Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty, who served on the trial team in the 2021 Mark Redwine murder case, visited Durango this week during his campaign for Colorado attorney general.
The visit was part of his summer “Know Your Rights” tour across Colorado, featuring seminars on hate crimes, gun laws and immigration. His Wednesday event took place at the Durango Public Library.
Dougherty, who received his law degree from Boston University School of Law, spent more than a decade at the Manhattan DA’s Office, where he specialized in homicide and sex crimes. He then joined the Colorado attorney general’s office in 2009, working under Republican Attorney General John Suthers, and has served as Boulder district attorney since 2018.
The top three items on his agenda if elected, he said, will be challenging federal actions that are unlawful and harmful to Coloradans, improving public safety and consumer protection, and enhancing environmental protections.
“To me, it’s outrageous that the federal government would consider selling off our public lands, including lands here in Colorado,” Dougherty said. “I moved to Colorado in part because of our outdoors – it's why so many of us live in Colorado.”
Exploring solutions to the Colorado River Compact’s Interim Guidelines and Drought Contingency Plans ‒ set to expire in 2026 ‒ would be another top priority, Dougherty said, and must be resolved “based on the best interest of Coloradans.”
“We have the Environmental Protection Agency at the federal level being rolled back right now too,” Dougherty said. “Now, more than ever, we need the state to step up and do more to hold water polluters accountable. What I'm going to do about it is make sure water is not privatized, sold off, or taken from the farmers and ranchers who need it to survive.”
The voices of rural communities matter, Dougherty said, both to him personally and in the outcomes of state legislation.
“Where the state has failed people in the non-metro regions is to pass laws in Denver without having people from local communities at the table, having a voice in the process,” Dougherty said.
“People on the Front Range don't understand or appreciate that people outside the metro area feel slighted, and have reason to feel slighted,” he said. “They feel like they’re being ignored, or their issues aren't being adequately considered when decisions are being made in the Capital. It’s real and it’s valid, and that has to change. And I promise, I’m committed to changing it.”
Dougherty said building trust between Coloradans and state government is paramount to his campaign. Part of that is fostering a bipartisan environment with diverse perspectives in the attorney general’s office.
“You don't usually hear candidates talking about bipartisan support in this day and age, but we need to do exactly that, and restore trust in the state government,” he said.
Another element of rebuilding trust is holding lawmakers and elected officials accountable, he said.
“You should always judge me on my actions,” Dougherty told participants at the Know Your Rights event. “I want you to hold me accountable. You should.”
Dougherty said he wants to be “the people’s lawyer.” That means engaging with the communities he serves and ensuring his staff does the same.
“I’m absolutely committed to local communities and making sure that we’re not just handing down edicts from the metro area,” he said, “but that we’re engaging local community partners, county commissioners, sheriffs, community leaders, and tribal leaders in conversations about how we can build a better Colorado.”
epond@durangoherald.com
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