Carla Jimenez

Colorado is widely recognized as having safe, vote-by-mail elections, yet it’s also a hotbed of election fraud conspiracies. That makes the job of county clerks here both fulfilling and exhausting. In conservative El Paso County, election denialism abounds. And, it’s up to the Republican clerk to debunk it. For that work, Chuck Broerman has received the “Guardian of Democracy” award.

Kimberly Miller is Colorado Mesa University’s first Black woman athletic director. The North Carolina native started her new job just before the fall semester started, and she’s been getting acclimated. Her goal is to make sure there’s equity for everyone in all areas of sport at CMU.

Fruita resident Gabriel Otero is a senior campaign specialist with The Wilderness Society. He and his organization were instrumental in establishing a statewide equity grant program that helps kids from underserved communities experience nature and the outdoors. In an interview with Colorado Matters, he explains the different barriers children of color face when it comes to experiencing the outdoors, and he also demonstrates the difference equity programs can make in students’ lives.

The Club 20 debates traditionally draw politicians from all over the state to address issues specific to the Western Slope. Candidates running for office will discuss water, health care and education. But while many politically inclined in the region will be watching, some Democratic politicians are skipping the tradition altogether. Grand Junction Sentinel reporter Charles Ashby and political science professor Justin Gollob talk about the political climate on the Western Slope ahead of the debates.

The Biden Administration announced a plan to forgive $10,000 of federal student loans for borrowers making less than $125,000 a year and $20,000 for students who received Pell Grants. This could affect more than 700,000 borrowers in the state, where the average debt load is $36,000. However, the degree of impact will vary for borrowers of color. Jason Gonzales wrote about this for Chalkbeat Colorado and spoke with Colorado Matters about it.

Damon Roberts, a political science doctoral student, led a study looking at how the age of politicians affects the voters’ views on job performance and how likely they were to vote for them. The study found that the older the politician is, the higher their job disapproval rating would be. However, age did not factor in whether someone would vote for them in the first place. Roberts discusses these findings and possible reasons for the disconnect.