The race is on – again – for the District 3 seat for La Plata County commissioner.
Paul Black, a Bayfield rancher, will run unopposed in the Republican primary on June 25. In the November general election, Black will face off with the incumbent, Democrat Matt Salka, for the seat on the Board of County Commissioners representing the eastern portion of the county.
Salka is the former mayor of Bayfield.
Black arrives on the campaign trail with some experience in the local community and a loose set of ideas for his platform.
He worked as a firefighter/EMT for Upper Pine River Fire Protection District before he transitioned to a full-time schedule at the L-J Ranch in Bayfield. Black and his wife, Krii, home-school their two children, ages 10 and 12. The family runs a small cow-calf operation on the ranch, where they also grow hops and operate a wedding venue and short-term rental.
Black serves as the president of three local boards: the Upper Pine fire board, the Pine River Conservation District board and the Schroder Irrigation Ditch Co. He is also a member of the Los Pinos Irrigation Ditch Co. board.
He was nominated for the seat by the La Plata County Republican’s vacancy committee after the party’s first nominee, Ron Bogs, was disqualified from the ballot because he failed to meet the residency requirement.
La Plata County Clerk and Recorder Tiffany Lee confirmed that Black meets the residency requirement and has been credentialed.
In an interview with The Durango Herald, Black said his top issue as commissioner would be to foster the growth and prosperity of small businesses.
Red tape – primarily that established in the land-use code – hinders the development of businesses and drives up housing costs, he said. Black called for revisions to the county land-use code, which was overhauled with extensive public input in 2020.
He has gone through the application process himself and says that gives him unique experience as a candidate.
“You learn pretty quick that there’s a lot of, not roadblocks, but things you have to overcome,” he said. “… A lot of people don’t have a lot of starting capital and that can actually kill their dream of their small business.”
Salka was a small-business owner twice over, but sold both businesses when he was elected to serve on the BOCC.
Black acknowledged that Salka “puts the time in” as a commissioner. But his candidacy is based in a desire to represent rural interests.
“I think it’s important to have a diverse board,” Black said. “Some of the best boards I’ve sat on were very diverse and (had) good conversations. I’ve also sat on boards that were pretty easy to pass a lot of things (on) but it might have been one-sided or not looking at the full picture.”
He faces the challenge of pulling voters into his camp of Republicans, which is the smallest of the three major political groups in La Plata County. A little over half of voters are unaffiliated with a political party, around a quarter are Democrats and just under a quarter are Republicans.
His approach? “Boots on the ground.” He hopes to bring not just disparate wings of the Republican Party, but also voters from outside the party into conversation.
“I want to have every possible discussion I can with people,” Black said.
Salka expressed a similar sentiment and said he was looking forward to engaging with the public – “It’s democracy.”
Black is likely to share a ballot with former President Donald Trump, seen by some to be the wedge that has fractured the modern GOP.
He said he wanted to see how the former president performed in debates and what sorts of policy proposals Trump brings to the table before deciding on how he will vote.
“That’s going to be a ‘stay tuned and watch’ type of a scenario,” Black said.
Ballots for the June 25 primary will be mailed to voters the first week of June.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
