Young voters press Polis, Ganahl on water, mental health crises
Gubernatorial candidates visit MSU Denver’s The Solution Studio to talk with students about their vision for Colorado’s future.
A panel of young voters pressed Colorado’s gubernatorial candidates this month on how they intend to address water, mental health, addiction and housing crises facing the state.
Republican Heidi Ganahl, a regent at the University of Colorado Boulder, and incumbent Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, appeared separately in The Solution Studio, candidate forums presented by Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Institute for Public Service.
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Two focus groups consisting of working-adult MSU Denver students met in August to discuss economic and quality-of-life challenges they’re facing. A panel of four students used information gleaned from those focus groups to inform their questions to candidates, including how they would balance conserving Colorado’s dwindling water supply with ensuring that agriculture and the state’s economy thrive.
Candidates also faced questions about how their administrations would help the growing number of Coloradans experiencing homelessness or struggling with mental-health issues.
Watch how candidates addressed these and other issues.
The panel videos were recorded and produced by students in MSU Denver’s Department of Journalism and Media Production.
