Bennet has had our back – it’s time to return the favor. Vote Bennet in the primary

As we approach summer I could write about traffic congestion, hundreds more potential houses on Lower Verzuh, wind, allergies, the cancelling of the July 4 water fight due to drought concerns,  or wildfire potential. Instead, this week, I’ll touch on regional politics that could impact us locally…

Your state primary ballot is sitting on the counter and must be returned by June 30, so just pick it up today, fill it out and send it back before you forget.

Take care of your people and they’ll take care of you.

—A cornerstone of successful military philosophy

Growing up in the Midwest, that value was part of the culture. It wasn’t meant to make people blindly loyal, but it was logical that you should support those that have supported you.

Candidate for Colorado governor, Michael Bennet has had our back. Now is the time to have his.

Normally I don’t take a stand in the paper over political primaries. But in Colorado this year the Republicans are supporting a literal clown car of candidates running for governor. They are understandably the butt of national jokes on shows like the Daily Show and John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight. They are waaaaaaay out there. Google them. So, I would think that whoever wins the Democratic primary for governor has a good shot at being the next governor of our state.

Given the alternatives out there, either Michael Bennet or Phil Weiser would be magnitudes better than the GOP choices who top the crazy meter. Wipe away the inevitable mud that comes with a tight campaign, and both Bennet and Weiser are solid, practical and experienced politicians that could comfortably sit in the governor’s seat. I like positions espoused by both. Each say they will stand up to Donald. But Bennet has proven on-the-ground, our literal ground, that he has our back. We should have his in this primary.

Bennet is a proven protector of public lands and if there’s one thing we all embrace as part of our identity in this county and in this state, it is public land. It is a core value of Colorado and Gunnison County. On the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection (GORP) Act, Bennet is a leader that has kept his word to us. As a U.S. Senator he said he would sponsor legislation protecting our surrounding public lands if the community gathered a wide variety of stakeholders and came up with a plan. It took many, many years, and countless meetings but with ranchers and bikers, hunters and recreationists (motorized and otherwise), we did. And then he followed through. Bennet along with Senator John Hickenlooper and Republican Congressman Jeff Hurd, introduced the bipartisan GORP Act legislation in 2025.

Based on a guiding principle of finding appropriate balance between recreational, wildlife, ecological, economic, cultural, scientific, wilderness and scenic values of public lands, GORP is reflection of our community values. It shows how working together, across the aisle with people of differing priorities, can find compromise that benefits the overall community. Bennet has indicated he not only appreciates how Gunnison County tackles problems, but he also uses our working model as a template for other issues. He has been an integral part of our problem-solving group and understands how we work.

With Red Lady, Bennet helped work the wheels of the federal government to take part in a land swap between the U.S. Forest Service and the mining company. He worked to protect Mt. Emmons under Biden’s Thompson Divide protection. He got his hands dirty and that work helped end the decades-long battle over mining on Red Lady. He focused on our backyard.

When Utah Senator Mike Lee suggested selling public lands, Bennet stepped up. He is a fierce opponent of getting rid of public lands. That is important to all of us here.

He has helped secure funding for our valley’s mass transit system, understands the growing affordability issues in resort towns, is bold with climate mitigation, and has not just a legal, academic and government background, but practical administrative experience to tackle the issues we will no doubt see coming at Colorado in the next several years.

Looking online, it is clear Bennet “built his executive and administrative experience in both the public and private sectors, most notably serving as superintendent of Denver Public Schools and chief of staff to Denver mayor John Hickenlooper. He worked in the private sector as the former managing director at an investment company. He drew on this business and corporate restructuring background—which requires careful problem diagnosis and targeted financial strategies—to shape his approach to public policy.”

He’s done it in D.C. and now wants to do it in Colorado. I’m guessing problem diagnosis and targeted financial strategies will be needed in the next many years in Colorado as this has been the case for the last several years.

Bennet is pragmatic, practical and genuinely knows Crested Butte and Gunnison County. He has walked our public lands, was instrumental in protecting Red Lady and continues to work across the aisle to get GORP passed through Congress. He has had our back — and now it is time we have his.

Vote for Bennet in this primary battle before June 30.

—Mark Reaman