Cole Buerger is the Democrat running for state Senate District 5. He lives in Glenwood Springs with his husband and runs a small business. With state Sen.
Perry Will’s intent to run for a Garfield County commissioner’s seat instead of seeking another term in the state legislature, voters in the recently-redrawn district will choose between two familiar faces. Glenwood Springs Democrat Cole Buerger and Montrose Republican Marc Catlin both will face off to represent Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose and Pitkin counties in the Nov. 5 general election.
Buerger grew up on a ranch near Silt and says he can trace his family lineage in the Western Slope back five generations. After an East Coast education, he worked in nonprofits to promote democracy and strengthen democratic processes globally. He then gained a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago.
After years away from home, Buerger returned to the Roaring Fork Valley with his husband to be closer to family and the beauty of the mountains. For the past 14 years, he’s run a small consulting company focusing on policy, design and communication. He ran against state Rep.
Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs, in the 2022 primary for a seat in the state House (District 57), but lost. He said his interest in holding office sparked after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.
S. Capitol. “Having held up the example of the U.
S. when I was working abroad so often, January 6 broke my heart because I realized that our democracy needed a lot of work itself,” he said. “In order to move us forward, we need elected leaders at every level of government that are focused on solving problems and not getting attention.
” For Buerger, some of the biggest problems to solve in the Western Slope include infrastructure, environmental data tracking and the cost of health care. The April 18 closure of the U.S.
50 Blue Mesa Bridge between Montrose and Gunnison due to failing infrastructure has forced major traffic reroutes, which the Colorado Department of Transportation has estimated could take drivers 2-3 hours. “A bridge goes out in Denver, it's maybe a 10-15 minute detour. It goes out between Montrose and Gunnison, and it's a five-hour detour,” Buerger said.
“We've got to be a lot more proactive about how we're inspecting and maintaining our infrastructure. We've got to be really cognizant of how it is not just an infrastructure issue, but it's an economic issue, it's a public safety issue.” As a small business owner himself, Buerger said he’d like to pursue an cost-sharing initiative for small businesses to offer affordable healthcare to employees.
“We should enable small businesses to create partnerships [for healthcare costs] so that they can offer that to more employees,” he said. “I think it's a big thing in terms of workforce — retaining workers and keeping families able to live in our communities, given the cost and affordability crisis.” Buerger said affordable housing must be achieved through public/private partnerships, governmental incentives to build deed-restricted housing and a sustainable funding source for the state’s Affordable Housing Financing Fund — though he did say that would be a new tax.
Out on the campaign trail, Buerger said he’s heard a lot from voters about mental health care access and the importance of bringing Western Slope perspective to decisions following the reintroduction of gray wolves in Colorado. More information on his campaign can be found at coleforcolorado.org Marc Catlin has spent eight years in the state legislature, serving as the representative for House District 58.
He is the Republican candidate from Montrose running for Senate District 5. State Rep. Marc Catlin, R-Montrose, was first appointed to the legislature in 2016, representing House District 58.
Ever since, he’s been reelected to the seat and is now term-limited. He’s turned his attention to Senate District 5, which includes some of his current district but brings in Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin Counties. “My hometown is in [the district],” he said.
“The other thing that makes it important is the Colorado River is a big deal in the [Senate District 5]. It needs protection. It needs people that are working to make sure that the Colorado River stays whole.
” Catlin serves as the vice chair of the Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources committee in the legislature, as well as on the Capitol Development and Transportation, Housing and Local Government committees. He also serves as the vice president of the Colorado River District board of directors. Water has been a cornerstone of Catlin’s political career.
In May, Gov. Jared Polis signed into a law co-sponsored by Catlin that implements recommendations from the Colorado River Drought Task Force to conserve water. Other areas of focus for Catlin include youth mental health, infrastructure and local government control.
The pivot from the House of Representatives to the Senate would introduce Roaring Fork Valley counties to his constituency. Catlin said he feels prepared to represent the interests of Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin voters. “You folks are much like my people.
Jobs, housing, water, tourism, those are the things that are the bedrocks of these communities,” he said. “People are worried about housing for themselves and for their young people. .
.. They're concerned about the river, they're concerned about water on the Western Slope.
” The U.S. 50 bridge closure happened in Catlin’s district.
He said while he’s optimistic that repairs will be done this fall, he wants to put more pressure on the state to prevent another bridge failure — like the one that some predict could occur in Aspen one day. “Transportation is a big deal,” he said. “I think we should look at [infrastructure] before it becomes a problem .
.. a rapid response is incredibly important.
I do have to say, they've done a pretty good job on the [U.S. 50] bridge.
” For the Castle Creek Bridge and entrance to Aspen decisions, Catlin suggested that he would defer to local decisions so long as the stakeholders are communicating. Colorado Politics highlighted Catlin’s record of 100% bipartisan support in the 17 bills he introduced in the 2023 legislative session. In a new district that may lean more blue than red, the Republican pointed to that record as proof of his bipartisan approach.
For housing, Catlin said public-private partnerships are the best approach to increase affordable housing supply. More information on his campaign can be found at catlinforcolorado.com.
