Brittany Pettersen, a congressional candidate for Colorado’s District 7, visited Buena Vista (BV) on Saturday, October 8, to talk with voters, learn more about the community, and prepare for the next day’s canvassing efforts. The meet and greet, held at the Eddyline Taproom at 102 Linderman Avenue, offered local voters and supporters the chance to chat with Pettersen about her campaign, her platforms, and her work in Colorado’s state legislature.
Brittany Pettersen (right) chats with attendees at the Eddyline Taproom on Saturday, October 8, 2022. Pettersen has nearly a decade of state legislative work under her belt. Photo by Hannah Harn.
“This is a community that I grew up cherishing and visiting,” she said. “But I’m very excited for the opportunity to actually have the chance to work on the issues that are going to help make people’s lives better.”
Pettersen has been hosting these “Beers with Brittany” events throughout the district, which was remapped after the 2020 census. District 7 now reaches from Boulder down through Cañon City. Attendees included Chaffee County Clerk & Recorder Lori Mitchell and Chaffee County Commissioner Keith Baker.
Pettersen’s congressional campaign follows nearly ten years in Colorado’s state legislature.
“It’s a difficult path,” she said of her tenure and the current campaign. “I’ve been working, running, winning, and representing the heart of the community that I grew up in the last decade. It is the most rewarding job but there are also a lot of ups and downs…There are really incredible wins along the way and then, because you put your everything into the job, there’s a lot of times where you can feel devastated if you don’t get funding, if you don’t get a bill passed. You really do everything for this job, if you’re doing it right. There are…more ups than downs, for sure, especially in a place like Colorado where we’ve been able to accomplish so much.”
Pettersen would be the first woman to represent this district, and she recognizes the importance of reflecting the lives of the voters she represents.
“I can’t believe I’ll be the first woman elected to the seat, but it’s about time, and it’s why we need to see women in office. We need to see ourselves and the people who are elected actually reflect the perspectives and life experiences of the electorate,” she said. “But it’s also about building a network and having people around you who push you to do it. As a young woman, you’re never going to be told it’s your turn. People have been very upset when I have stepped up to run in the past saying that it wasn’t my turn … They’re never going to tell us it’s our turn.”
Additionally, though Pettersen’s life experiences made her feel she’s “highly unlikely to be the Democratic nominee for Congress…[she] was given a chance to build a better life.”
“I think about the incredible opportunity that I have, but I also know the weight on my shoulders, carrying those life experiences and perspectives that are far too often underrepresented in Congress.”
After spending time chatting with attendees, taking photos, and shaking hands, Pettersen stood before the group to share a few words, highlighting her prioritization of behavioral health issues and treatment access, housing prices, and healthcare access.
Brittany Pettersen (far right) takes a moment to applaud supporters and attendees at her Beers with Brittany event on Saturday, October 8, 2022, hosted at Eddyline Taproom. Pettersen is running to represent District 7 in Congress. Photo by Hannah Harn.
“But right now, the thing that keeps me up at night and gets me up in the morning to keep fighting is the fact that our democracy is truly on the line. What we do right now, in this moment and in 2024, is going to define the future that my son grows up in and whether or not we have free and fair elections.”
Pettersen also spoke to the bipartisan nature of her legislative experience.
“We actually roll up our sleeves and solve problems but we do it in a bipartisan way. Almost 97 percent of the bills that are passed in the legislature are bipartisan, unlike what you’ll hear in the media and things that they focus on,” she emphasized. “Most things are issues that we actually work together on, building relationships with each other with respect and dignity, and I think we could use a lot more of that in Washington.”
“I want you all to take a look at your calendars. See what you can do,” she said, encouraging people to vote and get involved in the process. “Let’s be proud that when the results come in, we know that we did everything that we could, that we fought as hard for our democracy and the future of this country as we needed to.”
Pettersen is expecting to visit again before election night, and she plans to keep coming back after the election.
“The issues that are facing this community deserve somebody who’s going roll up their sleeves and do the difficult behind-the-scenes work that doesn’t get you headlines, things that actually help make people’s lives better,” she concluded. “That’s the type of leader I’ve at the capitol, and that’s who I’m going to be in Washington.”
Editor’s note: It should be noted that these are the answers and opinions of the candidate and do not represent Ark Valley Voice. AVV does no candidate endorsements of any kind. We were informed of her event, and we covered this as an election event.
Recent Comments