Polis announced he is running for re-election for a second term in Congress. (Courtesy Congressman Jared Polis)
Democratic U.S. Representative Jared Polis is going for round two.
Polis announced he is running for re-election for a second term in Congress, according to a news release.
“I am excited to kickoff my re-election campaign, to tour the Second Congressional District and talk with voters about the challenges we currently face and the solutions we can forge together,” Polis said in the news release.
Polis represents the Second District of Colorado, which includes Boulder County among nine other counties.
To promote his campaign, Polis plans to hold informal meetings throughout the district. He will kick off the tour Saturday in Broomfield at Original New York Style Pizza from 2 to 4 p.m. and then continue at The Draft House in Boulder from 5 to 7 p.m.
Polis was elected to the 111th Congress in 2008 and also served on the Colorado State Board of Education from 2000 to 2006, according to the “Jared Polis For Congress” Web site.
As chairman he advocated for reform and creating more educational opportunities in all levels of the education system.
As a U.S. representative, his devotion to educational issues has not changed, according to his Web site.
“Education reform, from preschool through college, is the cornerstone of my policy agenda, both in Colorado and in Congress,” Polis said on his Web site. “Ensuring that college…is within reach for all, regardless of economic background, is one of my top priorities.”
Devin Patrick, a 19-year-old freshman studio arts major, said it is important that an advocate for education is campaigning for re-election.
“Especially in this economy, in this slump that we’re in right now, higher education is going to pull us out of it and it’s good that there is someone higher up there promoting it,” Patrick said.
Colby Kamin, a 21-year-old freshman marketing major and also the secretary of the College Republicans at CU, said he also sees positive qualities in Polis but will rely on his party’s platform.
“He’ll still tell you one thing to your face and another to the media, and vote against his own conscience if it placates his ultra-liberal base,” Kamin said. “I would much prefer to be represented in Congress by a more conservative or libertarian candidate, like former Mayor Bob Greenlee.”
Some students, however, have said they are unfamiliar with Polis. Hector Luna, a 32-year-old freshman electrical engineering major, said that before voting he would want to learn more about Polis and his platform.
“I’d have to see what he stands for and how he plans to benefit society in general and how to benefit the people,” Luna said. “You have to be informed before you vote.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Rose Heaphy at Josephine.heaphy@colorado.edu.
