Colorado
Cash infusion hits RTD races in effort to boost pro-transit candidates
The relatively low-key political races for seats on the Regional Transportation District board that governs metro Denver’s public transit have drawn nearly $100,000 in campaign advocacy group spending and high-profile political endorsements this year.
Most of the 13 candidates vying for the RTD director seats have spent $1,000 or less on their campaigns. But Conservation Colorado, an environmental advocacy group, got involved for the first time and injected $95,381 into two races. The group also made four endorsements, adding to the endorsements by Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Gov. Jared Polis.
A non-profit with a staff of 38 and annual revenues topping $3 million, Conservation Colorado leaders looked at the RTD with its annual $1.1 billion budget as “a massively important taxpayer-funded agency” that will determine how people move around a densifying metropolis, executive director Kelly Nordini said Wednesday in an interview.
“Transportation is our biggest source of climate pollution. If we want to get on top of our climate objectives, RTD and transit have to be a central part of that,” Nordini said.
Conservation Colorado’s spending on RTD races, part of the group’s $800,000 in statewide election spending, is designed to ensure the RTD is run by directors who are “very pro-transit” and equipped to forge links with other agencies to combat climate warming, she said.
The funds target a three-way contest for a central Denver seat, boosting the campaign of Kiel Brunner, a digital data scientist who has support from Gov. Polis. Brunner faces Chris Nicholson, endorsed by Denver Mayor Johnston, and former RTD bus driver Bob Dinegar,who has the backing of state Rep. Meg Froelich, leader of Colorado’s transportation, housing and local government committee.
Conservation Colorado also spent funds on former bus driver Bernard Celestin, a U.S. Army veteran and civic leader running to represent Aurora, against Kathleen Chandler, who directs a citizens involvement project for the libertarian Independence Institute think tank. That’s because “libertarians as a whole are not very interested in expanding public goods like public transit,” Nordini said. Candidates Karen Benker (northwest suburbs) and Brett Paglieri (west metro Denver) also received Conservation Colorado endorsements.
The money — $45,000 sent on Oct. 23 and $50,381 on Oct. 25 — supported ads, according to Colorado Secretary of State records.
Dinegar said he’s spent less than $1,000, for a website and doorknob notices, hoping his two, better-funded opponents will “cancel each other out” and that voters will reward his professional experience.
“I have embraced the underdog role. I am the bus driver,” Dinegar said. “I harbor no other future political aspirations. I am the only one who has on-the-ground experience with RTD security, maintenance, governance, and operations. I know how the thing works and where it is broken.”
Originally Published:
Trump revokes security clearances from Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton
President Trump pulled security clearances for Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton and others.
President Donald Trump made it known Sunday night that he is not a fan of the portrait displayed of him in the Colorado state Capitol.
Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to rage about the “distorted” portrait Sunday evening, erroneously claiming it was the doing of the state’s governor Jared Polis. However, it was Republican State Sen. Kevin Grantham who led the charge in commissioning and securing funding for the painting back in 2018.
“Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol, put up by the Governor, along with all other Presidents, was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before,” Trump claimed in his post. He provided no evidence to support the idea that the portrait was “purposefully distorted.”
Trump pointed out that the artist was the same who painted a portrait for Barack Obama, which he said looked “wonderful,” before describing the one of him as “truly the worst” and slinging insults at the painter, Sarah A. Boardman.
“She must have lost her talent as she got older. In any event, I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one, but many people from Colorado have called and written to complain. In fact, they are actually angry about it!”
Trump, again, provided no evidence to support his claim that Colorado residents are “angry” about the portrait nor complaining en mass.
Trump then blamed the portrait, which appears to be a fairly straight-forward likeness of the president, on “Radical Left Governor” Polis and demanded it be taken down.
“I am speaking on their behalf to the Radical Left Governor, Jared Polis, who is extremely weak on Crime, in particular with respect to Tren de Aragua, which practically took over Aurora (Don’t worry, we saved it!), to take it down. Jared should be ashamed of himself!”
It is unclear why the president believes the governor was involved with the commissioning of or had an influence on the artistic direction of the painting.
Portrait was commissioned, hung by state Republicans six years ago
Efforts to have the painting commissioned, approved and hung in the hall were led by state Republicans, including Grantham, who used a GoFundMe in 2018 to raise $10,000 for the portrait.
Colorado Senate Republicans hosted an event alongside Boardman in August 2019 to hang the painting, which had been approved by the group. It is unclear why Trump has taken issue with the painting six years after its official unveiling.
Gov. Polis’ office issued a statement shared with USA TODAY Monday morning, saying, “Gov. Polis was surprised to learn the President of the United States is an aficionado of our Colorado State Capitol and its artwork. The State Capitol was completed in 1901, and features Rose Onyx and White Yule Marble mined in Colorado, and includes portraits of former Presidents and former governors. We appreciate the President and everyone’s interest in our capitol building and are always looking for any opportunity to improve our visitor experience.”
USA TODAY has reached out to the Trump administration, Grantham and Boardman for comment.
- Highs in the 60s and 70s
- Staying breezy
- Dry trend continues
EARLY NEXT WEEK: Temperatures will begin to climb to reach 60s and 70s for most. Expect lots of sunshine with dry time continuing too. Wind gusts will be up to 25 MPH.
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LATER IN THE WEEK: Southern Colorado stays breezy with gusts continuing to stay elevated. Temperatures stay 10 to 15 degrees above seasonal averages, so high fire danger is likely to return.
THE WEEKEND: We return to seasonal temperatures on Saturday with rain chances too. Sunday is expected to remain fairly cool too.
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No. 11 Maryland and Colorado State square off in the NCAA Tournament second round.
Colorado State Rams (26-9, 19-4 MWC) vs. Maryland Terrapins (26-8, 15-7 Big Ten)
Seattle; Sunday, 7:10 p.m. EDT
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Terrapins -7.5; over/under is 142.5
BOTTOM LINE: No. 11 Maryland and Colorado State square off in the NCAA Tournament second round.
The Terrapins’ record in Big Ten play is 15-7, and their record is 11-1 against non-conference opponents. Maryland ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 9.1 offensive rebounds per game led by Julian Reese averaging 3.0.
The Rams are 19-4 against MWC teams. Colorado State scores 75.3 points and has outscored opponents by 8.1 points per game.
Maryland averages 81.6 points, 14.4 more per game than the 67.2 Colorado State allows. Colorado State scores 8.8 more points per game (75.3) than Maryland allows (66.5).
TOP PERFORMERS: Ja’Kobi Gillespie is shooting 41.0% from beyond the arc with 2.4 made 3-pointers per game for the Terrapins, while averaging 14.7 points, 4.9 assists and 1.9 steals. Derik Queen is averaging 17.7 points and 10.7 rebounds over the past 10 games.
Nique Clifford is averaging 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists for the Rams. Kyan Evans is averaging 13.8 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Terrapins: 8-2, averaging 78.9 points, 33.4 rebounds, 13.2 assists, 8.4 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 45.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 66.4 points per game.
Rams: 10-0, averaging 77.3 points, 28.5 rebounds, 15.9 assists, 6.0 steals and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 50.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 63.1 points.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
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