Denver, CO
Straw poll shows trouble for Boebert in 4th District but there are still five months to go
FORT LUPTON — Lauren Boebert landed in fifth place in a straw poll conducted at a 4th Congressional District debate this week, a decidedly middle-of-the-pack showing among the nine Republican candidates who showed up for the event.
While the survey of just over 100 Republicans on Thursday at the Fort Lupton Recreation Center is a tiny sliver of the party’s nearly 190,000 registered voters who live in the eastern Colorado district, it did provide an initial peek into the kind of ground game the 37-year-old congresswoman will have to stand up to secure the nomination in a part of the state that doesn’t know her well.
Boebert made headlines last month, and rankled many fellow Republicans, when she announced that she would abandon her largely Western Slope 3rd District seat to run for Congress in the 4th. She was facing a tough battle against a rejuvenated Democratic foe who had nearly beaten her in the last election and was far outraising her in the money game. She also faced a significant challenge from members of her own party in next June’s primary.
Thursday night’s straw poll was the first tangible indication that the welcome mat across the 21 mostly rural counties that make up the district won’t roll out easily for the GOP firebrand.
Boebert admitted as much at the debate, telling the audience that her presence in the race — with her comparatively flush campaign war chest and unrivaled name recognition — in no way added up to a “coronation.”
“I’m here to earn your support, earn your vote,” she said.
Boebert garnered 12 votes in the straw poll, trailing state Rep. Richard Holtorf (17), conservative radio host Deborah Flora (18) and state Rep. Mike Lynch (20). Logan County Commissioner Jerry Sonnenberg, a former state lawmaker, got the most at 22.
The 4th District gathering was one of two debates hosted by the Republican Women of Weld at the Fort Lupton Recreation Center. The other featured three GOP candidates vying to represent Colorado’s newly formed 8th Congressional District.
Democratic political strategist Andy Boian said Boebert is “an opportunistic wannabe” whose attempt to obtain a new congressional seat is already “finished.”
“What last night proved was that Colorado voters are smart, and regardless of party, they take exception to those who wreak havoc and nonsense,” Boian said Friday. “My feeling about CD4 is it is so wrapped in conservative values and ideology, the only option is the most viable Republican to win, and that’s Sonnenberg.”
Sandra Hagen Solin, a GOP political strategist, agreed that Boebert’s district switch will do her no favors with voters who like and respect “those whom they know and have served in various capacities in the district.”
“She will need to overcome that hurdle with the broader primary voter base but she still benefits from her high name recognition and 10 candidates that will split the vote in a plurality-wins race,” she said.
Latino faceoff in November?
Because of the 4th Congressional District’s overwhelmingly Republican-friendly electorate, whoever wins the June GOP primary will more than likely go on to victory in November. But in the 8th District, a swath of suburbs and farmland stretching from Commerce City to Greeley, the outcome is far less certain.
Three Republican contenders — Weld County Commissioner Scott James, state Rep. Gabe Evans and Air Force vet Joe Andujo — sat for their own debate earlier in the evening Thursday. The 8th Congressional District, formed in 2021 and represented by Democrat Yadira Caraveo for just over a year, is nearly evenly split between Democrats, Republicans and independents.
Caraveo, a Thornton pediatrician and former state lawmaker, won the seat in 2022 by fewer than 2,000 votes out of more than 200,000 cast over Republican state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer — a victory many election watchers attributed to the presence of a Libertarian candidate in the race.
The men struck a singularly conservative tone on issues ranging from medical treatments for transgender youth to abortion to immigration to impeachment of President Biden.
“Do I support a law that would stop children from altering their bodies? Yes,” James said of surgeries and other medical interventions that some transgender minors have undergone.
On the topic of impeachment, Evans said an investigation into the “Biden crime family” is warranted.
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” he said.
None of the candidates favored a federal abortion ban, despite Colorado’s Democrat-dominated legislature passing one of the most robust abortion access bills in the country in 2022. All three described themselves as strongly pro-life but said the decision about what restrictions to place on the procedure should be made at the local level.
“That’s where it should have been all along,” Andujo said of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision removing Constitutional protections for abortion and returning the issue to the states.
That’s in marked contrast to Caraveo’s outspoken support for abortion rights.
The 8th district candidates all called for the country’s southern border to be closed, following a record surge of migrants crossing into the United States — thousands of whom have arrived in Denver in recent months, costing the city upward of $35 million so far.
“No. 1, we must secure the border — yesterday,” said James, who noted the impact of deadly fentanyl trafficked into the country. “One illegal crossing is one too many.”
Two of the GOP contenders — Andujo and Evans — are Latino, a factor that could prove decisive in a district that is 40% Latino. Caraveo’s victory in 2022 was attributed by some to Hispanics identifying with her and rallying around her, making her Colorado’s first Latina in Congress.
Evans easily won the straw poll Thursday, garnering 69 votes to James’ 33 and Andujo’s 13.
Boian, the Democratic strategist, said this time around Caraveo is “running on a record, experience and intellect” as opposed to when she was making her national debut two years ago.
“The fact she’s a Latina only benefits her,” he said. “While the end of the first term is the best time to try and unseat an incumbent, I don’t see it happening here.”
Carpetbagger claims
In the 4th Congressional District debate, immigration was also a major topic among the nine Republican candidates vying to win the seat. Businessman Peter Yu, who has unsuccessfully run for Congress and the U.S. Senate in Colorado, said his parents “escaped” China in the late 1960s.
“I owe it to this country that I pay this back,” he said. “It is time to put Americans first.”
Former state lawmaker Ted Harvey took one of the more rigid stances against illegal immigration, saying he would support deporting anyone who had entered the country without authorization in the last two years.
“We need to be honest with them and tell them they can’t come here illegally,” he said.
A moment of levity came when the candidates were asked if they had ever been arrested. Six of nine hands went up. Notably, Lynch this week lost his minority leader role in the Colorado House after his 2022 arrest for DUI came to light recently.
Holtorf told the audience he has been arrested twice for fighting — “because someone needed a little attitude adjustment.”
And of course, Boebert was challenged for her district switch at the end of December. Lynch asked her to define the term “carpetbagger,” a query that drew muted gasps from the audience.
Flora asked Boebert how she could make such a move after she had criticized former Democratic state lawmaker Kerry Donovan for announcing a congressional run in the 3rd District when Donovan didn’t live there.
“Running for office is a calling, not a career move,” Boebert said in 2021. “Perhaps Ms. Donovan should focus on where she lives, works and votes instead of trying to increase her political position by pandering to folks she doesn’t even know.”
Boebert countered that Donovan never intended to move into the 3rd District but that she had already established residency in the 4th. Boebert’s new home is in Windsor.
“The crops may be different in Colorado’s 4th District, but the values aren’t,” she said.
Hagen Solin, the Republican strategist, said Boebert’s conservative bona fides may be just enough to land her on top in June.
“You will see the vast majority of primary voters voting for someone other than Congresswoman Boebert,” she said. “Boebert, however, is well positioned to win the plurality vote given her name recognition that extends across the 4th, unlike that of any of the other candidates.”
Denver, CO
Former case manager details safety, other concerns with Denver homeless shelter as city auditor releases new report
Fear has reached its tipping point for a former case manager at one of Denver’s homeless shelters.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this,” she said. “And I’ve worked in low-income facilities.”
The former case manager shared her experience anonymously with CBS Colorado days after issuing her resignation letter on Nov. 11. She was working for nearly a year at the Tamarac Family Shelter (formerly an Embassy Suites) at 7525 E Hampden Avenue, which is a city shelter run by the Salvation Army.
Her letter of resignation details a lot of the issues and concerns she experienced throughout her time working there.
“When we first got there, the housekeeping was there, and we had housekeeping because of the contract with Embassy Suites wasn’t over,” she said.
However, she says management eventually let housekeeping go, and the facility started to get worse.
“The condition of the building, its falling apart. We have leaks in the ceiling. We have bed bugs in the room. We have roaches,” she said. “The bathrooms are disgusting.”
The former employee shared a collection of photos she says were taken at the shelter. Photos showed dead rats outside the property, trash throughout the shelter and damaged ceilings.
“Just because they came from being homeless, doesn’t mean they need to be treated that way,” she said.
What was even more concerning to her and the clients she worked with was how much they feared for their safety within the facility.
“We’ve been experiencing a lot of domestic violence and there’s a lot of people that threaten us and say, ‘Well, we’re going to do things to your car,’” she said. “We had an individual that her husband kept her in a room and was beating her up and she had from head-to-toe bruises.”
She says despite having some security guards outside the facility, abuses or unauthorized people would still slip through the cracks.
“When the clients will say, I would rather be in the streets than be in here because it’s safer out there than it is in here,” the employee said.
This case manager says she has also spoken up about getting more security added to the facility, including a security door. However, she says the facility’s management team did not address these concerns.
“It’s not in the funding; we can’t do it. We don’t have enough money to do security doors,” she said.
Last week, when CBS Colorado first asked the Salvation Army about these concerns, it issued this statement, “One of the things that’s good about having a working relationship with the City of Denver is that they have high expectations for the safety and cleanliness of our programs. The Salvation Army could not operate the Tamarac location if these allegations were true. The safety of our guests is our highest concern. That’s why we’re here – housing families with children, providing three meals a day and connecting our guests with the services that will strengthen their abilities to thrive on their own. Furthermore, HOST or City of Denver employees are on site most days of the workweek every week. The bottom line is the city would shut us down if we didn’t hold to their high standards of safety.”
This week, however, a spokesperson for the Salvation Army says it’s enlisted independent legal counsel to investigate these concerns. “While the investigation is underway, we will be unable to comment.”
A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Housing Stability released a statement saying the former employee’s claims are largely untrue,” “Department of Housing Stability staff are regularly on-site at the Tamarac Family Shelter, working alongside staff members from The Salvation Army to ensure a safe, welcoming and stabilizing environment for families in crisis.”
These allegations come just as the city auditor released its findings of Denver’s homeless shelter program. The report reveals homeless funding is not being tracked, and safety concerns are not being addressed among other issues. The safety concerns are particularly connected to another shelter run by the Salvation Army on Quebec Street, the Aspen Shelter (formerly a Doubletree Hotel).
“The [homeless] should have a safe haven like they say it is. They should be able to stay there and not worry about their abuses coming in,” the former case manager said.
The report finds that Housing Stability has “ineffective systems for monitoring shelter provider performance,” and that in the case of the former Doubletree location, the city provided a security budget of $807,000 but had not hired a contractor to manage security at the property for several months. It is also the location where two people were shot and killed in March 2024, and a third person was shot and injured weeks later.
The audit also found concerns with Housing Stability’s managing of finances for shelter properties and personal information, “Housing Stability failed to hold providers accountable for their use of city funds. The department received 55% of reviewed invoices past deadline. We found sensitive confidential data was left unprotected in a shared drive that staff in other city agencies could access. Housing Stability stored documents such as birth certificate orders containing contact information and family information of shelter guests. Not protecting confidential information by restricting drive access creates a data security risk.”
“Housing Stability’s poor organization is negatively affecting operations at Denver’s shelters,” said Timothy M. O’Brien, Denver’s auditor. “These issues need to be addressed because vulnerable populations are at risk.”
A spokesperson for the city says the auditor’s report is not an accurate representation of the current state of the city’s shelter system, “Denver’s All in Mile High program has transformed the city’s homelessness resolution system, resulting in the largest decrease in street homelessness on record and positive outcomes both for those experiencing homelessness and the city as a whole. The Auditor’s report on Denver’s shelter system references data and information from more than eight months ago, and is not an accurate representation of the current state of our shelter system. We continue to constantly improve our programs, which is why although we acknowledge the auditor’s findings, it’s important to note that HOST and the City have long been working to improve the system throughout 2024.”
As for the former case manager, she hopes any new information and investigation into concerns at the shelter she worked at and others can help make these facilities better for anyone who works or lives inside them.
“More security for our residents,” she said. “That its clean, and that it’s not falling apart.”
After waiting 10 games due to injury, Vlatko Cancar finally made his return to the Denver Nuggets on November 15. Unfortunately for the 27-year-old, he only played a grand total of three games before suffering an injury again.
To make matters worse, it sounds like Cancar’s knee injury was a serious one. According to Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, Cancar will be out for the foreseeable future.
“Not necessarily (season-ending). It could go a couple different ways. We’re still gathering information, letting the knee calm down a little bit,” Malone said. “So I don’t want to get doom and gloom. But he’s out for the foreseeable future”
Vlatko Cancar weighing options for left knee. Malone: “Not necessarily (season-ending). It could go a couple different ways. We’re still gathering information, letting the knee calm down a little bit. So I don’t want to get doom and gloom. But he’s out for the foreseeable future”
— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) November 21, 2024
Two seasons ago, Cancar played 60 games for the Nuggets and averaged 5.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 48/37/93 shooting from the field. He didn’t play a single game last season due to injury and has only played four games this season due to injury. It’s’ been an incredibly rough two seasons for Cancar with how many major injuries he’s sustained.
“I’m not gonna go into all the details, but some different options will be on the table for Vlatko, and we’ll try to educate him,” Malone said.
Coach Malone gave an update on Vlatko Čančar at Nuggets practice and says “he will be out for the foreseeable future.”
You can feel how bad Malone feels for the bad luck that has gone Vlatko’s way. pic.twitter.com/iBMMlWsUM0
— Katy Winge (@katywinge) November 21, 2024
The Denver Nuggets are still missing Nikola Jokic due to personal reasons, and Aaron Gordon due to a right calf strain. The team has been shorthanded, but still has a record of 8-5.
Nikola Jokic Makes NBA History in Nuggets-Mavericks
Nikola Jokic Makes Strong Russell Westbrook Statement
Latest Update on Denver Nuggets Potentially Signing Ex-Lakers Player
Denver, CO
Things to do this weekend: Denver’s first dog fair will surround you with unconditional love
Denver Dog Fair
Saturday-Sunday. Woof! If the last few weeks have left you panting, why not surround yourself with unconditional love? The first Denver Dog Fair takes place on Nov. 22 and 23 with the promise of unending poochie goodness. There will be dog adoption booths, “celebrity” dogs, performances and tricks, a dog-fashion show, vendors, a dozen food trucks, kids’ bounce house, crafting, and more.
It takes place indoors at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, 25690 E. Quincy Ave. in Aurora, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Tickets: $20, good for both days; 5 and under free. $5 per dog. Price includes all entertainment and activities (minus adoption fees and food/drink). denverdogfair.com
Christkindlmarket and the Mile High Tree
Friday. The annual Mile High Tree at Civic Center park has quickly become a modern classic in Denver, with its 110-foot-tall display of 60,000, color-changing LED lights. Its location next to the annual Christkindlmarket and across from the brightly decorated Denver City & County Building makes it a one-stop shop for free family holiday fun.
At the 24th Christkindlmarket you’ll find local vendors plus Glühwein (mulled spiced wine), German biers and hot chocolate, Bavarian-style pretzels, fresh smoked salmon, Knödel, goulash, Nürnberger sausages, pastries, caramels and European chocolates. The tree’s light-and-music shows run from 5 to 10 p.m. nightly.
The market and tree both open on Friday, Nov. 22, with the market running through Dec. 23. The market is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday; and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. denver.org/milehighholidays/mile-high-tree or christkindlmarketdenver.com
Free ice skating downtown
Through Feb. 2, 2025. Whatever the weather, you can get a bit of holiday fun in by stopping by the popular Downtown Denver Rink. The rink, which basically bisects the 16th Street Mall’s Skyline Park (just outside the Daniels and Fisher Clocktower at 16th and Arapahoe streets), is a public rink where you can rent or bring your own skates.
It’s open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Entry is free; skate rentals are $12 for adults and $9 for kids 12 and under. winterindenver.com/rink
A very merry Denver Christmas Show
Friday-Sunday. You don’t have to be in the market for gifts to get something out of the Denver Christmas Show at the National Western Complex. It’s a family-friendly affair, with Santa visits (and photos), daily storytime and hot cocoa with Mrs. Claus, live music, dancing, and more.
Of course, if you want to pick up some candy or chocolate, local gifts, or holiday decor, that will be right there too (with free gift wrapping), as well as plenty of other vendors. Tickets for the Friday, Nov. 22-Sunday, Nov. 24, event are $14 for 14-and-up, and free for 13-and-under. It runs 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at 4655 Humboldt St. in Denver. denverchristmasshow.com
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.
Originally Published:
Wicked movie review: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande waltz into our hearts in this gravity-defying extravaganza
52-Week Mental Health Journal: Guided Prompts and Self-Reflection to Reduce Stress and Improve Well-Being
Rental home investors poised to benefit as mortgage rates, high home prices sideline buyers in 2025
Where Trump Gained and Harris Lost in New York
Ranking Juan Soto’s free-agent suitors: Which team will sign him? And for how much?
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Where Trump Gained and Harris Lost in New York
Should women serve in combat? Military experts weigh in
South Korea says Russia sent North Korea missiles in exchange for troops
You can sword-fight at this club. But no politics allowed
Massachusetts GOP slams liberal leaders after illegal immigrants accused of child rape arrested by ICE
-
Business1 week ago
Column: OpenAI just scored a huge victory in a copyright case … or did it?
-
Health1 week agoBird flu leaves teen in critical condition after country's first reported case
-
Business5 days agoColumn: Molly White's message for journalists going freelance — be ready for the pitfalls
-
World1 week agoSarah Palin, NY Times Have Explored Settlement, as Judge Sets Defamation Retrial
-
Politics4 days agoTrump taps FCC member Brendan Carr to lead agency: 'Warrior for Free Speech'
-
Science2 days agoTrump nominates Dr. Oz to head Medicare and Medicaid and help take on 'illness industrial complex'
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25739950/247386_Elon_Musk_Open_AI_CVirginia.jpg "Inside Elon Musk’s messy breakup with OpenAI")
Technology4 days agoInside Elon Musk’s messy breakup with OpenAI
-
Lifestyle5 days agoSome in the U.S. farm industry are alarmed by Trump's embrace of RFK Jr. and tariffs
