Republicans compete to face Neguse in congressional race

By Andrew Rice
The Center Square

Voters in Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes the city of Boulder, will elect partisan candidates in the U.S. House during the June 30 primary.

Candidates from both parties are offering competing visions on public land protection, fraud enforcement, healthcare and the national debt. Besides Boulder, the district includes the city of Fort Collins and vast swaths of mountainous areas and public lands.

Incumbent Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colorado, was first elected to the district in 2018, after fellow Democrat Jared Polis ran successfully for governor. Neguse is seeking a fifth term in Colorado’s traditionally Democratic district. However, two Republican candidates, Kelley Dennison and Christina Blunt, are vying to challenge Neguse in November.

Blunt told The Center Square that Neguse has not represented Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District well.

“We’re being governed by bureaucrats,” Blunt said. “I think that’s the largest disconnect.”

The Center Square reached out to Neguse for an interview, but did not hear back before publication time.

Neguse has boasted of his commitment to protect public lands in the district, embrace universal healthcare and advance climate change legislation. He boasted of his support for the CORE Act, which would permanently protect more than 400,000 acres of land in Colorado from oil and gas development.

The bill was first introduced in 2019 and passed through the U.S. House, but has never passed through the Senate.

“Joe is committed to preserving Colorado’s treasured public spaces, investing in our outdoor recreation economy, safeguarding wildlife and biodiversity and tackling western wildfires,” Neguse’s website reads.

Blunt slammed Neguse for focusing his campaign on legislation that has not passed. She said the region has become more prone to wildfires because Congress can’t pass the legislation.

“I hold all Democrats responsible for Democrat activity,” Blunt said. “It is setting us up for a massive fire.”

Kelley Dennision, another Republican seeking the nomination on June 30, said her campaign is focused on increasing oil and gas production in the district while protecting environmental resources. She called for the district to increase domestic energy production in a responsible manner.

“Protecting Colorado’s environment should not mean destroying the livelihoods of ranchers, farmers, energy workers, small towns, or outdoor industries that depend on responsible land use,” Dennison’s website reads.

Dennison was not available in time for an interview with The Center Square. She also called for responsible forest management to prevent wildfires, including controlled burns and beetle mitigation.

Blunt has also focused her campaign on prosecuting individuals who commit fraud in federal programs. She called on Congress to prosecute fraud more aggressively and audit departments across the executive branch.

“Everything needs to become more competitive as far as contracts,” Blunt said. “We need to have guardrails on how money is spent.”

She said efforts like the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency and the White House Anti-Fraud Task Force are steps in the right direction to pursue fraud.

Blunt pointed out that the government typically does not operate on competitive contracts.

Blunt said she would support legislation like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. She said the bill was designed to prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining healthcare. Neguse voted against the bill last year.

“As much as people want to think it’s not happening, there is fraud, waste and abuse from illegal immigration on our taxpayers,” Blunt said.

Neguse appears to have a significant fundraising advantage over his Republican competitors. He received more than $2 million in campaign contributions, according to the most recent filings from the Federal Election Commission.

He received a contribution for $1,000 from Booz Allen Hamilton PAC, a well-known defense contractor; $2,500 from the American Hospital Association PAC and $1,000 from Universal Music Group Action Fund.

According to FEC filings, both Dennison and Blunt have raised zero dollars for either of their campaigns. The Center Square reached out to both candidates for comments on campaign finances, but did not receive a response.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on June 30, Election Day. For more information visit the Secretary of State’s website, coloradosos.gov/pubs/elections. Early election results will be published that evening at www.thecentersquare.com/colorado.