I’m a mother of four kids, ranging in age from 10 to 26, and the wife of a barbecue cook and restaurateur. After the death of my first husband, I launched an idea he and I dreamt up called Camp BowWow. That small business grew into hundreds of franchises across the U.S., became a $150 million brand and hit the Inc. 500/5000 list five years in a row.
As a University of Colorado regent, I’m the only statewide elected Republican in Colorado. I led the fight to protect the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), called No On Prop CC, as well as the fight for the electoral college.
I’m passionate about giving back and have founded several nonprofits, including the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation, Moms Fight Back and the Fight Back Foundation.
Colorado is at a crossroads. The problems we are facing are not insurmountable. The solution lies in who we pick to lead our state back to the Colorado way of life we all know, love and need.
Priority No. 1
Since I launched my bid for governor, my message has been clear — we must lower gas prices and our cost of living, address our soaring crime rates, as well as our failing schools. The cost of living in Colorado is 9.1%, the rest of the country is at 8.5%. To lower record gas prices and inflation, we must get our energy workers back to work, shrink the size of our bloated government, cut regulation and lower taxes which our current leaders call “fees.” I believe in an all-of-the-above energy approach that encourages advances in renewable energy but not at the cost of our state’s vast natural resources. We must unleash our energy potential by reducing burdensome regulations and permitting processes. The pain at the pumps is felt by every family in our state. We must cut the gas tax permanently and use the money generated from these taxes to fix our roads rather than fund green energy projects.
People are tired of mandates over their businesses, families and children. I am running to give control back to the people of Colorado. I want to be their voice and get us back to the Colorado we love.
Priority No. 2
As governor, I will return law to order in our state. On day one, I will fire the parole board appointed by Jared Polis. I will appoint members that will enforce sentences to keep our streets safe. We will strive to help those convicted reform their lives, but repeat violent offenders will face severe consequences. Our policies will not be focused solely on offenders. I am the daughter of a police officer. We will relocate resources to better fund law enforcement, fill vacancies in our police ranks and support the training they seek.
The resources I allocate will improve law enforcement training and build better community relationships. In 2019, Colorado’s violent crime rate rose by nearly double the national rate and now stands slightly above the national rate. It’s the highest since 1995.
Priority No. 3
I’m a Mom on a mission. Education and protecting our kids is a top priority. I have taken the fight for Colorado freedom to the most liberal place in the state – the University of Colorado. As regent, I have passed free-speech legislation, gotten rid of safe spaces on campuses, fought to keep tuition flat and put civics back into the curriculum. I will use the same passion and dedication to fix our K-12 education system. As a parent, I was a founding member of two charter schools. We need true school choice to ensure that 60 percent of our kids are no longer reading below grade level.
We need transparency in the curriculum that allows parents to know how and what their children are learning. If we fund the student, not the system, parents will have the choice to find a better solution because each child learns differently. Those solutions may be a different public school, a charter school, private school, micro school, online school or home school. Each child learns differently, and we need to accommodate and adapt to that.
Heidi Ganahl is a Republican candidate for Colorado governor. A version of this column originally appeared in the Summit Daily newspaper.
