The race for House District 59 this November has gotten a little more crowded.

Shelli Shaw, a Durango-area Republican, filed to run in late January as a challenger in Southwest Colorado’s House District 59. Shaw has hit the ground running, traversing the district as she competes for the seat currently held by three-term Democratic incumbent Barbara McLachlan.

Because of statewide redistricting, the boundaries of House District 59 will change with the 2022 election. The district will cover all of La Plata, Archuleta and San Juan counties and the majority, but not all, of Montezuma County.

Among her priorities, Shaw points to education and crime as she touts her experience working in school administration and her goal of being a voice for all voters.

“I am an everyday citizen who wants to represent (the) everyday citizens of Colorado,” she said.

Shaw submitted her candidate affidavit Jan. 31 after growing frustrated with the direction of Colorado and national politics. Shaw said she decided, “I can sit here and be frustrated or I can stand up and do something about it. So I decided to go ahead and run.”

Since filing to run, Shaw has hit the campaign trail as she reaches out to Republican voters and residents of the district. She has spent time in Cortez and Montezuma County, and she has visited Pagosa Springs and Archuleta County for the Republican caucuses. Shaw plans to attend the Republican assemblies in both Archuleta and La Plata counties in the coming week.

“I’ve really been getting to the different pieces of the district because I find it super important to understand every area that you represent, not just what you consider (your) hometown,” she said.

As a former educator, Shaw hopes to highlight education as one of her policy priorities.

Shaw expressed concerns about the “Comprehensive Human Sexuality Education” bill the Colorado General Assembly passed in 2019. Among other things, the bill prohibited gender stereotypes and the exclusion of the health needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender students in the sex education curriculum of public schools.

Shaw also argued for more school choice for parents and students.

“I think that the Comprehensive Human Sexuality Education bill that was passed is a little too far reaching in all the things that a school can teach,” she said. “If I’m listening, our parents are concerned about that.

“I believe also there are some opportunities for charter schools or other school options for parents, especially if in their communities their schools aren’t meeting their needs,” she said.

Crime and law enforcement are another policy priority of Shaw’s.

“Education is No. 1 for me, but also crime is increasing across Colorado exponentially,” she said.

About 45% of Coloradans in a 2021 poll by the Colorado Health Foundation answered that gun violence was a very or extremely serious concern. Some crimes such as homicide, aggravated assault and vehicle theft have increased in Colorado in recent years, while the rates of others such as rape, robbery and burglary have remained the same or declined, according to reporting from The Denver Post.

One policy Shaw is targeting is making possession of fentanyl a felony after a bipartisan bill passed in 2019 by the Colorado Legislature made the possession of up to 4 grams of many drugs, including fentanyl, a misdemeanor.

“It’s hurting our children,” she said. “When our young people are dying, it’s hurting our communities.”

She said she also wants to work on efforts to limit the legal action that law enforcement officers can face when on duty.

Shaw and her husband moved to Durango from Texas in March 2021 and started Blue Spruce BnB northeast of the city. For nearly two decades, she served as a 10th grade English teacher and school district administrator supervising reading intervention programs in Katy, Texas.

In a polarized political climate, Shaw thinks her experience as a school administrator will help bridge the divide between Colorado’s Republicans and Democrats.

“My first and foremost prayer is that I don’t change who I am. I am conservative, I am a Christian,” she said. “That being said, on the other side of that I have been a district-level administrator in a school district of 84,000 children. ... We also need to make sure that we listen to both sides.”

Shaw will face a difficult fight against McLachlan, who has represented House District 59 since 2017. Most recently, McLachlan defeated Republican Marilyn Harris, gathering 55.4% of the vote in 2020.

McLachlan is also setting a high bar for funding, ending the last reporting cycle with more than $21,000 on hand, according to campaign finance reports. Shaw has yet submit financial filings as a new candidate and will not be required to do so until May.

While the race will be a battle, Shaw said she thinks her Republican support and cross-party appeal to Democrats and unaffiliated voters will yield success.

“There are so many people, not just Republicans but unaffiliated (voters and) Democrats, that feel like they need something different right now,” she said. “... I do believe that people are going to turn out, and I feel very confident with the campaign.”

If elected, Shaw said she would be a representative who would listen and respond to the concerns of House District 59’s constituents.

“I find it very important that our southwest corner of Colorado is represented well and that means listening to voters. That means understanding all concerns, not just (of) one particular group,” she said. “I want to be that voice for everyone.”

ahannon@durangoherald.com