If you live on the eastside of Aurora, the race for State House District 36 is probably of some interest to you. The district covers much of the city south of East Colfax Avenue and east of Chambers Road. This year, incumbent Democrat Su Ryden is squaring off with Republican Richard J. Bowman. The seat has been a safe one for Democrats in recent years and current Senate President Morgan Carroll held it before running for the Senate in 2008.
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About the Race
Gun debate drawing lines in House District 36
By BRANDON JOHANSSON, Staff WriterVoters in eastern Aurora will see one familiar face and one newcomer when they look at their ballots for House District 36.
Democrat Su Ryden, who has held the seat since 2008, is running for her fourth and final term. Republican Richard Bowman, who is making his first run for elected office, is also seeking the seat.
The district covers much of eastern Aurora running south of East Colfax Avenue and east of Chambers Road. That huge swath of land includes Buckley Air Force Base.
Ryden, who is chairwoman of the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, said her work on veterans’ issues has been her proudest achievement.
In the last session, Ryden helped pass a bill that provides $1 million in state funding for grants directed at helping veterans.
She said she is also focused on making sure that Buckley stays a viable Air Force base and a place where the Air Force wants to expand.
Construction at the base has slowed in recent years after a building boom following the Air Force’s decision to convert Buckley into a full-fledged base more than a decade ago. Last year, the base’s impact on the local economy fell below $1 billion for the first time in decades.
Still, Ryden said, it is important that state lawmakers continue to work with the military to make sure Buckley is a fixture in the local economy for generations.
“There is room for more (construction), so we don’t know what is coming along, but we really want to be positioned to accept new operations,” she said.
Ryden backed some controversial gun-control measures in 2013 and said she stands by her decision to support both the ban on high-capacity magazines and universal background checks for gun sales.
“I think we have done the right thing there,” she said.
Bowman, who works as a controller for a local aircraft firm, said he opted to run for office early this year because of “supreme dissatisfaction” with seemingly everything going on at the state House.
“When I talk to my constituents, they have a strong desire to repeal a lot of bills,” he said.
Bowman, who is an avid shooter and has been active in the local gun rights scene, said repealing the ban on high-capacity magazines is chief among his concerns, and is something he hears complaints about often.
Bowman said he also opposes the universal background check requirement, and thinks there are some fixes that could better keep guns out of the hands of people who aren’t supposed to have them. One of those solutions, Bowman said, is to have every felon’s driver’s license stamped to say they are not allowed to legally posses a gun. Bowman said that would put the onus on the people who aren’t supposed to have guns, not on the law-abiding people looking to sell a firearm.
“It would be a lot simpler,” he said.
As for Buckley, Bowman said he doesn’t see much of a role for a state lawmaker in keeping the base viable beyond lobbying federal officials in support of the base.
House District 36 leans toward Democrats, with about 38 percent of the voters there being registered Democrats compared to 29 percent Republicans.
Bowman said he is hopeful a rough year for Democrats nationally filters down to his house district.
“There is a good chance I may find myself in office,” he said.
Su Ryden Bio
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Richard J. Bowman Bio
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Su Ryden Finance
Su Ryden campaign finance from the Colorado Secretary of State
Richard J. Bowman Finance
Richard Bowman campaign finance from the Colorado Secretary of State
Su Ryden Endorsements
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Richard J. Bowman Endorsements
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