

2022 DEALER VOTER GUIDE
Turning Colorado’s blue politics back to purple is a worthy CADA election wish
Moving into the midterm elections, new car dealers face big pressures: Supply chain problems; inflation, including high gasoline prices; and elected officials and regulators intent on threatening individuals’ freedom to drive as they wrestle with air pollution. For Colorado’s auto industry, these issues make upcoming legislative races critical.
CADA may appear to favor Republicans, but also has great relationships with some Democrats. What matters is whether people are willing to listen to dealer concerns and collaborate to achieve workable solutions.
Our active slate of Legislative Grassroots Meetings (LGMs) has been the best and most visible vehicle for building these allimportant relationships. They’ll continue through the election cycle and into the legislative session that begins in January. As the old saying goes, “It’s a journey, not a destination,” and the journey never ends. Red or blue less important than POV Looking at the election through a party lens is easy, but according to CADA Chair Brent Wood, party politics matter less than “alignment with our industry and our issues.”
Tim Van Binsbergen, CADA’s Legislative Policy Committee chair, has a wish list for candidate qualities:
• Tough on crime, since Colorado ranks number 1 in the country for auto theft.
• Understands we need immediate infrastructure for EVs coming into the marketplace.
• Able to implement solutions for low- to middle-income families to afford EVs.
• Will define and identify solutions to help curb the cost of living.
The Colorado Department of Transportation is proposing revised 10-year goals that deemphasize road expansion, while favoring mass transit and other transportation alternatives. New car dealers need to elect
partners to counteract “the war on cars” waged by environmentalists and regulators. “It’s difficult to have the quality of life we’re used to in Colorado without driving a car,” says Van Binsbergen. “The pathway out of poverty is to have a vehicle. Statistics show having a vehicle means making more money. It’s the perspective of CADA and the general public that they want to get from Point A to Point B without frustration and anxiety. We need candidates with vision beyond their noses.” Also, rapidly building out the electric charging infrastructure is critical if there’s to be a shift to EVs.
Balance is a good thing — and possible CADA VP of Legal, Regulatory & Compliance Matthew Groves, sees “some real optimism in the GOP … and if it happens, it’s possible we could have better success in the legislature than in other years.” Both State House and Senate have been in Democratic hands since 2018.
The State House of Representatives will likely stay Democratic in 2023, according to Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck and CADA Lobbyist Mike Feeley. “Republicans could close the gap but it’s unlikely they’ll take over.” Even so, gaining four to five more seats would improve GOP committee representation.
Groves and Feeley agree Republicans could win the Senate. Early on, three more seats were needed, but Sen. Kevin Priola’s switch from Republican to Democrat makes flipping the Senate tougher. “Winning four instead of three is far more difficult,” Feeley says.
The prognosticators agree the best GOP opportunities include:
District 3. Republican Stephen Varela faces Nick Hinrichsen, who was appointed to fill a vacancy last year.
District 4. Western Jefferson, Douglas and some mountain counties. GOP’s Mark Baisley has registration advantage over Jeff Ravage.
District 8. Western Slope & mountains. Democrat Dylan Roberts vs. Republican Matt Solomon. This is a fairly competitive race, according to Feeley.
District 11. El Paso County. Incumbent Democrat Dennis Hisey faces Tony Exum Sr. Feeley describes both as “moderate.”
District 20. Jeffco. Democrat Lisa Cutter “has a small statistical advantage” over Matt Walsh. “Both are decent people auto dealers ought to be able to work with,” Feeley says.
District 27. Arapahoe County. Incumbent Democrat Tom Sullivan versus Tom Kim. Arapahoe County has trended from strongly Republican to moderate in recent years.
State and federal offices grabbing attention Statewide races are important, too. Gov. Jared Polis is almost unassailable, according to Feeley. He sees two races as important for dealers: Attorney General, where incumbent Democrat Phil Weiser is facing unexpectedly strong opposition from Arapahoe DA John Kellner, and Secretary of State where Republican Pam Anderson is running a strong race against incumbent Democrat Jenna Griswold.
On the federal level, the U.S. Senate race between Michael Bennet and Joe O’Dea has become more competitive, yet leans toward Bennet. Incumbent Congressional representatives DeGette, Crow, Boebert, Neguse, Buck and Lamborn are likely to hold their seats. In District 7, Democrat Brittany Pettersen holds a slight edge over Republican Erik Aadland. The biggest tossup is between Democrat Yadira Caraveo and Barbara Kirkmeyer in District 8, where both parties are heavily spending.
Groves said achieving a balanced legislature and an even party split between Coloradans and Congress “would be a good day for dealers.”
2022
Ballot Initiatives
While previous years have been marked by contentious — and sometimes consequential — ballot initiatives that usually forecast the outcome of partisan elections, this year’s slate of topical issues seems to pale by comparison. There are 11 ballot issues this year: Six citizen-led initiatives and five referred by the legislature.
Of the five referred by the legislature, three are constitutional and two are statutory. The difference between those modifying the state constitution and those modifying statutes is the statutory votes can pass at 50 percent plus 1, or a simple majority.
Constitutional votes require a 55 percent threshold to successfully pass. According to Ballotpedia, the historical approval rate for ballot measures in even-numbered years (when turnout is higher) is 45.7 percent.
It’s likely only two or three of this year’s measures will catch your eye as an auto dealer. Three are lumped together under the ‘tax’ umbrella and offered by opposing groups on the same issue.
Proposition FF “reduces the allowable state income tax deductions, while creating and funding the Healthy School Meals for All Program.” This will create revenue by reducing the overall amount of tax deductions eligible for taxpayers earning more than $300,000. The cap for single filers will go from $30,000 to $12,000. The cap for joint filers will go from $60,000 to $16,000. This could mean an additional $44,000 in state taxes for a couple making more than $300,000. CADA strongly OPPOSES this amendment.
Proposition GG likewise “requires a table showing changes in income tax owed for average taxpayers in certain brackets to be included in the ballot title and fiscal summary for any citizen initiative that would increase or decrease the income tax rate.” Supporters say this will increase transparency, while
opponents complain the legislature should keep its hands off the citizen initiative process. The bill to put this proposition on the ballot passed 40-22, largely along party lines. CADA is NEUTRAL on this amendment.
Proposition 121 — a citizen initiative — reduces the state income tax rate from 4.55 to 4.4 percent, beginning in tax year 2022. This is led by the Independence Institute and includes C corporations within the deduction. Opposition to this proposition is still in the formative phase. CADA SUPPORTS this amendment.
Proposition 122 — Perhaps the most impactful for a state that’s already riddled with crime and leading the nation in both auto and catalytic converter theft, this proposition creates a natural medicine services program for psychedelic substances.
While craftly worded to avoid arousing suspicion, make no mistake: This proposition is all about legalizing the distribution and use of psychedelic mushrooms and psychoactive ‘medicines’ statewide.
These substances are currently classified as Schedule I drugs under state law — which means they’re considered the most dangerous, have no medical purpose and have the highest potential for abuse. Proponents have raised nearly $3 million, 99 percent of which has come from out of state. CADA strongly OPPOSES this amendment, as similar legalization proposals have led to downtown Denver’s dramatic deterioration.
Other initiatives and propositions address liquor licenses, wine sales, judicial districts and gambling — all of which are outside of CADA’s purview. If you have questions on your ballot or want more information on any of the above topics, please contact Matthew Groves matthew.groves@ colorado.auto or Tim Jackson tim.jackson@colorado. auto.
District 1 Javier Mabrey Candidate
Guillermo Diaz Candidate
District 2 Steven Woodrow Denver
Stephanie Wheeler Candidate
District 3 Meg Froelich Arapahoe
Marla Fernandez Candidate
District 4 Serena Gonzales-GutierrezDenver
Jack Daus Candidate
District 5 Alex Valdez Denver
Johnnie Johnson Candidate
District 6 Elisabeth Epps Candidate Donald Howell Candidate
District 7 Jennifer Bacon Denver
District 8 Leslie Herod Denver
Hilleary Waters Candidate
District 9 Emily Sirota Arapahoe, Denver
Tom Cowhick Candidate
District 10 Edie Hooton Boulder
William DeOreo Candidate
District 11 Karen McCormick Boulder
Tara Menza Candidate
District 12 Tracey Bernett Boulder
Anya Kirvan Candidate
District 13 Julie McCluskie Delta, Gunnison, Lake, Pitkin, Summit
David Buckley Candidate
District 14 Rob Rogers Candidate Rose Pugliese Candidate
District 15 Alvin Sexton Candidate Scott Bottoms Candidate
District 16 Stephani Vigil Candidate Dave Donelson Candidate District 17 Regina English Candidate Rachel Stovall Candidate District 18 Marc Snyder El Paso
Shana Black Candidate District 19 Dan Woog Weld
Jennifer Parenti Candidate
SB 21-260 – Sustainability of the Transportation System
Of the bills that passed through Colorado’s Capitol in 2021, CADA tracked each state legislator’s vote on four bills that affected Colorado’s franchised new car dealers. Because the bill number is identified by number alone, here is a brief description for each. CADA’s position appears as a green or red dot next to the bill number.
A highly acclaimed bill, this legislation sought to provide $4.4 billion in long-term funding for transportation after several failed attempts to do so in previous years. While there were parts of this bill that didn’t appeal to dealers— and time may have vetted out that spending this money has been almost evenly split from roads and bridges to public transportation — CADA SUPPORTED this bill.
HB 21-1266 – Environmental Justice Disproportionate Impacted Community
What started as Senate Bill 200 and was watered down into HB 1266, this bill was a hallmark for the environmental justice community. It created added fee-based enterprises to raise funds for more fulltime government employees who will serve as “ombudsmen” in environmental policy agencies. It places extra outreach
District 20 Tracey Johnson Candidate
Don Wilson Candidate
District 21 Mary Bradfield El Paso
Kolten Montgomery Candidate
District 22 Blake Garner Candidate
Kenneth DeGraaf Candidate
District 23 Monica Duran Jefferson
Fred Clifford Candidate
District 24 Lindsey Daugherty Jefferson
Distrct 24 Bill Patterson Candidate
District 25 Tammy Story Candidate
Colin Larson Candidate
District 26 Meghan Lukens Candidate Savannah Wolfson Candidate
District 27 Brianna Titone Jefferson
Christina Carlino Candidate
District 28 Leanne Emm Candidate
Dan Montoya Candidate
District 29 Shannon Bird Adams
Vanessa DeMott Candidate
District 30 Chris Kennedy Jefferson
Russ Carter Candidate
District 31 Said Sharbini Candidate Heidi Pitchforth Candidate
District 32 Dafna Michaelson Jenet Adams
Justin Brown Candidate
District 33 William Lindstedt Candidate Stacie Dougherty Candidate
District 34 Jenny Willford Candidate Kevin Allen Candidate
District 35 Adrienne Benavidez Adams
Craig Jones Candidate
District 36 Mike Weissman Arapahoe
William Walters Candidate
District 37 Ruby Dickson Candidate Paul Archer Candidate
District 38 David Ortiz Arapahoe
Jaylen Mosqueira Candidate
District 39 Eric Brody Candidate Brandi Bradley Candidate
District 40 Naquetta Ricks Arapahoe
requirement on all policymaking efforts and requires agencies to disseminate the impact of their regulations on disproportionally impacted communities. While the policy ideas are sound, raising and spending money, along with additional greenhouse gas requirements, caused CADA to OPPOSE this bill.
of Representatives
SB21-076 – Fund Electronic Thirdparty Vehicle Transactions
Two years after authorizing an electronic vehicle registration program, this bill allowed the Governor’s office to dedicate state funds to getting it off the ground. Consumers could then opt into an electronic registration process — and skip the DMV trip. It will simplify registration and ease lien perfection issues for dealers. CADA SUPPORTED this effort.
HB 21-1327 – State and Local Tax Parity Act for Businesses
This bill lets pass-through entities, such as S corporations and partnerships, to withhold the same amount of state and local taxes paid as C corporations. CADA SUPPORTED this bill, which resolved a discrepancy in Colorado law that permitted different business tax treatment, based on the type of organization.
Le Sellers Candidate
District 41 Iman Jodeh Arapahoe
Stephanie Hancock Candidate
District 42 Mandy Lindsay Candidate Cory Parella Candidate
District 43 Robert Marshall Candidate Kurt Huffman Candidate
District 44 Bob Henry Candidate Anthony Hartsook Candidate
District 45 Ruby Martinez Candidate Lisa Frizell Candidate
District 46 Tisha Mauro Candidate
Jonathan Ambler Candidate
District 47 Edwin Ormiston Candidate Ty Winter Candidate
District 48 Spring Erickson Candidate Gabe Evans Candidate
District 49 Judy Amabile Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Grand, Jackson
Kathryn Lehr Candidate
District 50 Mary Young Weld
Ryan Gonzalez Candidate District 51 Hugh McKean Larimer
District 52 Cathy Kipp Larimer
Deborah Vicino Candidate District 53 Andrew Boesenecker Candidate Donna Walter Candidate
District 54 Matt Soper Delta, Mesa
Alice Marie Slaven-EmondCandidate
District 55 Damon Davis Candidate Rick Taggart Candidate
District 56 Rod Bockenfeld Adams, Arapahoe
Kathleen Conway Candidate
District 57 Perry Will Garfield, Moffat, Rio Blanco
Elizabeth Velasco Candidate
District 58 Marc Catlin Dolores, Montezuma, Montrose, San Miguel
Kevin Kuns Candidate
District 59 Barbara McLachlan Archuleta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, La Plata, Ouray, San Juan
Shelli Shaw Candidate
District 60 Stephanie Luck Fremont, Otero, Pueblo
Kathryn Green Candidate
District 61 Eliza Hamrick Candidate Dave Woolever Candidate
District 62 Matthew Martinez Candidate Carol Riggenbach Candidate
District 63 Richard Holtorf Baca, Bent, Crowley, Elbert, Kiowa, Las Animas, Lincoln, Prowers, Washington
District 64 Richard Webster Candidate Ryan Armagost Candidate
District 65 Mike Lynch Larimer, Weld
Lisa Chollet Candidate
District
District
District
District
District
District
District
Byron Pelton Candidate
Nick Hinrichsen Candidate Stephen Varela Candidate
Mark Baisley (R) Douglas, Teller
Jeff Ravage Candidate
Janice Rich (R) Mesa
David Stahlke Candidate
Paul Lundeen El Paso
Arik Dougherty Candidate
Dennis Hisey Clear Creek, El Paso, Fremont, Park, Teller
Tony Exum, Sr. (D) El Paso
Rob Woodward Larimer
Janice Marchman Candidate
Lisa Cutter (D) Jefferson
Tim Walsh Candidate District
Jessie Danielson Jefferson
Colby Dreschel Candidate
Kyle Mullica (D) Adams
Courtney Potter Candidate
Faith Winter Adams
Melody Peotter Candidate
Tom Sullivan (D) Arapahoe
Tom Kim Candidate
District
Kevin Van Winkle (R) Douglas
Braeden Miguel Candidate
Robert Rodriguez Denver
Dean Flanders Candidate
Julie Gonzales (D) Denver
Rod Pelton (R) Cheyenne, Kit Carson, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Yuma
Travis Nelson Candidate
