Jeff Hurd – ready for prime time politics

By PRISCILLA WAGGONER, Courier reporter

ALAMOSA – CD3 Republican candidate Jeff Hurd was at Juanito’s Restaurant on Highway 160 Friday night, introducing himself to a group of Republican colleagues in the district and asking for their vote. A number of Republican elected officials – former and current – were also on hand to publicly voice their support for the Grand Junction attorney, who hopes to continue the succession of Republicans representing CD3 in Congress.

Former Alamosa County Commissioner Darius Allen took the floor and got things started.

“Jeff Hurd is a good family man,” he said. “A good American and he will do good things for the district. We don’t want to be represented by someone from Aspen who doesn’t know the San Luis Valley or southern Colorado. We want someone who knows what we’re about.”

Allen then turned the matter over to State Senator Cleave Simpson, who praised Hurd for reaching out to him and stopping by his office several times to learn about water and the area. “Jeff has made a clear commitment to me that he will stand with us” in opposing water exports. Simpson went on to describe him as a man of great character.

Alamosa County Commissioner Lori Laske said she did her research and found out what she needed to know about Hurd, but most importantly, “He’s a good person, a decent person with strong morals and a strong soul,” she believes also that he will do good things for Alamosa.

Hurd said he is running because there are two Colorados – one in the northern part of the Front Range, “where they import jobs, money and opportunity,” and the rest of Colorado, where “we export our children.” They leave and don’t come back.”

Hurd then spoke about the critical importance of the congressional seat, as “it is one of seventeen seats targeted by Democrats.” This seat is ground zero. The district is at plus seven – we should be able to maintain that.”

He began his comments by bringing up his opponent, Adam Frisch, who had raised significant amounts of money. “But dollars don’t add up,” he said, “people do.” And I need your help to spread the word.”

Hurd described himself as authentic, a Colorado native, a small business owner who represents rural electric companies and doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life in politics.

One of the first questions he was asked was whether he would stand with President Trump. Hurd responded, “President Trump will have no greater advocate than me on these issues.” In a later conversation with the Valley Courier, he was asked to elaborate on that answer, saying he believes the policy is too short-sighted and self-centered focus on personalities. “I would like to bring the conversation back to the issues. That’s what I want to focus on.”

Then he remembered being heckled so much during a debate that he couldn’t speak. “It bothered me that I couldn’t speak, but I didn’t mind them expressing their opinions. That is her right. I believe in the Constitution first and my district second.”

Hurd told the group that “Democrats are pushing rural communities into poverty.”

When asked for details, he pointed to Colorado’s greenhouse gas regulations, which require an 80% reduction in baseline levels by 2030, and short-sighted mining regulations. “If you really care about renewable energy and greenhouse gases, you should work to get as much energy from Colorado as possible because we do it more responsibly than anyone else. We are adopting regulations requiring the closure of power plants in Pueblo and Craig. We are losing good jobs in factories and mining and pushing demand beyond our state borders. And inhibiting natural gas means the Chinese will also produce more coal. My opponent says “all of the above.” I’ll say the best of the above.”

His top priorities include securing the border, telling the Valley Courier that he supports building the wall, and improving detection systems, including at ports of entry. But as someone who describes himself as an “immigrant advocate,” he also believes in the importance of legal immigration — his wife is an immigrant from Czechoslovakia. He “won’t talk about mass deportations” and believes criminal immigrants should be deported, but would also support a “red card” system where people working and living here illegally are given the opportunity to do so legally do and then return to their homeland. He also supports the Dreamers’ path to citizenship.

Protecting agricultural waters is also crucial. “I would rather grow potatoes, barley and alfalfa than houses on the Front Range.”

A third priority is growing the economy.

Hurd readily admits that the campaign is “surreal” and that his family doesn’t want to move to DC. However, he also originally ran to oppose Lauren Boebert for the nomination and get the conversation back on track. He strives to “give his best to this effort.”