The Post Independent is publishing Q&As for our community’s house and senate district races ahead of the Nov. 5 election. Each candidate is provided 700 words including a bullet-point bio for a column along with 100 words for each of their answers in the Q&A section.

Cole Buerger is the Democratic candidate for state Senate in Colorado District 5, which includes Garfield and Pitkin counties. You can read Republican challenger for SD5 Marc Catlin’s Q&A responses here.

If elected, what would be your first priority for the next legislative session?

My first priority will be making sure the Western Slope is affordable for working families like mine. I grew up on a ranch south of Silt. My first memory is irrigating with my mom. I remember how, as a kid, my parents could get by just working the ranch. Now folks like my parents need two jobs to make it. That’s just wrong. In the state Senate, I’ll focus on bringing down the cost of housing, groceries, childcare, and healthcare so our rural families, farms, ranches, and small businesses can get ahead. 

Water is top of mind for many on the Western Slope. If elected, what actionable steps would you take to improve Senate District 5’s water future?

In the West Slope, water isn’t a partisan issue, it’s essential for everyone. I’ll work to protect and conserve every drop of water and keep it in home basins for Colorado’s communities and critical industries like agriculture. I’ll defend private water rights and invest in water-based health and conservation. From updating nonfunctional turf that consumes huge quantities of water and incentivizing groundwater conservation easements, to providing resources for agriculture producers and municipalities to be more efficient, I’ll work to upgrade our water infrastructure to ensure reliability into the future. I’ll also support clean water standards that protect all our residents.

Short-term rentals and vacation homes are prevalent in mountain communities that also face a shortage of affordable, long-term housing. Would you support legislation to further regulate and/or tax these properties? If so, what would you support and why?

I look forward to working with my fellow lawmakers and focusing on carrots rather than sticks when addressing housing. It’s important to understand that the root causes of our housing affordability crisis are 1) the shortage of units and 2) how difficult it is to build. We can alleviate the housing crisis by reforming Colorado’s construction defects rules. When it comes to short-term rentals and vacation homes, I believe that local control is critical as rural communities are incredibly diverse in their specific needs and challenges. We also need to differentiate between small mom-and-pop property owners and large corporate entities. 

For many Coloradans, economic challenges and cost of living are the most important issue this election. If elected, how would you plan to address those concerns in your district?  

Across our rural communities, people I meet are sick of the same old politicians playing the same old political games. In the senate, I’ll focus on working Coloradans, not corporate donors and special interests. My campaign is supported by working families and small businesses from throughout the district because I have a strong commitment to fully funding our school system and paying our teachers what they deserve, strengthening our social safety net for working families and seniors, fixing our broken healthcare system, and driving down the cost of housing, childcare, and groceries for all of us. 

There is sometimes a tradeoff at the Capitol between maintaining party unity or working across the aisle. How will you decide when to work with either side?

I’ll work with rural legislators on both sides of the aisle to find solutions that work for our shared communities. I won’t be afraid to challenge either party when politics is preventing us from making progress. I’m honored to have been endorsed by mayors throughout the district, elected officials who are closest to local issues and who know there’s no partisan way–or at least there shouldn’t be–to repair a road or protect our water. In the state senate, I’ll stand up for our local families, ranches, farms, small businesses, and workers to deliver the independent leadership the Western Slope needs.