3 GOP Gubernatorial Candidates Pin High Country Housing Crisis on Denver Red Tape

The obvious take on Colorado’s housing crisis is that it’s a supply problem. We build houses; they’re just too expensive. But three Republican candidates for governor argue the real culprit isn’t a lack of bricks and mortar — it’s the weight of Denver’s regulatory boots on the neck of the High Country.

They’re not wrong to look at the map and see a disconnect. The legislation passed in the capital often feels written for a condo in Cherry Creek, not a timber-frame home in Steamboat Springs. The question is whether a governor can actually fix a problem that’s been exacerbated by a decade of top-down mandates, or if they’ll just add another layer of bureaucracy to the pile.

Scott Bottoms thinks the answer is simpler: cut the red tape. He’s running on a platform of slashing regulatory burdens and taxes, arguing that excessive fees and environmental rules are the primary drivers keeping working locals out of their own towns.

"The crisis stems from excessive government fees, mandates and red tape, not a lack of supply," Bottoms says. "Front Range-focused bills ignore rural realities like high construction costs, environmental rules and limited land use flexibility in mountain communities."

His proposal is straightforward. Streamline permitting. Repeal unnecessary mandates. And crucially, oppose energy policies that inflate building costs. He wants to give High Country towns the flexibility to address their unique needs without a "one-size-fits-all Denver mandate." It’s a pitch for local control, wrapped in a promise of fiscal responsibility.

Barbara Kirkmeyer is looking at the problem through the lens of public safety. She’s pointing to a specific, tangible consequence of high housing costs: the Colorado State Patrol is facing 50% vacancy rates in the High Country. If you can’t afford to live near your post, you can’t staff the post.

"I’ve heard similar stories for firefighters and first responders," Kirkmeyer notes. She’s already acted on this, sponsoring legislation that is now law to expand downpayment assistance for first responders through the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA). But she wants to go further. She wants to modernize CHFA programs that were designed when home prices were "unthinkable."

She’s also targeting energy efficiency requirements, arguing they add $60,000 to the price of a new home. And here’s the kicker: that $60,000 hit applies whether you’re building near the Oklahoma border or at 10,000 feet in Leadville. It’s a blunt instrument applied to a delicate ecosystem.

Victor Marx is simpler in his diagnosis. He’s sat with teachers, nurses, and ranchers who can’t afford to live where they work. To him, that’s not just an economic issue; it’s a failure of Denver politicians who write policy like our mountain communities don’t exist.

"The High Country housing crisis is a regulatory crisis," Marx says. "I’ll cut the red tape driving up construction costs, end the unfunded mandates forcing counties to raise local taxes and give mountain communities the flexibility to build workf..."

He’s echoing the sentiment that the state government is part of the problem, not the solution. The common thread among all three is that they view the current housing market as a policy failure, not a market failure. They believe that if you remove the state’s grip on zoning, energy codes, and taxes, the market will adjust.

It’s a bold claim. It assumes that deregulation will automatically translate to affordability for the average worker, not just the developer. It assumes that local governments can handle the burden of increased flexibility without creating new, localized crises.

The data supports the view that state mandates have added layers of compliance that small builders struggle to navigate. But whether cutting regulations actually lowers the price tag for a family in Glenwood Springs or Aspen remains the central bet of this primary.

As the June 30 Republican primary approaches, the candidates are betting that locals are tired of Denver telling them how to build their homes. They’re betting that the people who live here know best how to house themselves.

"I will fight for statewide reforms," Bottoms says. "By reducing government overreach, we will make housing attainable again for working locals, teachers, first responders and families who call the mountains home."