Pitkin County issues traffic crash alert for the City of Aspen
The alert advises drivers to handle minor, non-injury collisions without law enforcement involvement.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
In Pitkin County, Democratic and Republican party leaders are responding to the Nov. 5 election, Donald Trump’s presidential win, and local races — with markedly different perspectives.
Many local Democrats express disappointment, with concerns about how Trump’s policies may affect issues central to the county, such as environmental protections, healthcare, and immigration.
Democratic Party Chair Betty Wallach had a slightly different view.
“One is responsible only for what one is responsible for,” she said. “We are the Pitkin County Democratic Party.”
She said the Democrats organized and did the work they needed for Pitkin County.
“Our numbers were extraordinary,” Wallach said. “We had an astonishing number of people coming to volunteer. For example, even though Adam Frisch did not win his election, we got him 74% of the vote in Pitkin County. Last time, we got him 79.8%.”
She said they had 18 poll watchers, and zero reported any election violations. She emphasized how secure this year’s general elections were due to its election workers.
“We won everything that was on the ballot in Pitkin County. When you ask, ‘How do you feel about any losses that may have occurred in the election?’ We lost nothing,” Wallach said. “More importantly, people understood the hoaxes and the deliberately deceitful ballot issues that they were confronted by on the ballot.”
She said they do not have to work with a national administration because her focus is on Pitkin County, and she highlighted the values that are on the back of the Pitkin County Democrats’ T-shirts.
“Piktin County Democrats believe in science, a woman’s right to choose, renewable energy, marriage equality, affordable housing, protecting the environment, social security, public lands, affordable health care, public education, safe and fair elections, and democracy,” she said. “We are going to continue to defend the beliefs on our T-shirts.”
Republican leaders, meanwhile, are largely optimistic about Trump’s win, along with state house and senate seats, seeing it as an opportunity for economic growth and strengthened national security.
Pitkin County Republican Chair Jon Kelly said the election results were incredible.
“We were thrilled. There is no other word to say it,” Kelly said. “It was pretty much all we could hope for and more.”
He said he agreed with Wallach that the Pitkin County election officials did a great job on election night.
“We have an amazing team here at the Pitkin County Clerk’s office,” he said. “My fiancé is an election judge, and she drove out with a Democrat, in a snowstorm, to get to the polls, which is such an Aspen thing to do. Everyone was working really hard, and we had a great turnout.”
He said that he was very happy to see that the airport was moving forward with the passage of 1C and that the candidates they supported in Snowmass Village were also having success.
“Most of our local candidates are ahead, except for Caleb Waller,” he said. “Jeff Hurd, Marc Catlin, Ray Scott, and Ben Sollars all look to be winning. At the national level, it appears we are going to have the trifecta — the Presidency, the Senate, and the House.”
Kelly said that even though Waller did not win, he made up a large margin against Elizabeth Velasco. He said he hopes to continue the momentum his party has had with their local candidates into future elections.
“Keeping the Democrats from having a supermajority in the state senate is important,” Kelly said. “I am hopeful that will happen moving forward.”