State Senate Candidate Dylan Roberts met with the Gilpin County Democratic Committee during a regular, virtual monthly meeting on January 27, 2022. The Committee also discussed promotions for the upcoming caucus.

Roberts said he is joining the race as a candidate for State Senate District 8, which is a newly drawn district. “I am very excited to run for election,” he announced.

Roberts grew up in Steamboat Springs, and former President Barack Obama inspired him. When Obama ran in 2008, Roberts worked on his campaign, and got his start by registering voters. He worked on that successful campaign, went to the University of Colorado, and wound up in Eagle, where he worked with a state legislator.

Now Roberts represents House District 26 in the Colorado House of Representatives, which encompasses Eagle and Routt Counties. He is running to serve Colorado’s mountain and rural communities in the State Senate.

During his two terms in the legislature, Roberts has passed bills that have focused on lowering the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs, protecting the environment and water, finding ways to lower the cost of living, and promoting rural economic development. Roberts is running for the State Senate to ensure that mountain and rural communities have a strong, effective voice at the Capitol, recover from the pandemic, and remain a place where people can live, work, and raise their families.

Since 2018, he has worked on health care and said every county should have more affordable health care. He was lead sponsor of a bill that created national information for pharmaceuticals, he reported.

Roberts wants to protect Colorado water, combat wildfires, and take bold action to combat climate change. He has been a member of a task force on affordable housing,

“We are at a crisis on housing…. We believe our region deserves strong, dedicated support.”

Regarding the race, the seat that decides the senate majority this year will control the senate, so this district will receive a lot of attention. “I hope to have your support,” he said.

Roberts is excited about a bill for the lodging tax, which will allow counties to change the use for lodging taxes. “It might become a useful tool,” he said. He will have promotional material at the caucus and has both YouTube and Facebook pages. For more information on Dylan Roberts, go to dylanroberts.org.

Committee Chair Eric Douglas said individual donations for a candidate are limited to $400 per person, but the Committee can give more than that. Later in the meeting, the Committee agreed to support Roberts.

The Committee discussed the March 5 caucus and assembly. They discussed having it at the school, but Douglas said they would need six different rooms and those in attendance would have to sit around with masks on. The committee will have to update the business license with Zoom, and he wants to do a preregistration ready before the caucus.

Douglas suggested committing just to do Zoom, and the Committee made a motion to hold the March 5 caucus via Zoom. Douglas said they should publicize the caucus via Facebook and email and send out postcards.

Gilpin County Commissioner Sandy Hollingsworth said she can be a Zoom host at the Gilpin County Library. Douglas said an introduction by candidates would be first, and each one could provide a short presentation.

After the Board approved the motion to do a Zoom meeting for the March 5 caucus, Douglas said they needed to select a date for caucus training.

They decided to practice on Zoom on February 13, 2022, at 1 p.m. They will advertise with postcards, advertise in the two local newspapers, send an email list to party members, and post flyers in public spaces.

The next meeting of the Gilpin County Democratic Committee will be on February 24, 2022, at 7 p.m. For more information, go to gilpincountydems.org.