Democratic congressional candidate Dwayne Romero is hoping a message centered on public service, affordability and local experience can help flip Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District in 2026.
Romero, an Aspen Democrat and combat veteran, announced his candidacy in March and is challenging fellow Democrat Alex Kelloff in the June 30 Democratic primary. The winner will face incumbent Republican Rep. Jeff Hurd in the general election.
The Durango Herald interviewed Romero via Zoom to discuss his background, priorities and vision for the district.
Romero described himself as a candidate rooted in service, pointing to his military career, local elected experience and decades living in the district.
“I’ve been serving my nation, my state, my communities,” he said. “My drive is to serve, and that’s not just words.”
Raised in southeast Texas by a single mother who worked minimum-wage jobs and relied on food stamps, he said he carried those experiences with him to the United States Military Academy at West Point and later into business and public office.
Romero said he has lived in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District for more than 30 years and raised three daughters with his wife. He described his family as having deep military roots, something he said shaped his views on service and public leadership.
He has served in multiple local elected roles, including city council, school board, fire protection district board and water and sanitation district board positions. He also served as Colorado’s appointed economic development director under then-Gov. John Hickenlooper.
On policy, Romero repeatedly returned to affordability concerns, which he described as the dominant issue he hears while campaigning across the district.
“No. 1 for families these days is affordability. The cost of living, straight up,” he said.
He criticized rising healthcare costs, housing pressures and economic uncertainty, arguing that working families across rural Colorado are struggling to keep up with everyday expenses.
As the owner of a property management and infrastructure-related business employing more than 100 workers, Romero said he sees those struggles firsthand.
“People are trying to make rent,” he said. “They’re trying to make mortgage payments. They’re trying to pay for child care.”
He also emphasized public lands and water rights as defining issues for western Colorado. He criticized proposals to sell federal public lands and called for stronger staffing and support for federal land management agencies.
“We need to keep our public lands sacrosanct,” Romero said.
Kelloff entered the race well before Romero, launching his campaign in 2025 and spending nearly a year campaigning across the district before Romero announced his candidacy in March.
The two Democrats have largely focused on similar themes, including affordability, healthcare access, public lands and rural economic concerns.
Romero pointed to his background in local government, military service and business as key differences between himself and Kelloff.
“You have a choice between somebody who has served for 43 years at the national level, state level and local level versus someone who does not have a service record at all,” Romero said.
He also argued that his decades of living in the district and raising a family there made him more connected to voters across western and southern Colorado.
“I’m very confident that the district itself will see those differences and make their decision based on those differences,” he said.
In a district where unaffiliated voters make up a large share of the electorate, Romero said successful candidates must focus less on ideology and more on connection and trust.
“The best way to connect is to demonstrate that you are actually out there to protect them and cover their back,” he said.
He argued that his decades living in the district, raising a family and serving in local government make him relatable to voters across party lines.
“We’re going to appeal to all constituencies,” Romero said.
Jake Mittleman, a junior at American University in Washington, D.C., is an intern for The Durango Herald. He can be reached at jmittleman@durangoherald.com.
