On behalf of the Southern Colorado Business Alliance, congratulations. You have earned our endorsement in the 2026 election for Colorado House District 59.

That is a short sentence, and the work behind it was not. This is the Alliance’s first endorsement cycle, and we set out to do it properly. We interviewed nearly fifty candidates for the General Assembly. Each one completed a detailed policy survey covering labor and employment law, housing supply and affordability, tax and fiscal policy, healthcare costs, and the tools Colorado uses to attract and keep employers. Each one sat down with our committee. Where a legislative voting record existed, we read it. No single one of those things decided the outcome — we weighed them together.

We also weighed something that does not appear on any scorecard. The candidates on this slate were willing to sit in a room and work through positions they did not share. Southern Colorado’s employers do not need legislators who agree with us on every question. We need legislators who will take the meeting, hear the argument out, and keep the door open when a vote does not go our way. You showed us that, and it carried real weight in our decision.

Enclosed you will find a contribution from the Southern Colorado Business Alliance in support of your campaign. We hope it is useful, and we hope it is the beginning of a working relationship rather than the end of a process. Our members employ thousands of people across this region, and they are a resource to you — on the practical effects of legislation, on what our industries are seeing, and on the questions worth asking before a bill moves.

We will say plainly that our interest in knowing you does not depend on the outcome of your race. People who put their name on a ballot stay involved in this community — on boards, in their neighborhoods, in the rooms where decisions get made. We would like to have a working relationship with you either way.

Naomi listens, understands rural Colorado, and will bring common sense, integrity, and strong local representation to the State Capitol. I encourage the voters of House District 59 to support Naomi Riess.

Jeff Thormodsgaard
Southern Colorado Business Alliance

MJ Benenati
Southern Colorado Business Alliance