Taylor Voss
How does your experience make you qualified to represent the people?
I am proud to be the only candidate in this race with experience serving in elected office. In 2017, voters elected me to the Pueblo School District 60 Board of Education, and I later served as Board President during one of the most challenging periods in our community's history.
During my time on the board, I stood alongside our teachers during the 2018 teacher strike and voted to support the raises they deserved. I helped lead the successful effort to pass a historic $218 million bond initiative that funded five new schools and improvements to eleven others across the district. As Board President, I guided the district through the COVID-19 pandemic, balancing student learning, public health, and the needs of families and educators.
Beyond elected office, I have spent more than a decade working to strengthen Southern Colorado. I helped entrepreneurs start and grow businesses through the Small Business Development Center, worked on issues like housing, homelessness, and substance misuse at Pueblo Triple Aim Corporation, and currently serve as Director of Philanthropy for Sangre de Cristo Hospice & Palliative Care, where I have helped raise millions of dollars to ensure quality end-of-life care is available to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.
My career has been about bringing people together, solving problems, and delivering results. That's exactly the kind of leadership I will bring to the State Senate.
What are your top policy priorities?
My top three priorities are crime and public safety, growing our economy and creating better-paying jobs, and strengthening public education.
First, public safety must be our foundation. Families deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods, businesses deserve safe commercial corridors, and first responders deserve the resources they need to do their jobs. I support strengthening partnerships between law enforcement, behavioral health providers, schools, and community organizations to address both crime and its root causes.
Second, we need to grow Southern Colorado's economy and create more good-paying jobs. Too many young people feel like they have to leave Pueblo to find opportunity. I want to attract new industries, support small businesses, invest in workforce development, and strengthen partnerships between education and employers so people can build successful careers right here at home. My background in business development, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit leadership has shown me how important a strong economy is to the success of our families and communities.
Third, I will continue to be a strong advocate for public education. As a former School Board President, I understand firsthand that strong schools are essential to economic opportunity and community growth. I support fully funding public education, investing in educators, expanding career and technical education opportunities, and ensuring every student graduates prepared for college, a career, military service, or the skilled trades.
At the end of the day, these priorities are connected. Safe communities attract investment. Strong schools prepare our workforce. Good jobs help families thrive. My goal is to make Southern Colorado a place where people want to live, work, raise a family, and build their future.
What is one issue you think is being overlooked in this race, and how would you address it?
One issue that I believe is being overlooked is the importance of having an effective voice at the State Capitol who can deliver results for Southern Colorado.
Pueblo and the surrounding communities often find themselves competing with larger population centers for attention and resources. We need a senator who can build relationships, work across differences, and effectively advocate for our region.
Throughout my career, I have demonstrated that ability. During the 2018 teacher strike, I helped bring people together to find solutions and support our educators. In 2019, I worked with community leaders, business organizations, labor groups, and residents to pass a historic $218 million school bond that many believed was impossible. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I helped lead a large public institution through unprecedented challenges while balancing competing interests and priorities.
The next State Senator for District 3 must be more than someone who casts votes. They must be someone who can build coalitions, secure resources, and ensure Southern Colorado has a seat at the table when major decisions are being made. My experience has prepared me to do exactly that.
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