Colorado
Colorado’s unaffiliated voters, who make up half the electorate, hold dim view of both parties, poll finds
Madison Osberger-Low/The Aspen Times
An overwhelming majority of Colorado’s unaffiliated voters say they reject both major parties and want to see Democrats and Republicans become more moderate, according to the findings of a new statewide poll.
Let Colorado Vote, a nonprofit founded by Kent Thiry, a multimillionaire and the former CEO of the Denver-based dialysis company DaVita, commissioned a survey of 1,210 active voters last month to gauge the sentiments of unaffiliated voters.
The poll was conducted by Keating Research from Nov. 10-17, and included 600 unaffiliated voters, 300 Democrats, 300 Republicans, and 10 others. The poll had an overall margin of error of 2.8 percentage points, and a 4 percentage point margin of error for unaffiliated voters. It had a 3.2 percentage point margin of error for likely 2026 voters.
Currently, 49.7% of all active Colorado voters are unaffiliated, a figure that has grown in recent years as political party registration shrinks. By comparison, just 25% of active registered voters are Democrats, and 23% are Republicans. Unaffiliated voters make up the majority of active voters in 21 Colorado counties, including Summit, Grand, Eagle, Garfield, Routt and Pitkin.
Thiry has been heavily involved in efforts to reshape Colorado’s political system in ways that give unaffiliated voters more voice. He was at the forefront of a successful 2016 ballot initiative that opened party primary elections to unaffiliated voters, and a 2018 measure that put redistricting in the hands of independent redistricting commissions, rather than state lawmakers.
Thiry said the results of last month’s poll dispel the theory that the state’s growing unaffiliated electorate is due to the state’s automatic voter registration. The poll found that more than 8 in 10 unaffiliated voters said they chose their status intentionally, rejecting both major parties. Most unaffiliated voters, 54%, also chose to refer to themselves as “independent.”
“Some partisans like to say, ‘Oh, independents are just too lazy, and they like to default to being an independent,” Thiry said during a virtual briefing last week on the poll results. “Not true. Look at the data — 85% of people chose to be an independent. It was a conscious decision.”
Unaffiliated voters who were surveyed said they want Democrats and Republicans to move away from the extreme flanks of their parties. Sixty-four percent said they want Democrats to become more moderate, compared to 65% who want the Republican Party to become more moderate.
When asked which party has become the most extreme, a plurality of unaffiliated voters, 45%, said Republicans, while 36% said Democrats and 14% said both. Despite their dim view of the two political parties, unaffiliated voters still tend to vote for a Democratic or Republican candidate during elections, and usually lean toward Democrats.
Thirty-five percent said they usually or always vote for the Democratic candidate, while 35% said they sometimes vote for a Democrat and sometimes a Republican. Twenty-six percent said they always or usually vote for the Republican.
Thiry is critical of Colorado’s current primary system, in which candidates from the same party compete to be their party’s nominee in a general election, arguing that it gives unaffiliated voters fewer choices, since they must choose to vote in one party’s primary.
In heavily partisan districts, the primary is often the election of consequence, with the winning candidate usually cruising to victory in the general election.
“The current system tends to drive an excessive percentage of candidates who are far-left or far-right, and it is much more difficult for an independent to pick someone who hangs around center-left or center-right,” Thiry said, adding that unaffiliated voters tend to vote for the “person, not the party.”
More than 7 in 10 unaffiliated voters said Congress is dysfunctional, not representative, and their vote doesn’t really matter. A similar number said they are frustrated with how often only a single candidate runs in primary elections.
Unaffiliated voters’ negative view of the political establishment extends from federal offices to the state level. Sixty-two percent view President Donald Trump unfavorably compared to 37% in favor, while 57% view the Colorado Republican Party unfavorably compared to 37% in favor.
They have a 56% unfavorable-to-39 % favorable view of the Colorado Democratic Party and a 48% unfavorable-to-36 % favorable view of the state legislature, which Democrats control.
Chris Keating, who runs the polling firm that conducted the survey, said the “largest defining characteristic of Colorado’s registered independent voters is that they are younger.”
Sixty-six percent of voters aged 18-34 are registered as unaffiliated. Keating’s poll found that the median age of an unaffiliated voter is 42, compared to 49 for Democrats and 54 for Republicans. Keating added that Hispanic active voters and men are slightly more likely to be unaffiliated.
Other findings from the poll include:
- The top three issues for unaffiliated voters in Colorado are housing affordability and the cost of living, taxes, spending and budget issues, and political leadership and polarization
- Fifty-two percent of unaffiliated voters say Colorado is on the wrong track, compared to 41% who say it is heading in the right direction
- Unaffiliated voters trust Republicans significantly more than Democrats when it comes to crime, and slightly more on immigration. They trust Democrats significantly more on issues of education, democracy and voting, the environment and conservation, and slightly more when it comes to inflation and the cost of living
- Sixty percent of unaffiliated voters favor keeping the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights in place as a way of keeping government spending in check and giving voters the final say on tax increases, compared to 26% who say TABOR should be repealed because it prevents the state from adequately funding schools, roads and health care
- In a generic matchup of congressional candidates, 44% of unaffiliated voters said they would vote for the Democratic candidate, compared to 38% who said they would vote for the Republican candidate if the election were held today
- Of 916 likely 2026 voters surveyed, Democrats hold a 14-percentage-point lead in the generic congressional matchup, and Trump’s favorability is minus 27 percentage points
To remedy some voter dissatisfaction and give Coloradans more choice in elections, Thiry advocated for moving to an “open” primary system, in which candidates of all political backgrounds can compete on a single ballot that is open to all voters, regardless of their party affiliation.
“I get accused all the time of wanting to destroy the two-party system — I think they’re doing a great job of destroying it themselves,” Thiry said. “What we’re proposing is to save that, to get them back to where they’re representing the core Americans who are center-left, center-right and center-center.”
Thiry pushed for open primaries in 2024 as part of Proposition 131, which sought to abolish party primaries for congressional races and state elections in favor of an open ballot. The measure would also have instituted ranked-choice voting in general elections for those same races. Unite America, a national nonprofit that Thiry co-chairs, has led similar election reform measures in more than a dozen other states. Still, Proposition 131 was ultimately rejected by voters in Colorado last year.
Curtis Hubbard, a Colorado political strategist who served as a spokesperson for the Proposition 131 campaign, said a post-election assessment found that most voters supported open primaries but were confused by ranked-choice voting.
“When voters are confused, they default to ‘No,’” Hubbard said. “The open primary is something that voters actually like. They like the idea of being able to support candidates, the best candidates, on the ballot regardless of party.”
Proposition 131 was defeated by just over 7 percentage points, with 53.5% of Colorado voters against the measure and 46.5% in favor. Thiry signaled there will be future attempts to revive the effort.
“We got awfully close, despite the complexity of our proposal,” Thiry said. “The reservoir of support was very strong, and going forward, we’re probably going to pay more attention to the fully open primary than ranked choice voting, in the short term.”
State and federal agencies are starting to reopen public lands, state wildlife areas and a segment of the Colorado River that were closed in light of the Snyder Fire in Mesa County.
Stage 2 fire restrictions — banning all open fire or flames, including charcoal grills and wood-burning stoves — remain in effect as extreme fire danger, spurred on by hot and dry conditions, persists across the region.
The Snyder Fire started on Friday, June 26, when several smaller fires burning on the Colorado-Utah border combined. As of July 7, the fire was 98% contained after burning over 30,200 acres and killing three wildland firefighters.
With fire activity decreasing and containment increasing, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Bureau of Land Management shared their plans Tuesday to reopen lands impacted by the wildfire.
Parks and Wildlife said in a news release that it, alongside the Bureau of Land Management, had lifted the closure for public access and downstream recreation on the Colorado River, starting at the James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park in Fruita and extending to the Utah state line. It also reopened the boat ramp at the Fruita section of the James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park in Fruita to downstream traffic.
The state agency’s Horsethief State Wildlife Area in Fruita and the Loma Boat Launch State Wildlife Area also reopened.
The BLM said in a news release that all lands within the perimeter of the Snyder Fire burn area remain closed to ensure public and firefighter safety.
“The burned landscape — including vegetation — remains dynamic and unpredictable as it naturally recovers from the fire impacts. This order is effective immediately and will remain in effect until the order is rescinded,” the BLM said.
Both agencies also warned that fire danger remains extremely elevated and Stage 2 fire restrictions are in place.
A map of current federal and state fire restrictions is available on the Rocky Mountain Area Interagency Fire Restriction Dashboard or by visiting DFPC.Colorado.Gov/sections/wildfire-information-center. The Colorado Trails Explorer (or COTREX) app also has wildfire closure alerts.
Under current conditions, Parks and Wildlife advised the following actions to prevent sparking wildfires:
- Use established rings: Where permitted, only build campfires inside permanent metal fire rings in designated campgrounds.
- Clear nearby debris: Remove all dry grass, leaves and pine needles within a 10-foot radius of any flame.
- Drown and stir: Extinguish fires completely with water, stir the ashes, and ensure the debris is cold to the touch.
- Watch campfires constantly: Never leave a fire or portable stove unattended. If you see an unattended fire, call 911.
- Keep vehicles off brush: Avoid parking or idling cars on tall, dry grass where hot exhaust systems can ignite a fire.
- Secure towing equipment: Ensure trailer safety chains do not drag and spark against asphalt. Check them at every stop.
The BLM added that under its Stage 2 restrictions, smoking is prohibited except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
Gas-powered stoves or grills with a shut-off valve are still allowed in cleared areas under this stage.
Violating Stage 2 fire restrictions by lighting a campfire is a Class 2 misdemeanor. Violators face an immediate citation, a mandatory court appearance, steep fines and potential jail time. Additionally, you can be held financially liable for all fire suppression costs and property damage if the campfire sparks a wildfire.
A weekend ascent of one of Colorado’s most storied peaks turned fatal Sunday. Rocky Mountain National Park officials say a climber died on Kiener’s Route on the upper east face of Longs Peak, the 14,259-foot summit west of Estes Park, per KMGH. Search and rescue teams were alerted early Sunday afternoon; a Teton County helicopter assisted in the recovery, which wrapped up Monday morning.
Authorities have not released the climber’s identity or explained what went wrong, and the investigation is ongoing. More than 70 people have died climbing Longs Peak, the park’s tallest mountain, since the park was founded more than a century ago, per the Coloradoan. Indeed, the very first ascent via Kiener’s Route in 1925 proved fatal, per USA Today. The route—temporarily closed but since reopened—is considered the least technical way up Longs’ steep east face, requiring “intermediate alpine climbing skills” and a day or two of climbing, the outlet reports.
With wildfires burning across many Western states, wildland firefighters gathered Sunday to pay tribute to three of their own who died after they were trapped by flames a week ago.
Emily Barker, Nick Hutcherson and Sydney Watson were remembered as courageous public servants who left a lasting impact on the communities where they worked.
“They showed up to make order out of chaos day after day with purpose, dedication and heart,” U.S. Wildland Fire Service Chief Brian Fennessy said during a memorial service in Grand Junction, Colorado, near where the firefighters died while battling flames on the Colorado-Utah border.
While that fire is now almost entirely contained, nearly 40 large fires are still going strong across the West. Most of the current fires are scattered around Colorado, Utah and New Mexico while there are wildfires in eight other states — from Alaska to Arizona.
Over the holiday weekend, more evacuations in Colorado were ordered across four counties where the Aspen Acres fire had burned about 136 square miles (352 square kilometers) south of Colorado Springs.
The fire had damaged or destroyed more than 200 structures as of Sunday, authorities said. National Guard soldiers were sent in Friday to help with staffing checkpoints on roads near the fire zone.
Months of dry weather and a record lack of snow this past winter in some places along with erratic winds have been fueling the fires.
The three firefighters killed on June 27 in western Colorado were members of a Helitack crew that sometimes drops into remote areas by helicopters.
Barker, Hutcherson and Watson and two others who sustained burn injuries were overcome by flames from fast-moving fires in Mesa County. They had deployed emergency protective shelters, which are considered a “last resort” for firefighters when there is no other way out.
Fennessy, the Wildland Fire Service chief, said Sunday that “the weight of this tragedy is felt way beyond our wildland fire community.”
Photos of the firefighters were set up on the stage at the memorial service alongside flowers and flags.
They worked jobs that require courage, selflessness, strength and heart, said Sarah Fisher, the U.S. Forest Service’s deputy chief for fire and aviation management.
“The work demands long days, heavy burdens and quiet acts of bravery,” she said. “We will remember them, we will honor their legacy and we will carry their light forward.”
Emily Barker
Barker, 38, had so much spirit, and the people around her always strived to be a better person by her presence, said Sarah Brubeck Schnurbusch, a friend and former roommate.
Barker was from Clinton Township, Michigan, and liked hiking, skiing, dirt biking and playing hockey. She loved firefighting.
“I’ve never seen someone so excited to go to work,” Brubeck Schnurbusch said. She added that her friend helped pave the way for many women in the industry.
Barker was a trailblazer, first working as a teacher “shaping young lives,” Fennessy said.
“She didn’t just live in wild places, she helped to shape them, care for them and make them better,” he said.
Nick Hutcherson
Hutcherson, 27, served in the U.S. Navy and had plans to become a physical therapy doctor, according to the Kaibab National Forest in northern Arizona where he was assigned. He was also an active member of the Northern Arizona Deaf and American Sign Language community.
Hutcherson, who was from Glendale, Arizona, “embodied the spirit of public service” Fennessy said.
He was a dedicated practitioner of Muay Thai martial arts who trained in Flagstaff.
His favorite saying was “easy day,” Fennessy said, “because Nick had an uncommon ability to face hard things with optimism, humility and a smile.”
Sydney Watson
Watson, 27, was from Warrior, Alabama, and a graduate of the University of Tennessee Southern, where she was a pitcher on the softball team, the university said.
In 2023, she participated in a program in North Carolina organized by the Women-in-Fire Prescribed Fire Training Exchanges, the group said. In her application, she said she wanted to see more women on the fire line and to learn from other women in the field, the university said.
“From the time she was very young, she knew she wanted to be a firefighter someday,” Fennessy said.
“I have no doubt she inspired many young women to become a firefighter,” he said.
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