WEEK OF JUNE 6, 2024
VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 26
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GOP hopefuls jockey for position
Told that he would never walk again, Castle Rock man defies the odds BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
the 2020 election was stolen. It’s one of the few deviations between the six candidates who largely agree on everything from immigration to the economy. The most recognizable name on the ballot is U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, who currently represents the 3rd Congressional District on the Western Slope. Also vying for the job
Dan Leffert dedicated most of his life to traveling across the globe to places like Switzerland and Germany. He spent most of the time outside, riding his motorcycle for thousands of miles. So hearing the words “You’ll never walk again” felt like the end of the world. He lost his mobility after having a stroke in 2016 and now 70, he has undergone countless hours of physical and occupational therapy. With the inspiration from his grandkids and the help of a medical device, Dan is walking once again. And, like his motorcycle riding, he’s measuring his miles. Dan has a goal of walking 200 miles by the end of the year. And in 2025, he’ll up the mileage again. He says it’s not about trying to get back to where he used to, but more about seeing where he can go from here. “I’ve got to do 300 next year,” Dan said. “It’s not more what I had, it’s what I’m going to do.” Everything changed on an ordinary February day in 2016. Dan was sitting next to his wife, Vicky, taking part in a homeowners association meeting in Castle Rock, speaking, when his words began to slur. Their property manager asked if he was alright and when Dan responded “No,” 911 was called. “I was coherent, but not speaking well,” said Dan. The initial CT scan verified Dan had suffered a hemorrhagic stroke, causing bleeding in the brain. Multiple times throughout the night, he was taken in for more scans to mon-
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SEE SURVIVOR, P10
The six Republican candidates running for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District are, from top left, U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, Deborah Flora, state Rep. Richard Holtorf, state Rep. Mike Lynch, former state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg and Peter Yu. COURTESY PHOTO
Primary season is here and 4th District candidates make their cases BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
With little ideologically separating the large group of Republicans who
want to fill the seat in Congress recently vacated by Ken Buck, the candidates have spent months on the campaign trail touting their resumes and, sometimes, their personalities in hopes of wooing voters. But there are some differences. For instance, every one of the GOP hopefuls for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District said they will vote for Donald Trump for president in November. Yet not all of them believe
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