The GOP candidate running for Colorado House District 12 wants to prioritize affordability, security and transparency.
Kathryn Anya Kirvan submitted paperwork with the state on March 28 after her party nominated her as the candidate for the district, which will cover Lake Valley, Niwot, Superior, Louisville, Lafayette and Gunbarrel starting Jan. 9, 2023.
Kirvan will be running against incumbent Rep. Tracey Bernett, a Democrat whose first term in the state house runs through Jan. 11, 2023. Bernett filed paperwork to run for reelection in November.
Originally from Michigan, Kirvan has lived in Colorado for the last 50 years. Kirvan has an extensive background in nursing, having worked in almost every clinical setting, serving in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, and helping to launch a successful health care business.
She said her concerns for Boulder County have risen in recent years, which has contributed to her decision to run for the state legislature.
“I think I’ve really been concerned about the rise in crime in Boulder County, the lack of transparency, as everybody knows, from the school board to the health department to city council,” Kirvan said. “It’s really been problematic in my mind, this whole progressive agenda. It hasn’t worked and they keep pushing it on us.”
She pointed to the move to create a Boulder library district, calling it a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” To Kirvan, additional taxes don’t make sense right now, especially for those rebuilding after the Marshall fire, and she argued that government entities should be responsible for operating within the constraints of their revenues rather than raising taxes.
“We’re not getting the representation we deserve,” Kirvan said. “They’re not talking to us. They just push this stuff through and then we as taxpayers are sort of holding on to the bag.”
Keeping taxes down is part of her main goal of affordability. Her other priority is safety and security for the citizens of Boulder County.
“Right now I think supporting the police is critical and trying to keep these criminals in jail,” Kirvan said, pointing to the rise in overdose deaths.
She added that she would like to repeal the 2019 bipartisan bill that made possession of up to 4 grams of fentanyl a misdemeanor, though she believes closing the southern border is a bigger solution that should be considered.
School choice and small businesses are some of her other priorities.
“I clearly support a prosperous economy,” Kirvan said. “I think we’ve done so much to hurt our small businesses. We haven’t supported them through this whole COVID thing much. I would like to get some real pragmatic solutions there.”
Kirvan said she also feels that the representation by Bernett has been disconnected from her constituents. Kirvan hopes to represent those in her district who feel unheard and deceived by the actions of the state legislature, calling the bill recently signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis protecting the right to abortion deceptive in its presentation.
“I know maybe I’m a Pollyanna, but I think you should be truthful and say what it is and then defend it on its merits,” she said.
Prior to redistricting, House District 12 covered southeastern Longmont, Dominion, Gooding, Louisville and Lafayette. Running in that district, Bernett won in 2020 with 73.6% of the votes against Republican Eric Davila.
With the new boundaries, House District 12 remains solidly Democratic, according to the Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission.
