Voters spoke. Here’s what we heard.
Every week, a parent somewhere in Colorado looks at a cough that won’t go away and decides whether it can wait until payday. Choices like that one shaped much of what voters told us on Election Day.
Phil Weiser won the governor’s race decisively, and Democrats are headed for supermajorities in both chambers of the General Assembly. But the bigger story isn’t the scoreboard. Across the political spectrum, Coloradans said it’s getting harder to stay healthy and get ahead here. They want leaders who will work with each other to change that.
At Healthier Colorado, we believe every Coloradan should have the chance to live a healthy life. Here’s what we took from the results, and the hopeful path we see for the new legislature and administration.
What the results tell us
Coloradans want to invest in families. They approved Proposition NN with about 55% support, sending surplus revenue to K-12 classrooms. And they approved Amendment 87, which directs new revenue to health care, child care and schools, with about 51% of the vote. Many believed a measure like that could never pass in Colorado. Whatever views Coloradans held going in, the shared work now is making sure both measures deliver for families. We’re ready to help lawmakers and the new administration get implementation right, with the health of Colorado’s kids and families at the center.
Staying healthy is getting harder to afford. More than a quarter of Coloradans put off care because of cost. Behind that number are parents skipping their own checkups so their kids can see a doctor. On Election Day, six in ten voters said federal policies had made their health costs worse. And the worry crosses party lines. Nine in ten Coloradans told pollsters this fall they’re concerned about the cost of living, and Democrats, Republicans and independents answered almost identically.
Coverage alone isn’t enough. Colorado has made progress, with about 94% of residents insured. But even among people with job-based coverage, nearly one in five couldn’t afford the care they needed. A healthy life takes more than an insurance card. It takes affordable health care within reach, food on the table, reliable childcare, and a stable place to call home.
Trust is earned, not assumed. Voters gave Democrats a clear edge on health care, but nearly a quarter said neither party has earned their trust. Unaffiliated voters cast more than half of all ballots in the state. That’s an open invitation for every leader to earn it, and a reminder that Coloradans will judge all of us by results.
Where we came up short
Not every result went the way we hoped. Healthier Colorado opposed three measures voters approved by thin margins: Proposition 132 on fentanyl penalties, and Propositions 134 and 135 on transgender youth in sports and health care. While we acknowledge the voters’ decision, our concerns haven’t changed. Proposition 132 leans on prison sentences and court-ordered treatment without new money for the treatment it promises. Propositions 134 and 135 single out a small group of young people who already report far higher rates of poor mental health and loneliness, and we believe decisions about a child’s care belong with families and their doctors.
Governor-elect Weiser has said lawmakers will need to take a long, hard look at implementing these measures, and that the fentanyl measure may need adjustments. We’ll work with his administration and lawmakers in both parties to protect Coloradans’ health: making sure people who need addiction treatment can get it, and that every young person in Colorado, including transgender kids, is safe and supported. Losses like these sharpen our resolve. They don’t change where we’re headed.
A vision for the next four years
Picture a Colorado where every person, in every community, has a fair shot at a healthy life. Where a young family in Pueblo, Sterling or Aurora can find a doctor nearby, afford the visit and fill the prescription. Where a parent doesn’t have to choose between child care and a paycheck. Where a teenager struggling with anxiety gets help before a crisis, not after.
That Colorado is within reach, but no single party, agency or advocacy group can build it alone. Here’s how we think it gets built.
Start from shared ground. Lowering what families pay for care, giving kids a strong start and expanding mental health support aren’t partisan goals. Rural Republicans and urban Democrats have both championed them. Early childhood is a natural place to begin. Few investments do more for a child’s lifelong mental and physical health, and it’s a goal parents of every political stripe share.
Make room at the table. Large majorities bring opportunity and responsibility in equal measure. Colorado’s most lasting solutions have come when lawmakers invited in the minority caucus, county commissioners, providers, employers, patients and families, and then listened. Governor-elect Weiser has called on Coloradans to build the state’s future together and promised to lead as a listener and convener. We share that goal and stand ready to help. With budget pressure still ahead, that spirit matters more than ever: hard choices are easier to make and easier to trust when they’re made in the open and across the aisle.
Keep families as the measure of success. The test of the next four years won’t be how many bills pass. It will be whether more Coloradans are living healthier lives: whether a mom in Grand Junction finds it easier to afford her son’s inhaler, and whether a grandparent in Lakewood can stay healthy at home.
Our commitment
Healthier Colorado has long lived by a simple creed: no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. We’ll bring that spirit to the Capitol in January, along with data, community voices and practical ideas. We’ll work with any lawmaker, on either side of the aisle, who shares the goal of giving every Coloradan the chance to live a healthy life. And when we disagree, we’ll do it with respect and keep the door open. To the advocates, partners and neighbors who spoke up for Colorado’s health this fall: thank you. You’re the reason we’re hopeful.
Voters didn’t ask for perfection. They asked for progress they can feel. Let’s get to work.
Joshua Ewing, Executive Director, Healthier Colorado.