Purplish - Colorado Public Radio

Latest Episodes:

How Colorado secures the vote Oct 25, 2024

Show notes

Once again, conspiracy theories about voting fraud are front and center ahead of a presidential election. Led by their nominee, Republican voters in particular are worried about things like non-citizens voting en masse and bad actors rigging voting machines.

Hosts Caitlyn Kim and Bente Birkeland -- with special guest, news fellow Kiara DeMare -- walk through the safeguards in place that keep those things from happening. The tools are as simple as database searches and double-checking results, but the implications are profound for trust in our democracy.

This episode was produced by Shane Rumsey and edited by Megan Verlee.

All. The. Ballot. Questions. All of them. Oct 18, 2024

Show notes

Grab your ballot and follow along as hosts Bente Birkeland and Megan Verlee introduce you to the dozen-plus questions on the state ballot this fall. From protecting abortion and school choice to banning big cat hunting and taxing guns, they'll provide essential context on all the measures, big and small.

If you're left with any questions, more information awaits you at our voter guide: www.cpr.org/voterguide2024

This episode was produced by Shane Rumsey and Jo Erickson.

The Colorado congressional races to know about Oct 11, 2024

Show notes

For this episode, we're doing something we never have before: recording the show in front of a live studio audience. Hosts Caitlyn Kim, Bente Birkeland and Megan Verlee discuss what's at stake for congress in the upcoming congressional races.

Which party controls the U.S. House could have a lot to do with how voters in Colorado's newest district are feeling about their first term congresswoman, and her law-and-order challenger. Plus, Rep. Lauren Boebert's district-hopping gamble has scrambled the races in two of the state's Republican seats. And, what could a new congress hold for other members of the Colorado delegation?

Will ranked-choice voting rewrite Colorado's elections? Prop. 131 explained. Oct 04, 2024

Show notes

Voters this fall will decide whether to change how Colorado selects its leaders in the future, by doing away with partisan primaries and ranking candidates in general elections. These reforms are part of a national effort backers say could help push politics back toward the center, and that opponents warn could further erode trust in elections.

Hosts Andrew Kenney and Bente Birkeland explain how Prop. 131 would work, introduce you to the multi-millionaire behind it, and break down how these reforms have worked in other states.

This episode was produced by Shane Rumsey and edited by Megan Verlee.

Coming soon: Purplish's 2024 election season Sep 27, 2024

Show notes

Purplish is coming back to help you prepare for Colorado's 2024 election, including contentious congressional races and 14 statewide ballot measures.

Tune in for the stories behind those initiatives, and to hear arguments for and against them. Also, why Coloradans will choose new representatives in all the congressional seats Republicans hold. Episodes start October 4.

Plus, you can participate in the first Purplish live taping on October 8 in Denver. Get tickets here: cpr.org/purplishlive.

Assessing the primary as the dust settles Jun 28, 2024

Show notes

Our hosts discuss the big themes that emerged from Republican primary results and what they mean for the future of the party, and for the general election.

GOP rifts in the Congressional Districts 5 and 8 primaries Jun 21, 2024

Show notes

How a pair of two-man races in El Paso County and along the northern Front Range are illustrating the increasingly bitter divisions in Colorado's Republican Party.

The primary fight for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District Jun 14, 2024

Show notes

With Rep. Lauren Boebert out of the running, which of the half dozen Republicans trying for the seat is likely to win the primary and take on Democrat Adam Frisch?

In eastern Colorado, a primary and a vacancy election Jun 07, 2024

Show notes

What to make of the nine major party candidates -- including Rep. Lauren Boebert -- all running in Colorado's fourth congressional district? And how does the vacancy race to fill out Ken Buck's term factor into it all?

What are Colorado voters worried about? May 31, 2024

Show notes

From the future of our democracy to the state of their bank accounts, Colorado voters have been telling us about their top concerns for the upcoming election.