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Citizen engagement is crucial in sustaining America’s experiment in representative democracy, and voting in an election is not just any ritual. Encapsulated in that act is often the purest expression of a people’s ability to choose their leaders, exactly the kind of freedom denied to so many in other parts of the world.

As a public service, we compiled this primary voter guide for the 2022 elections. This guide focuses on contested primary races, whose outcome will ultimately decide the contours – and decisions – of our executive and legislative bodies. 

A few dates to remember:

June 6 – First day that mail-in ballots are sent to voters.

June 20 – Last day for an individual to submit a voter registration application and still get a ballot in the mail

June 28 – Primary election day. The polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  

We hope that you find this guide informative and useful. If there are any errors, please don’t hesitate contact editors Luige del Puerto at luige.delpuerto@coloradopolitics.com and Pat Poblete at pat.poblete@coloradopolitics.com. 

STATE TREASURER

Chief custodian of the state’s treasury and the state’s head banker; also, a non-voting member of the Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association

Democrats: 1,069,637 Republicans: 956,294 Unaffiliated: 1,682,574 Total active voters: 3,775,931

Both incumbent Treasurer Dave Young and his challenger, Republican Lang Sias, are unopposed in their respective primaries.

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

Dave Young

• Party: Democrat 
• Phone: 970-573-6302
• Email: dave@daveyoungforcolorado.com
• Website: https://www.daveyoungforcolorado.com/
• Mailing address: P.O. Box 58, Greeley 80632-0058
• Twitter: @DaveYoungCO
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaveYoungForColorado
• Instagram: @daveyoungforco
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in mathematics, Colorado State University; Master’s degree in information & learning technologies, University of Colorado-Denver

What are your top three priorities if elected? 

My top priority if re-elected is to ensure the success of the Colorado Secure Savings Program (CSSP). CSSP will allow one million Coloradans working in the private sector to save for a sustainable and dignified retirement, while saving taxpayers nearly $18 billion over the next 15 years. Second is to return over $1 billion in unclaimed property to the people of Colorado. So far in my term, we have returned over $143 million in unclaimed property to almost 90,000 Coloradans. We accomplished this by clearing the backlog of claims, simplifying the claims process, and launching a program that proactively returns funds. And third is to continue to build on the CLIMBER program, which helps local businesses recover from the pandemic and fight inflation. The program invests nearly $250 million in small business loans to ensure companies can keep staff, raise wages, and keep their doors open. 

What experience has prepared you for office? 

I have spent the past three years serving as Treasurer. I successfully kept Colorado taxpayers’ money safe through a very difficult economic downturn, saved taxpayer money by managing our debt in a responsible and secure way, and beat state investment benchmarks.  I successfully launched programs to help Coloradans retire, return unclaimed property, and protect our small businesses. I supported our Colorado K-12 students and school districts by providing financing to repair or replace dangerous school buildings, and by providing interest-free loans to keep school districts solvent. I have also served as the trustee of the Public Employees Retirement Association that has had very successful returns the past three years, paving the way for our public sector employees to have a sustainable and dignified retirement.  Before my first term as Treasurer, I served on the Joint Budget Committee for four years, working in a bipartisan way to create and balance the state’s nearly $30 billion budget. This process is critical to ensuring that the State’s budget reflects the values of our community, and addresses funding issues to positively impact the lives of Coloradans.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

Lang Sias

• Party: Republican
• Phone: 720-727-1575
• Email: siasforcoloradotreasurer@gmail.com
• Website: https://siasforcolorado.com/
• Mailing address: PO Box 2646, Denver 80205
• Twitter: @LangSias
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/siascotreasurer
• Instagram: @siascotreasurer
• Education: Bachelor’s degree, Vassar College; Master’s degree, London School of Economics; Law degree, University of Michigan Law School

What are your top three priorities if elected?

Fight inflation by restoring balance to statewide economic leadership. Single-party control of our state government has driven costs sky-high for Colorado families and small businesses. Colorado’s inflation rate now exceeds the national average, Denver is now the fifth least affordable city in the nation, and Colorado has dropped from #11 to #29 on CNBC’s list of “Business Friendly States.” This affordability crisis happened on the incumbent’s watch and was driven by his party’s unsustainable agenda. It’s time for a change. I will serve as a friend of taxpayers—an advocate for transparency, accountability and common-sense economic policies. Families and small businesses must live within their means, and so should our state government. Stand up for taxpayers’ right to vote on tax increases and to receive the tax refunds due under our state constitution—a position the incumbent has opposed. As a member of the board of Colorado’s public pension system (PERA), continue working to preserve and protect PERA for its nearly 600,000 members, while treating taxpayers fairly.   

What experience has prepared you for office? 

Small Business

I grew up with a small manufacturing business in the basement, and my first job was sweeping the floors. I experienced first-hand how small businesspeople devote themselves to creating value, and to supporting their employees. Later, as an attorney at one of the nation’s top law firms, I helped technology entrepreneurs grow businesses, and secure financing through private and public markets. These experiences gave me a gut-level admiration for the people who build the bedrock of our economy, as well as an understanding of how government can help and hinder business development.

Military

I have a passion for public service, demonstrated by twenty-seven years of active duty and reserve service as a fighter pilot in the Navy and Air National Guard, as a TOPGUN instructor, and as a veteran of multiple overseas deployments.

Legislature

As a state legislator, I was the ranking member on the business committee, served on the tax simplification task force, education committee, public health committee, and health exchange oversight committee. In dealing with a wide range of business, tax, budget and regulatory issues, my focus was largely on transparency, accountability and fiscal discipline. I always supported taxpayers’ right to vote on tax increases. I am also proud that, despite serving in the minority party, I still managed to find common ground with legislators across the aisle and get good legislation passed, including in education, healthcare and pension reform. PERA. While in the legislature, I was a strong supporter of bipartisan pension reforms that averted a disaster for PERA members, taxpayers, and the state, when they passed in 2018. The reforms have succeeded in putting PERA on a better trajectory, although challenges remain. The incumbent voted against the reforms. For approximately the last three years, I have served on the legislative subcommittee overseeing PERA, and have remained deeply involved in oversight and ongoing reforms. I have repeatedly advocated for the legislature to uphold its commitments to PERA members and taxpayers. 

Editor’s note: Registration numbers came from the Secretary of State’s database as of May 1, 2022