Dwayne L. Romero

District 3 - Democratic Party

How does your experience make you qualified to represent the people?

I'm a husband, father, combat veteran, small business owner, and Democratic candidate for
Colorado's Third Congressional District. I was raised by a single mom, and I understand the
challenges working Coloradans are facing. That’s why I've spent my career bringing people
together to get things done for families like mine.
In the Army Corps of Engineers, I learned early that mission success depends on building trust
across ranks, units, and communities. That's a lesson I've carried into everything I've done
since. As Governor Hickenlooper's Director of Economic Development, I worked across
industries — agriculture, energy, tourism, and tech — to create good-paying jobs and grow
opportunities for communities all across our state. That meant sitting at the table with ranchers,
labor leaders, local governments, and business owners, finding common ground, and delivering
real results.
On the city council, on school board, on the Fire Protection District board, and the Snowmass
Village Water and Sanitation Board, I've consistently had to build consensus among people with
different needs and priorities. I've learned how to listen, earn trust, and move people toward
solutions. Coaching high school baseball for nine years taught me the same thing: you don't win
as a team unless every person feels heard and has a role to play.
Today, as the owner of a property management company employing 120 Coloradans on the
Western Slope, I'm accountable every day to workers, customers, and communities who
depend on me to deliver. That's the record I bring to this race. Not just a long resume, but a
proven ability to forge coalitions, bridge divides, and fight for every corner of CO-03.

What are your top policy priorities?

Affordability is job number one. This place is becoming unaffordable, from housing costs,
access to health care, and prices at the pump and the grocery store. I'm going to fight to make it
easier for Coloradans to make ends meet, starting with repealing these disastrous tariffs and
expanding Family Tax Credits. I'm also committed to protecting Colorado's water. The
challenges facing the Colorado River Compact, ongoing attempts to take water out of our home
basins, and this historic drought make it essential that we have someone in Congress holding
the line for our district's water resources. And I'll fight to defend our public lands, opposing any
efforts to sell or transfer them to private interests. On healthcare, I want to keep rural hospitals
open and funded, allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, and protect women's access to
reproductive healthcare. I’ll fight to repeal Trump’s bill, which decimated Medicare, Medicaid,
and SNAP and kicked people off their health plans.
Beyond those fights, I believe we have a deeper obligation right now: defending our Constitution
and restoring the rule of law. When Congress rubber-stamps whoever's in the Oval Office
instead of serving as a check on executive power, our democracy is weakened. I’ll never back
down from a fight on this, because that's what the oath I took at 18 years old demands. I'll fight
the corruption we are seeing from dark money in politics by pushing to end secret political
spending so voters always know who is trying to buy their government.

What is one issue you think is being overlooked in this race, and how would you address it?

I believe government accountability is being overlooked. I want to ban all federal officials from
trading stocks, end dark money in political spending, enact term limits, and close the revolving
door between Congress and cushy lobbying jobs. Too many people in Western and Southern
Colorado feel like DC doesn't know they exist. As your Congressman, I'll be accessible,
responsive, and relentless about cutting through government bureaucracy to help everyday
people get results. No photo ops. No excuses. Just a fighter who answers the call and gets to
work for Colorado.

Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.