At the beginning of the arc of momentum for our 2024 3rd Congressional District election, we can say with certainty challenger for the Democratic nomination, veterinarian and business owner Dr. Debby Burnett of Gunnison, will bring spirited discussions to the race.

Burnett is cerebral and articulate with a rural background, and she’s gaining traction with a campaign video that went viral with more than 1 million views. She’s a working mom who owns firearms and sees them as tools, like a shovel in the back of a pickup truck, when ranchers need to put down cows. At the same time, she has that sick feeling in her stomach when dropping off her daughter, Gracelyn, at school, and says a prayer for her safety.

Universal background checks, closed loopholes and mandatory waiting periods make sense, Burnett said. That’s the majority of what Americans want. “It’s not red or blue,” she said.

Holding multiple thoughts about guns is one example of how Burnett aligns with the makeup of CD3 voters. We are a varied group in a vast district. And a representative who gets the district’s many layers will serve us well.

When Burnett’s husband, Greg Roberts, isn’t on the road as a long-haul trucker, he’s baling hay in their business that is climate dependent. Burnett has bills and student loans, and is looking at more loans as her daughter considers colleges.

“I’m a real person and have real issues, like so many people in this district,” Burnett said. “We need a woman in this race, especially after the overturning of Roe. We need a woman who looks like all of us. I’m just an ordinary working-class mom, fed up with worrying about what my daughter’s life will look like in the future. It’s time to act now.”

As a vet, Burnett spends a lot of time on ranches and farms. People always talk about the heat, their water access, animals and crops, and their struggles in holding it all together. Climate change is a pressing topic, but she understands some ranchers hear these words and cringe, and don’t equate them with what’s right in front. Yet, they’re making improvements, fixing ditches to counter evaporative losses. Burnett will be a good one to make these connections.

We also liked that in talking about opposing Democratic candidate, Adam Frisch, the businessman from Aspen who narrowly lost to U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert in 2022, Burnett had kind words. (The Durango Herald and The Journal endorsed Frisch in that election.) She just sees herself as more fitting for representative because of how she grew up, who she grew into, what she and her family face every day and the things that occupy the minds of CD3 voters. Affording a home and/or a business, taking care of aging relatives, access to health care, low household incomes, drug overdoses. Water in the West.

We’re still getting to know Burnett and like her spunk. And we’re glad she’s running. She has a lot to say about constituents and this district not getting what’s needed.

Water in CD3 will be huge for the next representative, with the new water management plan coming in 2026, dictated by the feds. Congress will decide and Burnett – were she to win the seat – sees herself formulating a Western Colorado water bill to consider what’s used, what’s conserved and what flows down the river. Mostly, she wants to ensure residents and their livelihoods are protected. Already, many Western farms bore the brunt of conservation and the Ute Mountain Ute tribe couldn’t always plant.

Like her thoughts on guns, Burnett considers differing angles on water. For example, she recently spoke with a soil scientist who supports flooding fields, supplying the rest of the ecosystem, more than center pivots. She’s curious about what people have to say. Her openness will, ideally, elevate conversations among candidates. Who can match the political will to the struggles?

Once a sleepy district to the rest of the nation, CD3 is now a focal point. When far more voters cast ballots because it’s a presidential election year, CD3 can go in any direction. At this point in time, these are the three to watch. Frisch is on a fundraising tear and in final results in 2022, won some swing counties, including Alamosa and Huerfano. Boebert has the incumbent’s advantage. And Burnett is fresh.