Ignacio sheepman J. Paul Brown will announce Saturday that he wants to retake the Colorado 59th House District seat that he lost in the closest House race in the state last year.
In a half-day span, Brown plans to take his message to each of the six county seats in the 59th District – La Plata, Archuleta, Hinsdale, Gunnison, Ouray and San Juan.
“We need good government,” Brown, a Republican, said in a phone interview Tuesday. “We have to be efficient in what we do in order not to increase taxes. We can’t spread ourselves too thin.”
Brown, who was elected in 2010, lost in the first defense of his seat to Durango attorney Mike McLachlan in 2012 by 2 percentage points – 51 to 49.
Brown wants to protect the Western Slope water eyed covetously by Front Range interests. He said the Front Range must build water-storage facilities to protect against dry times and lessen runoff losses during heavy rain.
Colorado watches its eastern rivers, particularly the South Platte and Arkansas, carry water out of state, Brown said.
Brown also said he would like to turn more public projects over to private enterprise, and he wants to take another look at gun-control issues.
McLachlan, a Democrat from Durango, said Tuesday he’s ready to take on any challenger. He said he filed papers to run again in 2014 during the spring as a recall effort was mounting against him for his vote on gun-control measures.
Recall proponents never delivered signatures to gain a place on the ballot. They needed 10,586 verified signatures.
McLachlan said he plans to propose legislation regarding incentives for the production of geothermal energy, fine-tuning the fee for background checks on firearm purchases (all of the $10 now goes to the state) and regulation of off-road vehicles (licensing and access on public roads).
The proposed bills are due in the Legislature in December, he said. The 2014 legislative session begins Jan. 8.
daler@durangoherald.com
Announcement schedule
J. Paul Brown of Ignacio, who held the 59th House District seat from 2010-12, and his wife, Debbie, are touring every county seat in the 59th District on Saturday to announce his candidacy for the same post in 2014.
The schedule:
8 a.m., Durango, Christina’s Grill & Bar.
9:30 a.m., Pagosa Springs, Nello’s Restaurant
Noon, Lake City, Coursey Annex.
2 p.m., Gunnison, Fred Field Heritage Center.
4:30 p.m., Ouray, Ouray Christian Fellowship.
6:30 p.m., Silverton, Hardrock Restaurant.
