Go to: Candidate Q&A home page • Denver Post Voter Guide
Alessandra Navetta Dem
Residence: Elizabeth
Profession: Nurse and attorney
Education: BScN NursingEducation, Juris Doctor
Experience: I have worked as a nurse in nursing education, psychiatry, and neonatology. Up until retirement I was employed as an attorney.
Campaign website
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
My district consists of seven counties in the rural eastern plains of Colorado. My priorities include providing the residents of the district with access to affordable, quality health care. Access to reliable internet connectivity is another issue that needs to be addressed. And access to affordable post-secondary education is another issue that is one of my priorities.
Recent polling has shown trust in government hovering at historically low levels and stark partisan divides in views of election integrity. What will you do to bridge those gaps?
I live in a Republican district. I intend to represent everyone regardless of political party. I believe in compromise and intend to work with my fellow legislators and do what is best for our constituents. As an attorney, I am accustomed to adversarial relationships and I know the value of compromise and how to arrive at mutually acceptable solutions. Having served as an election judge, I believe that elections in Colorado are well monitored and that there are systems of oversight and redundancy in place.
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
Government sponsored low interest loans might help improve affordability in housing. Reducing tax burdens is more complicated since reducing taxes results in a reduction of essential government services. Tax credits for certain actions may selectively reduce tax burdens on some individuals while not drastically reducing tax revenues across the board.
What should the legislature do when it comes to addressing greenhouse gas emissions and regulating oil and gas development?
Our government should make clean energy more affordable. The use of oil and gas will not soon be eliminated so measures need to be researched and implemented to reduce emissions and make oil production environmentally safer.
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
I believe that the opposing party would agree with me on the issues that I have identified as my priorities: access to quality health care, reliable, affordable internet and affordable post-secondary education.
Chris Richardson Rep
Residence: Elbert County
Profession: U.S. Army Retired (Logistics/Resource Mgmnt)
Education: U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Combined Arms Services Staff School, University of Pennsylvania, BS Mech Eng
Experience: Retired Army Colonel
County Commissioner
Elected School Board Member
Judicial Nomination Commission
State Property Tax Commission
State Transportation Advisory Committee
Region 4 Opioid Abatement Council
Campaign website
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
I will focus tirelessly to provide a state government that:
1) Protects your rights as citizens.
2) Stays out of your businesses, family, and pocketbook,
3) Reduces spending, and strengthens TABOR.
Recent polling has shown trust in government hovering at historically low levels and stark partisan divides in views of election integrity. What will you do to bridge those gaps?
I will work to improve trust in government and the integrity of elections by advocating for transparency, ensuring that election processes are open and verifiable. Promoting proven reforms like voter ID laws, cleansing of voter rolls, better guardrails on mail ballots and signature verification, and secure voting systems can help restore faith in our elections. By engaging in civil discourse, educating citizens, and working together, while respecting differing viewpoints, can help restore confidence in government.
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
I support reform of construction defect laws that have tremendously reduced the availability of affordable townhomes and condos by increasing risk to builders and limited their access to capital. A review of the impacts of the many one-size-fits-all code changes regarding energy efficiency, fire protection and other well-meaning legislation that has increased buyer’s costs to purchase and insure homes is necessary. The property tax reform efforts of the past year must continue, and income taxes reduced (not just redistributed). Finally, businesses are over-regulated and legal causes for action continue to rise and this adds costs for everyone – this must stop.
What should the legislature do when it comes to addressing greenhouse gas emissions and regulating oil and gas development?
A comprehensive review of the impacts of the legislative changes already in place is required and if no measurable benefit is found, they should be repealed. Colorado has the cleanest energy production in the world. Adding additional unnecessarily strict environmental laws has caused job loss and harm to the economy by raising costs for businesses. Excessive regulation weakens U.S. energy independence and national security by restricting the development of domestic energy resources. Moreover, such regulations hinder the growth of reliable electricity sources, which can lead to energy shortages and higher utility costs for consumers.
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
Whether in the minority or majority, achieving meaningful policy outcomes for the citizens of Colorado requires honest dialogue and agreement on the problems we aim to solve. But it does not require compromising principles. I think we can find common ground in three key areas: (1) implementing regulatory and statutory changes to lower housing costs, (2) tackling growing crime and drug trafficking, and (3) reducing economic burdens on families and businesses. By focusing on these priorities, we can work together to create a safer, more affordable, and prosperous future for our state.
How candidate order was determined: A lot drawing was held at the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office on Aug. 7, 2024, to determine the general election ballot order for major and minor party candidates for U.S. House, State Board of Education, CU Regent, State Senate, State House, and District Attorney races. Colorado law (1-5-404, C.R.S.) requires that candidates are ordered on the ballot in three tiers: major party candidates followed by minor party candidates followed by unaffiliated candidates. Within each tier, the candidates are ordered by a lot drawing with the exception of the President and Vice President race, which is ordered by the last name of the presidential candidate. Questionnaires were not sent to write-in candidates.
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