Colorado candidates running for state, federal office to debate in Grand Junction
Several Western Slope candidates are expected to participate in the 2026 Club 20 debates, though some have declined to attend
Larry Robinson/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
More than 25 candidates across Colorado are set to take the stage in September for a series of debates ahead of the November general election.
The 2026 western Colorado candidate debates will take place on Saturday, Sept. 19 at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. The debates are hosted by Club 20, a nonprofit advocacy organization representing 22 Western Slope counties.
The debates will feature candidates from across Colorado running for state house, senate, U.S. Congress and statewide executive elections, including several candidates vying to represent communities along the northern and central mountains.
The roughly half-hour debates provide candidates with a platform to share information about their campaigns and respond to questions about community issues.
Colorado house district debates — including House Districts 13, 26 and 57 — will take place in the morning, while other state races including Senate District 8, attorney general and secretary of state have debates scheduled in the afternoon.
The House District 13 debate, covering Summit County and five others in the central mountain region, will see Silverthorne Democratic candidate Consuelo Redhorse face off against Republican candidate Miguel Martinez, both vying for outgoing Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie‘s seat.
Incumbent Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, a Glenwood Springs Democrat representing House District 57, will debate against Republican challenger Russ Andrews from Carbondale to represent Garfield and Pitkin counties, as well as a portion of Eagle County.
The debate for House District 26 — covering Routt, Moffat and Rio Blanco counties and a majority of Eagle County — will only be attended by Republican challenger James Kellogg from Gypsum. Democratic Incumbent Meghan Lukens, running for her third term in the Colorado House, said she will not be able to attend due to a longstanding family commitment.
“I have a great deal of respect for Club 20 and value the important role it plays in bringing Western Slope communities together,” said Lukens, a Steamboat Springs Democrat. “I’m disappointed to miss the opportunity to participate and appreciate Club 20 for continuing to create opportunities for candidates to engage with voters across Western Colorado.”
Governor, U.S. Senator debates to continue with absences
Congressional and gubernatorial debates will take place in the evening, though several candidates have declined to attend the event.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Victor Marx will be absent from the debate, leaving Colorado General Attorney Phil Weiser and former U.S. Rep. Greg Lopez — who will be on the ballot as an unaffiliated candidate — to debate at 6:30 p.m.
Marx’s team did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
Marx has publicly stated that he will participate in only one debate against Weiser before the November general election, and challenged his opponent to organize a debate without a moderator in a video posted to X in July. Marx has since accepted an invitation to debate Weiser in the Colorado Chamber of Commerce’s gubernatorial candidate forum on October 8 in Denver.
Incumbent Rep. Joe Neguse also declined to attend his debate against Republican challenger Kelley Anne Dennison for Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, which covers much of the north-central part of the state, including Eagle, Grand, Summit and Routt counties.
“Rep. Neguse was unable to participate due to a scheduling conflict. He is proud to have participated in multiple debates during prior election campaigns, and he hopes to have an opportunity to do so this fall as well,” said Priya Robb, Neguse’s political director. Robb added that Neguse has held 28 public town halls over the last 20 months, including in Western Slope towns like Eagle, Steamboat Springs and Frisco.
The 3rd Congressional District debate will feature both candidates, with Republican incumbent Jeff Hurd facing off against Democratic Aspen-area resident Dwayne Romero.
The U.S. Senate debate will hear from Republican challenger Mark Baisley, a member of the Colorado State Senate representing District 4. U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, running for his second six-year term, declined to participate in the debate.
Hickenlooper’s team declined to comment on his absence.
Unlike previous Club 20 debates, this year’s debates will not be livestreamed. Instead, each debate will be professionally recorded and posted to the official Club 20 YouTube channel in the days following the event, according to an August Facebook post.
Voters who are interested in attending the live debates can still purchase tickets on the Club 20 website at Club20.org/event-details/western-colorado-candidate-debates. Tickets can be purchased for the full weekend, with separate tickets available for afternoon and evening debates.
Election day is Nov. 3. Ballots will be mailed to voters beginning Friday, Oct. 2. The last day to submit a voter registration application and still receive a ballot in the mail is Oct. 26.
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