Presidential Primary, Political Caucuses, Assemblies Mark Start of Election Season

Both the Republican Party and Democratic Party will host their 2020 caucuses March 7, with the Republican Caucus to be held at Baptist Fellowship Hall at 3 p.m., and the Democratic Caucus at Coursey Annex starting at 2 p.m.. Among other requisite party business at the caucuses, each of the county’s political parties will designate delegates to attend assemblies to be held the following weekend, Saturday, March 14. Republicans will again be at Baptist Fellowship Hall at 3 p.m., and Democrats at Coursey Annex, 2 p.m. A caucus is a meeting of registered electors within a precinct who are members of a particular major political party. The purpose of precinct caucuses is to elect precinct committee persons and delegates to county assemblies. Caucuses are held in locations across Colorado and are open to the public. The county assembly is convened to designate county candidates for the primary election and to select delegates to the congressional district assemblies and the state assembly. Hinsdale County, Precinct 001, holds a required caucus to elect precinct committee persons and to elect delegates to the required assembly. While the caucus is open to the public, only registered party-affiliated voters can vote in their party’s caucus. March 17 is the deadline to file by petition as a candidate for individuals who were not nominated through the assembly process. Friday, April 24, is the deadline to file as a write-in candidate, and July 9 is the deadline to file as Unaffiliated for the General Election on Tuesday, November 3. Hinsdale County’s Primary Election is Tuesday, June 30. County Commissioner seats for District 1 and District 3 are up for election. These seats are respectively held by Republican Susan Thompson, and Sara Gutterman. Gutterman was appointed to the commissioner seat by the Hinsdale County Democratic Party on October 4, 2019, following the resignation of Stan Whinnery. Long-time local and retired Hinsdale County Road & Bridge Supervisor Robert Hurd has announced his intent to secure the District 3 candidacy on the GOP ticket. Also up for election is the position of Hinsdale County Sheriff, and appointed Sheriff Chris Kambish has declared his candidacy. Kambish was appointed to the post January 15 this year following the resignation of Justin Casey. Queried on Wednesday morning this week, Hinsdale County Clerk Joan Roberts responds that 650 ballots will be mailed for the Tuesday, March 3 Presidential Primary, allotted as follows: 368 Republican, 84 Democrat, and 198 Unaffiliated voters. Voters must be active as of February 3 to receive a ballot for the Presidential Primary and will receive the appropriate ballot for the party with which they are registered. Unaffiliated voters will receive both ballots but may only return one, otherwise their vote will not be counted. Ballots for the Presidential Primary will be mailed on Monday, February 10. In Primaries, party members vote in a state election for the candidate they want to represent them in the General Election. After the Primaries and Caucuses, each major party, Democrat and Republican, holds a national convention to select a Presidential nominee. Democratic nominees in order as they are listed on the Presidential Primary ballot are: Cory Booker, Pete Buttigeg, Tulsi Gabbard, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente III, Michael Bennet, Marianne Williamson, Deval Patrick, Michael R. Bloomberg, Robby Wells, Andrew Yang, Joseph R. Biden, Tom Steyer, Rita Krichevsky, and John K. Delaney. Canididates on the GOP Presidential Primary ballot are Matthew John Matern, Robert Ardini, Joe Walsh, Donald J. Trump, Bill Weld, and Zoltaon G. Istvan. Also upcoming is the Town election Tuesday, April 7, when Lake City electors will have the opportunity to vote for six different candidates running for three four-year term town trustee seats. The nominees are: Jud Hollingsworth, Patrice Palmer, Doug Hamel, Crystal Brown, Jesse Kendall, and Michelle Martin.