Former Rep. Greg Lopez Runs Unaffiliated for Colorado Governor

Glenwood Springs —The first thing you notice about Greg Lopez is not his political pedigree, but his willingness to strip it away. He is an unaffiliated candidate running for Colorado governor in the Nov. 3 midterm election, a move that challenges the obvious assumption that a former Republican congressman would stay in the fold. Lopez formerly served in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, a seat he left behind to chase a statewide office where party lines matter less than geographic ones.

The Post Independent asked him five questions about the Western Slope, and his answers reveal a candidate who sees the High Country not as a subset of the state, but as a distinct entity with its own logic. He argues that Colorado’s housing policy cannot be one-size-fits-all, a direct rebuke to the Front Range-centric approach that has dominated recent legislative sessions. For Lopez, the solution is not just more money, but more supply, specifically smaller, practical homes that working families can afford and build equity in.

His "starter homes" initiative proposes 1,100-square-foot houses costing $235,000, a figure that feels grounded in reality rather than political aspiration. He plans to work with local governments to identify land, streamline permitting, and reduce unnecessary regulatory costs, examining state and local fees that can add tens of thousands of dollars to a home. This is a granular, technical approach, one that prioritizes process over ideology. He supports public-private partnerships that help communities build attainable ownership housing, not just subsidized rentals, a distinction that matters to those who value independence.

On the issue of short-term rentals, Lopez offers a nuanced "no" to a statewide mandate. He does not believe the state should impose a blanket tax or limit, recognizing that Aspen, Breckenridge, Steamboat Springs, and smaller mountain communities do not face identical circumstances. He favors giving local communities reasonable authority to address these issues based on their housing supply, tourism economy, and local needs, while respecting private property rights. However, he draws a sharp line when it comes to corporate behavior. If corporations are buying up the housing supply to make a profit and causing hardship for families, then he believes the state should pass legislation to limit the number of homes and rental rates. It is a targeted intervention, aimed at the specific actors distorting the market, rather than a broad brushstroke that penalizes everyone.

His vision is one of local autonomy, where Denver removes barriers and gives communities the tools to build what they need. It is a pragmatic framework, one that acknowledges the complexity of mountain life and refuses to simplify it. As he stands before the voters of the Western Slope, he carries with him the weight of his past and the promise of his future, a candidate who has chosen to stand alone so that others might stand together. The light in the valley is fading, but the path forward is clear, paved with small homes and big ideas, leading toward a Colorado that finally fits everyone who lives there.