Douglas BruceDouglas Bruce, State House Representative for District 15, said he isn’t assuming anything. “I’m not taking people’s votes for granted,” Bruce said.He is actively campaigning for the Aug. 12 Republican primaries, with yard signs, mailers and public receptions held in various district precincts. He said he is funding the campaign out of his own pocket.”I’m asking people to vote for who they know and trust,” he said. Bruce served as El Paso County commissioner for three years and was appointed to the State Legislature in December 2007. He said, per his campaign promise, that monthly reports of his voting record are available on his Web site: www.douglasbruce.com.”The single biggest issue in this country and state is the run-away intrusion of big government,” Bruce said. In 26 years, the state budget has increased five-fold to 17.7 billion – a $980 annual tax increase for a family of four, he said.”I have an iron-clad pledge that government is too big. It doesn’t need more taxes,” Bruce said.He said he is conscious of the diversity in his district, which runs east from Academy Boulevard to Curtis Road and south of Woodmen Road to E. Platte Avenue. “They all pay the same tax rates and have the same state government regulations,” he said. “But the issue of development is one significant distinction. People out east don’t want to lose their rural lifestyle. They like their 5-acre lots.”While he said he has not decided what legislation he would sponsor if re-elected, he is considering a long list of bills. Many issues are repeats of his legislative initiatives from last year, including a land use regulation bill that would require developers to pay impact fees to fund new schools, fire stations and infrastructure developments.Bruce said he also is looking at a property rights bill that would keep municipalities from infringing on a land owner’s right to control the appearance of his or her property, as well as a house resolution regarding redistricting to eliminate predetermined election outcomes through gerrymandering.Although the bills Bruce sponsored in his first session died in committee, he said he is an effective legislator. As a member of the House finance committee, he said he was the deciding vote to kill a tax incentive to Hollywood producers and a sales tax on real estate sales.In 2003, the Legislature borrowed $2.28 million from the Veterans Trust Fund. This year, House Bill 1078 proposed to repay the full amount. Bruce said his amendment to return an additional $193,000 of interest to the veterans’ fund passed both houses.In addition to serving on the house finance committee, Bruce also served on the state, veterans and military affairs committee. Controversy surrounded Bruce during his four months in Denver and included his removal from the veterans affairs committee and a censure from his fellow legislators.Of his actions in the Legislature, Bruce said, “I told people I was going to be a reformer. I’ve been known for it for 22 years. I’m gambling my time and money that people don’t want the status quo.”Mark WallerMark Waller said his 15 years of military service and four years as an attorney have helped him hone the leadership and communication skills to effectively represent Republican ideals in Denver.He said he has raised $41,000 and walks the more densely populated areas of the district four to five nights a week, as he campaigns for the Republican nomination.While he hasn’t walked the three precincts east of Marksheffel Road, Waller said his volunteers are working in the area. He said he has attended some of the Corral Bluffs meetings and El Paso County Commissioner Amy Lathen’s town hall meetings.”Growth is becoming a significant issue out east, especially as Banning Lewis Ranch is developed,” Waller said. The major concern needs to be ensuring enough water is in place before construction is completed, he added.Waller said he supports the idea of growth that pays for itself, and he believes development is moving in the right direction. “Developers do bear a significant portion of the impact fees right now. The cost should be shared between developers and new homes,” he said.Other important issues include protecting Second Amendment rights, public safety and school choice, Waller said.”I’m a big advocate for school choice. Parents willing to take on the responsibility need to have the ability to educate their children at home or in public or even charter schools,” he said.He also advocates giving law enforcement more tools to be successful and supports changing arrest laws and mandatory sentencing requirements, he said. “In a domestic violence case, whether you are in an argument or significantly injure your partner, the law requires 36 weeks of domestic violence counseling,” Waller said. “The Legislature has come up with a ‘one size fits all’ solution. I don’t think that’s appropriate. It should be handled closer to the individual case.”Waller said his campaign has received endorsements from 25 public officials, including four El Paso County commissioners and many Republicans holding state offices. “The endorsements show voters that a lot of elected officials think I’m the guy who can do the job,” he said. “My opponent has called me a political unknown, but that is hard to do when I have 25 endorsements. It has helped establish legitimacy to the campaign.”The endorsements also are a sign of how, if elected, he plans to work with other lawmakers, Waller said. “It’s important to be a fiscal and social conservative. But that’s only half the ball game,” he said. “Standing alone you can do nothing. Legislation is a team sport – you have to work with other people to get things done.”Waller said he will not abandon his principles in order to cooperate. “You always stand on principles, but you can do it in a respectful way,” he said. “You certainly need to stand strong, but at a bare minimum you need to work with other Republicans.”He will wait to work with Republican leadership before settling on specific pieces of legislation to sponsor. Immigration and sentencing laws are two areas he said he would consider, adding that his background would make him a valuable member of the judicial committee and the military affairs committee.For more information about Mark Waller, visit his Web site at www.markwallerforhd15.org.Editor’s note: The NFH invited both candidates to attend a forum to discuss the issues prior to the Republican primary on Aug. 12. Mark Waller declined the invitation.
