Just about half of the 11 Colorado counties with secession questions Tuesday gave approval for their county commissioners to continue with the effort. Voters soundly rejected the idea in Weld County where the movement began in July.
The Weld County Commissioners were the faces of the secession movement, penning and appearing in the . In the end, over half of their county voted against going any further in pursuit of of a 51st State.
Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway said voters sent a very clear message Tuesday.
鈥淭his is one of the solutions they don鈥檛 want us to pursue,鈥� Conway said. 鈥淲e must respect the will of the voters; I said that beforehand, one way or the other. So what we have in front of us is some other ideas that have come out of this process鈥� From a Weld County perspective, we will be looking at other alternatives as we move forward.鈥�
The maverick spirit behind the secession movement in Weld County was symbolized by the location for their watch party, the historic Fort Lupton. Inside the large main hall, animal heads adorned the walls as a fire roared in the fireplace. With no TVs, results were written on a large whiteboard.
Sitting at a table near the back of the main hall, Fort Lupton resident Doug Aden and his wife Terry were cautiously optimistic. 鈥淲ell, I think it鈥檚 an opportunity for us to send a message down to Denver to let them know that they鈥檙e going a little too fast on a lot of legislation,鈥� Aden said.
Legislation that included tougher gun laws and a mandate for more renewable energy production from rural electric cooperatives were often cited as examples of a growing disconnect between the state鈥檚 rural and urban areas.
Weld County Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer said despite Tuesday鈥檚 losses, the movement is just beginning. 鈥淸It鈥檚] kind of that first step, [the] first chapter in the book kind of thing,鈥� Kirkmeyer said.
鈥淲e gave people the opportunity to voice their concerns, to voice their discontent. And, like I said, in four short months, we鈥檝e come a pretty long way.鈥�
Alternatives to secession have recently been floated including an idea proposed by .
It advocates for more representation in the state Senate for rural counties. would explore the creation of an advocacy group similar to what does for the Western Slope.
Fort Lupton Resident Doug Aden had hoped more counties would have approved the secession question, but he鈥檚 happy that democracy worked.
鈥淥h yeah, you know anytime you can let your voice be heard鈥ou鈥檝e made some progress,鈥� Aden said.
from Tuesday鈥檚 election show Elbert, Lincoln, Logan, Sedgewick and Moffat counties joined Weld in voting against secession. Residents in Cheyenne, Kit Carson, Phillips, Washington and Yuma counties voted yes.
