One vote can make a difference. Please do your part.
I am a Republican. I served in the U.S. Congress for 10 years. I am ashamed and horrified at the elected officials who currently call themselves Republicans or conservatives. They have hijacked the party of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan.
For that reason, many have decided to become unaffiliated voters. I understand.
In Colorado, we are fortunate that unaffiliated voters can vote in either primary. This primary election is one of the most important in our state, and in our history. By June 28 we need to decide what we want in our U.S. representative serving the Western Slope.
Do we want to elect someone who celebrates brutality as a sign of strength? Uses violent language as a political tool? Has a brazen disregard for the truth, for facts, for science, for the rule of law?
These behaviors have become normalized among many Republican members of Congress — including Lauren Boebert. All are fatal to our democracy.
One day, when I was out campaigning for reelection, I extended my hand to a gentleman while asking for his vote. He held onto my hand, looked me in the eye, and said, “I don’t agree with you on all of your policies, but you have my vote.”
He let go of my hand and I asked him why he was going to vote for me if he didn’t agree. He replied, “Because I trust you. I trust you will work hard for all the people.”
Are you sick of all the lies, the exaggerations, the false accusations?
Where is the trust, the truth, the civility, the respect for this highest of offices? Sure, we had a president that led the pied pipers down a path of conspiracies and lies. But that doesn’t mean we needed to follow.
I believe in the goodness of all people. In Colorado, we cannot continue to be ashamed and embarrassed and have a member of Congress who does not even have the respect of her own colleagues, not to mention the other party. She will never be able to deliver for our state, or provide the services that individual Coloradans may need.
We are so very fortunate that we have a Republican candidate in the primary who has integrity. I don’t agree with Don Coram’s policies either, but I trust him!
I trust that he will continue to do what he has done for his constituents in the Colorado Senate for the last 10 years — he will work hard, solve constituent problems, tackle national policies in a collaborative way. And he will continue to be not a politician, but what he has always been — a public servant!
This primary election is critical.
I believe Don Coram can and will make a difference. I believe he will do what is right.
The 147 congressional Republicans who denied the rightful outcome of this election are being proven wrong. It’s time for our party to reinvent itself by pivoting and electing people we can trust.
We can start by participating in this primary and voting for Don Coram. One vote does make a difference. It could spell the dismantling of our democracy, or a reset to a future of progress.
Please do your part.
Claudine Schneider served as a Republican in Congress from 1981 to 1991.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: One vote can make a difference. Please do your part.
