Editor,

My name is Ryan G. Williams, and I am running for the Colorado State Assembly House District 62. I was born and raised in Conejos County and graduated from Centauri High School in 2008. Many, especially in the south end of the Valley will know my grandfather, Dr. Dale Thomas, as their doctor or the man who delivered their children. Like my grandfather, I love Colorado and I love my San Luis Valley home, but I’ve seen it change for good and bad. I’ve seen an influx of drug addiction, homelessness, and mental health issues I never imagined would be the norm. I’ve laid too many friends to rest from drug overdoses or suicide, and I’m sure everyone in the Valley can say the same. This must change.

Colorado has become one of the most expensive states to live in, and inflation isn’t helping. We can’t afford rent, food, or even a trip to the mountains, anymore. It’s nearly impossible to get into a house. Even when we do have houses for sale, they cost an arm and a leg. How are we expecting to get people off the streets and into homes when the housing market is as high as it is? It’s no wonder Colorado is number 11 in homelessness. We need to make sure people can get into a home, either buying or renting, without breaking the bank. This will help address many issues we face, including drugs and crime. I have a plan to stabilize the housing market while helping get people into homes.

Recent fires in our backyards have made it clear we also need to address our forests and the environment. We need to make it easier to clean out the beetle-kill and forest floors, so these matchsticks don’t turn into kindling for one massive forest fire. This also means diversifying our energy sector to meet the needs of our State. Just as two devices use two different types of batteries, so too must our energy sector be flexible enough to meet our needs while securing energy independence.

I learned a long time ago “life is service.” I want to serve all of us no matter the letter behind your name. We share so many principles, but we divide on partisan policies. We need to find the best way forward. Together. When driving, we correct left or right depending on the road conditions, with our ultimate destination in mind. Shouldn’t we do the same in our government? Our elected representatives have overcorrected, landing us in the bar pit on either side of the political road with flat tires and tears, no closer to our destination than when the other one was driving.

Colorado needs representatives who are willing to ask the tough questions and find where we agree and build to our common goals, not pure partisan policies. My degree in philosophy has given me the tools necessary for the task ahead of us. I can work with Republicans and Democrats around the State to voice what is best for Southern Colorado, including school choice, increasing access to mental health services, getting people back to work, helping all of Colorado get back on its feet and off drugs, and protecting our water from those who want to pump us dry.

I’m running because I’m tired of other people making the decisions for the San Luis Valley or making promises only to sell us down the river once in office. We need representatives who represent us, and I believe I can. I want to hear what we are concerned about and take those concerns to Denver. I want to bring Colorado Common Sense back to the State Assembly. To me, this means taking care of ourselves and taking care of others where we can and living within our means. This means real love for our fellow men and women by staging an intervention, not enabling, our bad behavior.

For more information on the issues, I want to tackle, or to donate, see my website: www.williamsforcolorado62.com.

Ryan G. Williams