and do what’s right.”
Hurd struck a similar note in an interview on Oct. 5 with Aspen Public Radio.
“I think the constituents that I work with, who are more knowledgeable about the work I’m doing, I think they see that I'm working hard to be a countervailing force to some of the, you know, some of the rhetoric that we see coming out of Washington from both parties,” Hurd said. “… and who's not afraid to take a tough vote, even if it risks himself getting on the other side of the president.”
The ramifications of the election’s results will extend well beyond Colorado. It’s a race that could play a key role in determining the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives — and it’s getting attention from Democrats and Republicans at the national level.
Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District has seen tight races of late. Four years ago, Rep. Lauren Boebert fought off a tough challenge from Aspen’s Adam Frisch, prevailing by just 546 votes.
After Boebert left the district to run for a different Congressional seat, Hurd won the open seat in 2022 by five percentage points over his Democratic challenger.
Emerging victorious in this race means convincing a majority of voters in a massive congressional district — one that includes Aspen, Grand Junction and Pueblo, encompassing the Western Slope and Southern Colorado — that they are the best man for the job.
Aspen Public recently sat down with each candidate to talk about a variety of topics. Here’s where the candidates stand on some important issues. Their answers have been minimally edited for clarity.
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Health Care
Hurd stands by his vote in favor of the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, which brought sweeping cuts to Medicaid and ended subsidies for the Affordable Care Act.
Romero is critical of Republican cuts to Medicaid and the repeal of Obamacare marketplace subsidies. He said he would work to restore them.
Hurd: I would say the vote that I took with respect to Medicaid was to preserve and protect Medicaid for those who need it the most. I'm talking about children. I'm talking about pregnant moms, the disabled, low-income senior citizens. I think it's reasonable for us to have enacted the reforms that we enacted in that legislation to preserve the Medicaid program for those who need it the most, and the work requirements that we're talking about for able-bodied adults. I'm not talking about the dollars that are going to those who need it the most, the core recipients in that program are preserved.
I think the work requirements are reasonable… If you're not one of those protected groups and you still want to maintain Medicaid coverage, you ought to be trying to work or going to school. Or, by the way, one other way to stay eligible for Medicaid as an able-bodied adult is just to volunteer 20 hours a week. I think that those are common-sense reforms in that legislation that we've had that actually preserve and protect Medicaid for future generations and that's something that I think when I talk to most voters, most of the people that I represent see those as common sense reforms that are meant to preserve the program for those that need it the most.
Are there additional things we can be doing? Absolutely. One of my big frustrations as a member of Congress is we talk all the time about inputs, how much money we're spending on healthcare. Medicaid spending has skyrocketed in the last 10 years… In Colorado, it's more than doubled, and I think most people, if you look at the system, say, “Hey, have we gotten the same? Have we gotten a double increase in the quality of care under our Medicaid system?” I don't think most people would say we have. We need to not just look at the dollars that we're spending for programs like Medicaid, which are essential, but also, what are we getting out of it? Are we putting patients first? Are we putting those who need healthcare in rural Colorado first? What are the results that we're getting for them? That's a discussion we don't have often enough in Washington, and I think this is something that I have pushed and will continue to push on this vital issue…
Healthcare, I've likened it to an engine that's leaking a lot of oil. The solution is not just simply to pour more oil into the engine, it's to fix the engine itself. It's to fix that healthcare engine.
One other thing that we did in the One Big Beautiful Bill, in the Working Families Tax Cuts, was a $50 billion allocation for rural health. And Colorado has received $200 million in that first year. There's going to be additional years that will follow.. and I'm proud to say well over $60,000,000 are going to rural hospitals in my district.
Romero: That bill passed the House by one vote. [Hurd] could have… stood firm and tried to protect some of the interests of our district and yet chose to 100% endorse it. And he’s tried to change… some of the history around that by claiming that the vote itself is improving the performance and the delivery of health care. But from our measure, statistically, 120,000 Coloradans have been dropped — lost their healthcare in some form or fashion — and it's over 30,000 in our district.
The ACA tax credits for families and individuals was a really great, if you will, lifesaver that was in place for years. It was just enough money to keep people in some form of health care. I think many legislators could find some common ground… The rural aspect of our of our district means that we have a great many working families and individuals that are not too far above the poverty line, and so there you've got to think about bipartisan ways to figure out how to trim and repeal parts and pieces of that One Big Beautiful Bill that were most directly harmful, mostly for healthcare.
Water
Both candidates say it’s critical to conserve water resources and secure funding for water infrastructure in CD3.
Hurd: I'm proud to say that we secured funding for one of the most important water rights in all of Western Colorado [The historic Shoshone water rights on the Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon]. And I'm proud to have been instrumental in getting that across the finish line.
I will tell you, it's a bipartisan effort, though. I give credit to Senator Bennett in particular, but also Senator Hickenlooper, for getting the authorization for these dollars in the previous administration, the Biden administration. And like you oftentimes see happen when there's a change in administrations, there was a funding freeze that was put in place, and so it took a lot of patient work with the [Trump] administration to unfreeze that $40 million.
This is funding that is for one of the oldest and most important water rights in Colorado. It's essential for ensuring the flow in the Colorado River Basin. There are 40 million Americans that rely on the water that flows in through this basin, and 70% of that water flows through the 3rd Congressional District of Colorado. So, ensuring that we receive those funds was essential. It's part of a broader challenge, though, that we have in terms of getting water dollars and infrastructure projects to the 3rd Congressional District, and I'm proud of some of the other projects that we were able to deliver as well.
And when it comes to water infrastructure, I will tell you, Shoshone was my top priority with respect to water, and I'm proud that we were able to get it across the finish line. It's great for communities. It's great for agricultural producers. It's great for outdoor recreation. It's an essential part of the economy here in Western Colorado. Water is the lifeblood in the West, and making sure that these water rights stayed in Western Colorado was a top priority. And I'm proud that we delivered on it.
Romero: I don't believe there's any quote-unquote right answer. There's probably a right pathway and discipline over time; kind of long view to say, we all do need to conserve more, just straight out.
The most recent interim [Colorado River] compact says that hey, you guys in the upper basin, you're doing a good job. I hope you could do a little bit more. It's kind of more voluntary versus mandatory.
But there's also this notion that if you think about the infrastructure we're talking about… the capture, the collection, the distribution, all of that water infrastructure across, frankly, all of the basins, but most notably in Colorado, is pretty aged, and is not that efficient. Maybe better said, can be more efficient with upgrades and improvements, and expansions.
So think about reservoirs and our storage capabilities, then think about the distribution itself. Some of the distribution has been in the ground for hundreds of years. There is definitely a need and an appetite, I think, through all the communities to focus on improvements to infrastructure.
And even just the last administration had $100 million earmarked for infrastructure improvements here in Colorado, and unfortunately, through executive order, a few of those projects were put on the shelf in the first couple of days of Trump's administration, and just recently, they're being freed up.
So it's one part conservation, it's one one part improving the infrastructure itself, and then it's a third part to be focusing on, you know, climate change itself, and how we kind of are now in an extended [drought].
Wildfires
Both candidates say that more needs to be done to combat the destruction of wildfires in the West.
Hurd: We can always do a lot more when it comes to specific disaster relief with respect to FEMA disaster declarations. I would love to get a disaster declaration for the Lee and Elk wildfire, which is from last year. We are working on that. We are also working through getting additional funding for the Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain Fire response, the public assistance. I'm happy to announce we were able to secure that funding to assist those impacted in those two devastating fires this last summer. We're still working on the individual assistance component of that, and so there's more that can be done. There's more that should be done.
… With respect to bigger policy issues, I think the federal government can certainly do better. We need to be looking at better managing our public lands and our forests, and reducing the wildfire risk that we've seen can lead to devastating consequences, particularly given the changing hydrology and drying climate that we have in the Rocky Mountain region.
So, when it comes to disaster aid, there's more that we can do. I'm happy with what we've been able to accomplish, but there's more that we could do. And when it comes to policy issues, I've been proud to be on the forefront of advancing legislation that would ensure that we have healthier forests, healthier watersheds, and that's a part of the equation as well.
Romero: First things first is probably to reinvest in the agencies themselves…. You know, we've removed a good many Forest Service workers through executive order DOGE cuts early on in this administration, and we need to restore that.
That’s a big component because it's not just, you know, providing stewardship for the land, but the early eyes and ears that having staff and personnel in our public lands is crucial. And then the techniques and the technologies for early detection and early response, the advent of satellite imagery, but also drones. And drone use has really, really taken off. There's several pilot programs right here in our district, including several of the local fire district agencies partnering up with some of this groundbreaking technology for eyes and ears, but again, it requires resources.
So, from a fed perspective, as a legislator, we need to be making sure that the resources are available and are dedicated as high priority. No different than dedicating resources as high priority to the water situation that we were just talking about as well. It just needs a higher level of attention and dedication and prioritization.
The Iran War
Rep Hurd stands by the president’s decision to enter into war with Iran.
Romero – A West Point graduate who served in the Gulf War – is against the Iran War and is highly critical of the Trump Administration’s actions in managing the conflict.
Hurd: It's the right decision to ensure that Iran, the greatest sponsor of state terrorism in the world, does not have nuclear weapons, and that the ballistic missile shield that they were building to protect those nuclear weapons is not operable.
Obviously, it has resulted in a spike in energy costs. There are some underlying issues as well, including things like refining capacity and regulatory hurdles when it comes to the global oil market that we have that are adding to those costs as well. So there are some fundamentals, but there's no doubt that the war in Iran increased some of those costs. Now, I was just looking this morning. Apparently, 80% of the oil that was flowing through the Strait of Hormuz at pre-war levels is now flowing through the Strait. It's a little bit hard to tell exactly, but I think and and it's more of a standoff would be the way that I would describe the military situation in Iran right now. To my knowledge, there's not active bombing that's happening in Iran. It's more of a standoff, and so I think ensuring that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon was the right choice, and ensuring that they don't have a ballistic missile system to protect their nuclear program was the right choice. It certainly had some consequences… and we need to work hard to get those energy costs down. But it is a global market, and that disruption in the strata form has certainly made it more difficult.
But fundamentally, in the long term, I think we are going to have a safer world, and we need to do everything we can to create those conditions where energy prices are insulated from shocks in places like the Strait of Hormuz or in the Strait of Malacca or other pinch points that we have across the globe.
Romero: We’re in the 7th month of a two-week exercise, that’s how it was sold by the president… And we’ve had three different versions of a deal that’s been broken. [Iran has] demonstrated an ability to kick us out of the Middle East.
We no longer have the bases — we have the bases, but many of them have been damaged and taken out of some level of utilization. I mean, we had a carrier group floating out there for 275 days , unable to go back and do any type of rotation to one of the local ports that can receive an aircraft carrier, those types of things. Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, the port of Kuwait, multiple military installations damaged beyond the ability to use.
And now the second front in the Red Sea with the Houthi rebels, that now further illustrates that we're not in control. And that this is just a really bad spot that we're in and now we're kind of stuck.
The right way [of entering into war] is obviously to prosecute the case here to the American people by going through the War Powers Resolution, the War Powers Act, which was put in place purposely for these types of conditions, where you know presidents may get us into…a foul act. This [war] today has no real stated goal other than Iran cannot have nuclear power, a nuclear bomb. And yet we've expended an amazing amount of material resources and lives.
On working across the aisle
Both Hurd and Romero say they would be independent voices in Congress, sometimes even bucking their own party to get work done for the people of CD3.
Hurd: … I have one of the most geographically diverse, but also politically diverse districts in the country. Being the congressman here is definitely a district of contrasts. And so, I have a number of constituents that feel like I'm way too liberal, and then I have a number of constituents that feel that I'm way too conservative. I tend to think of myself as a legislator that works to be effective and deliver results, and I will tell you if you want to get lasting, durable policy results, we have to work across the aisle, and that's something I've been proud to do.
Where I disagree with my colleagues, I'm not afraid to say so, but where we're able to find places to agree, we work together. I say, for example, water is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue, it is a Colorado issue. And I am happy to work with my colleagues. I need to work with my colleagues across the aisle if we're going to reach lasting, durable solutions to that challenge. Same with forest management, another area where we've seen some bipartisan agreement permitting reform, and this is an issue that absolutely matters to people in my district.
I hear from constituents a lot about the cost of living. Permitting reform is cutting through that red tape, reducing that delay, reducing those additional costs that come from that delay. That's a part of affordability, and so I have definitely heard from my constituents that we can do better. There's a lot that we've done. There's a lot that remains to be done, and being somebody that's willing to work across the aisle is one of the things that I think makes me a particularly effective legislator when it comes to the bills that I pass, when it comes to funding that we've secured, whether it's water, whether it's infrastructure, whether it's public safety. I think the way that I've responded when the political environment gets heated is to be somebody that's even-keeled, that doesn't contribute to some of the rhetorical excesses that we see in politics, and who's focused on getting results and who's shown himself willing to stand up even when it's not popular within his own party to get those results.
Romero: I have the courage and the conviction to do what's right for the people of the district, even at my own peril. And that's a lot of words. And people say, “Oh, that sounds really good during the campaign, but we'll see it when you, you know, you're up there.” And I've got a track record of doing just that. In other words… I've had 25 years and counting of serving the greater good, serving our communities, and doing so oftentimes with failure, with mistakes made, and getting up and focusing, dusting myself off and focusing on doing the best that I can and continuing to do that, even at my own peril.
I'm not in it for fame and fortune, and I'm telling you right here, right now, Vic, I'm not looking for a third career. I'm in there to fight and to do what's right. So yes, for sure, [we need] bipartisan solutions because we have to achieve progress, and you got to remember this: Trump, the president, holds the veto pen. You know, so it might be great that [Democrats win Congress], and obviously the Oval Office stays with the Republicans. But if we don't find common ground, all we're going to do is continue to bicker for the next two years up to 2028.
Public Lands
Hurd says managing public lands requires a balanced approach and touts his vote on an amendment that would have authorized the sale of public lands in Nevada and Utah for development.
Romero says he will fight to protect public lands.
Hurd: I think public lands decisions should be made with the support and input of those who are affected. And any time that we have a massive public lands decision that's being made by people in Washington D.C., I don't think that's a good thing. And I think my willingness to stand up on that issue ... of all the issues that we received feedback from the public on, that was probably in the top three, if not number one, in my standing up against that massive public land sale.
But I'm willing to say I'm not categorically opposed to all land sales. I think there are certain strategic land sales that can be made with the support of stakeholders of local communities that would be to the benefit of our district. And I think that's one of the other things that would separate me from my opponent, is that I'm pragmatic about that.
Romero: I look at our public lands and I see something worth fighting for. Right now, our national forests across CD3 have seen massive reductions in field staff. That’s not a policy disagreement; that’s a crisis for our lands, our communities, and our economies that depend on these multiuse lands being protected. We need to oppose efforts to sell or transfer out public lands to private interests and support our firefighters and increase fire resilience.
Check out Aspen Public Radio’s 2026 Midterm Election Guide for more information about local, regional and statewide races in our region.
