Weekly Email 6/8/26

Telluride Ski Mt, CO

Dear Restore the Balance Community,

The June 30 primary is three weeks away. Ballots are in the mail as of today. And this week, we're giving you one more tool to make an informed decision. Full responses from the candidates are linked at the top of each section.  

A Reminder for Unaffiliated Voters

If you are registered as unaffiliated, you will receive two ballots in the mail, one for each party. You must return only ONE. Returning both will disqualify your vote entirely.

Check your registration and ballot here.

Topic of the Week: RTB 2026 Candidate Ratings

Each election cycle, RTB sends questionnaires to primary candidates, both Democratic and Republican, for local and state races. Our volunteer committee of RTB Board members and citizen volunteers reviews the responses and scores them based on candidates' alignment with RTB's eight principles and their qualifications to serve.

This year, questionnaires were sent to eight candidates. Only two responded by the given deadline. Late submissions were accepted without penalty for the sake of voters' information. Three candidates did not respond at all to our questionnaire.

The full report was published in the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel on Saturday, May 28, and is available in full on the RTB website here. Here is a summary of results by race:

Colorado U.S. House CD3 — Republican Primary

Ron Hanks — Score: 43.4 Ron Hanks is a retired U.S. Air Force intelligence officer with 32 years of service who previously served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 2021 to 2023. He responded to the RTB questionnaire. His full responses are available here, and his campaign website is here. 

Jeff Hurd — Score: 0 Jeff Hurd is the incumbent U.S. Representative for Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, serving since January 2025. He is a Grand Junction attorney and a graduate of Notre Dame and Columbia Law School. He did not respond to the RTB questionnaire; therefore receiving a score of zero. His campaign website is here. 

Colorado U.S. House CD3 — Democratic Primary

Alex Kelloff — Score: 78.9 Alex Kelloff is a fourth-generation Coloradan and businessman who co-founded Armada Skis and has worked in telecommunications, investment banking, and rural broadband infrastructure. He responded to the RTB questionnaire. His full responses are available here, and his campaign website is here. 

Dwayne Romero — Score: 64.8 Dwayne Romero is a West Point graduate, Bronze Star recipient, and Army veteran who has served as Aspen City Councilman, Aspen School District Board President, and Colorado Economic Development Director under Governor Hickenlooper. He submitted a late response to the RTB questionnaire, which was accepted. His full responses are available here, and his campaign website is here. 

Mesa County Clerk and Recorder — Republican Primary

Bobbie Gross — Score: 92.7 Bobbie Gross is the incumbent Mesa County Clerk and Recorder, serving since 2021. She is a certified election official and holds a national certification as an Election Registration Administrator. She responded to the RTB questionnaire. Her full responses are available here, and her campaign website is here. 

Abigail Silzell — Score: 0 Abigail Silzell is a challenger for Mesa County Clerk and Recorder. She did not respond to the RTB questionnaire, therefore receiving a score of zero. No campaign website could be found. 

Colorado House District 54 — Republican Primary

Nina Anderson — Score: 88.9 Nina Anderson is a fifth-generation Coloradan and founder of Express Employment Professionals in Grand Junction and Montrose. She has served on the Colorado Workforce Development Council and the Community Hospital Board. She responded to the RTB questionnaire. Her full responses are available here, and her campaign website is here. 

Jason Bias — Score: 0 Jason Bias is a Colorado Mesa University political science student and former president of the CMU chapter of Turning Point USA. He has served in leadership for the Mesa County Republican Party. He did not respond to the RTB questionnaire. His campaign website is here.  

The full questionnaire responses for all candidates who responded are also available at restorethebalance.org.

RTB urges all voters to vote in this primary after doing their own research.

Upcoming Events

• June 17 — RTB Social Hour | 4:30–6:30 PM | The Ale House, Grand Junction

• June 23 & June 26 — Mesa County Election Tours with Bobbie Gross Sign up here.

• June 30 — Colorado Primary Election. Check your registration and ballot here.

• November 3 — Colorado General Election

On the Radar: Local Government Meetings

• Board of County Commissioners: Tuesdays @ 9am

• Grand Junction City Council: 1st & 3rd Wednesdays @ 5:30pm

• Town of Palisade Board of Trustees Meeting: 2nd & 4th Tuesdays @ 6pm

• Fruita City Council: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 7pm

• D51 School Board: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 5pm (public comments accepted on 3rd Tuesdays only)

• Mesa County Library Board: Last Thursdays @ 5:30pm

• Public Health Board: Monthly Tuesdays @ 3pm

Thank you to all who have submitted photos, podcasts, and video recommendations. We will publish a recommendation in each category every week. Please keep them coming!

Want to Contribute to Our Weekly Newsletter?

Our best recommendations come from you! Have you read a thought-provoking book? Listened to an insightful podcast? Found an article worth sharing? Captured a beautiful photo of Western Colorado? We want to feature your discoveries and perspectives in our Monday Update.

You can share resources, suggest topics you'd like RTB to address, or submit photos from around our community. All submissions can be anonymous or attributed to you; it's your choice.

Submit your recommendations here

Let's learn from each other and build a more informed community together.

Don't forget to vote in 2026: June primaries, November general.