Suckla: ‘Our state government is too large’

Editor,

I am Larry Don Suckla, running for reelection to represent House District 58. I’m a third-generation Colorado rancher, auctioneer, and one of only six legislators with a real agriculture background at the State Capitol. That matters when decisions are made about our water, land, cattle, and way of life. 

I am strongly pro-Second Amendment and pro-private property rights. Your right to keep and bear arms is under constant pressure, and I will keep defending it. Private property must be protected from distant bureaucrats and outside groups pushing “conservation” ideas that lock up the Western Slope. I’ve seen the playbook with proposals like the Dolores River National Conservation Area, ideas not driven by locals who actually live and work this land. Strong people need to keep saying no to land grabs. 

Water is personal to me. I own water rights and have skin in the game. The Colorado River supplies 41 million people, and ongoing drought is a daily reality here. Lower-basin states will keep pushing for more unless Colorado has stubborn, knowledgeable voices protecting our interests. I will be that voice. 

In my first year I passed a practical bill for a one-time trailer license that lasts the life of the trailer, simple common sense. Property taxes are too high and rising faster than inflation. Anyone 65 or older should be exempt. Colorado has no true affordable housing, only subsidized programs that create artificial competition and drive prices higher. The real answer is deregulation so our children can actually afford homes of their own. 

Our state government is too large. We have a $46 billion budget with real waste that can be cut. Before asking taxpayers for another dime, we must examine every department. Critical services like the Sheriff’s Office and roads come first. I’ve watched the pattern: when citizens push for real solutions on roads or taxes, the legislature responds with bills that keep control right where it is. I will keep calling that out. One-party rule is destroying this state. 

I believe in election integrity. Secure elections are the foundation of everything else.

I believe in rural values that encompass all political party lines, hard work, personal responsibility, looking after neighbors, and limited government. These aren’t Republican or Democrat values. They’re Colorado values. They’re Western Slope values. I humbly ask for your vote this November. Let me keep fighting for the ranchers, working families, seniors, and young people who want a future here. 

Larry Don Suckla

State Representative 

House District 58