Boulder County’s three Commissioner districts

Boulder County Commissioners serve as the executive board for Boulder County. The three-person Board casts binding votes on county ordinances and resolutions, and oversees key County departments such as the Sheriff’s Office, County Clerk and Recorder, Treasurer, Housing and Human Services, Transportation, Public Health, Parks and Open Space, and others. Boulder County is divided into three geographic districts, and each of the three Commissioners must reside in the district that they’re running in, but all County voters can vote for candidates running in all districts. Commissioners serve staggered four-year terms, and in 2020 there will only be elections in Districts 1 and 2. Commissioners are limited to two four-year terms in office. Both the current District 1 Commissioner Elise Jones and the District 2 Commissioner Deb Gardner are term-limited, so there will be two entirely new Commissioners in 2021.

DISTRICT 1

Claire Levy, Democratic: Levy earned a juris doctor degree from Case Western Reserve University, and went on to work in public law as a deputy public defender in the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office, and with the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office. She has also worked as an attorney in private practice. In 2006, she was elected to represent House District 13 in the Colorado House of Representatives, and served in the House from 2007 until 2013. While in the House, she served as Vice Chair of the Joint Budget Committee, Chair of House Appropriations and House Judiciary, and Speaker Pro Tem. She resigned from the House to take the position of Executive Director of the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, and held this position from 2013 until 2019.

According to her campaign website, her three major objectives as a Commissioner are to:

  • Increase access to affordable housing by implementing the Boulder County Regional Housing Partnership.
  • Advance renewable energy, energy efficiency and access to non-carbon based transportation options.
  • Make Boulder County more welcoming to people of color and other people who are marginalized.

https://claireforbouldercounty.org/

Cinda Kochen, Republican

Kochen has a Ph.D. in teaching reading, and has taught at levels between preschool and graduate level in college. She is a published co-author of “The Baby Swim Book: A TLC Approach for Teaching Your Child To Swim,” which has been used internationally as a textbook. She served as a liaison to two Democrats and two Republicans in the Colorado state legislature, and served as the Vice President of the Boulder Valley Education Association.

According to Kochen’s website, her top objectives include:

  • Addressing the affordable housing crisis, but by empowering the private sector in this effort rather than relying on the government.
  • Addressing climate change, but not by “tying the hands of big companies and filing expensive, drawn-out lawsuits.” She supports localized, individual actions, and is interested in competitions and incentives for climate actions.
  • Addressing social equity, and says that by “promoting equity in a way that brings us together rather than divides us, all the other areas become much easier to solve. I have worked as an equity trainer and conducted restorative justice sessions.”

https://www.kochen2020.com/

Richard’s Take: Vote Levy. Levy’s got gigantic experience in law and policy, vastly more than this short section could do justice. The phrase “hit the ground running” is a cliché, but Levy will truly enter office ready for action, since she’s worked at high levels on state and local issues for decades.

DISTRICT 2

Marta Loachamin, Democratic: Loachamin is a bilingual real estate professional and teacher. She coordinated a climate resiliency grant program through the City of Longmont. She developed a Colorado State Based Standards approved curriculum for  Spanish for Spanish Speakers, created new Professional Development guidance for all St. Vrain Valley School District educators on financial literacy, and served on the Niwot High School Safety Committee. This is Loachamin’s first run for elected office.

Her objectives include:

  • Addressing social equity and justice in Boulder County, including in the financial services systems.
  • Supporting “resilient” climate action strategies.
  • Ensuring that more voices are heard by the Board of County Commissioners.

https://marta2020.org/

James Crowder, Republican: Crowder has lived in Boulder County since 1978, and started his existing small business Crowder Mortgage in 1984. His highlighted top campaign values include affordable housing available to people of a wide range of income levels, better maintenance of county roads, and “better governance” described in part as smaller government by which the government would focus on core areas such as transportation, but step away from other areas like housing so the private sector can do the work, in theory allowing for lower taxes.

https://crowder4commissioner.com

Richard’s Take: Vote Loachamin. Loachamin has really worked to grow as a candidate for this office, and takes quite seriously her potential role as a representative for diverse and underserved communities in Boulder County.