ALAMOSA — San Luis Valley native Cleave Simpson is running for the Colorado Senate in District 35.

A Colorado rancher and farmer, Simpson serves as the general manager of the Rio

Grande Water Conservation District and on the Adams State University Board of Trustees.

Areas of significant concern for him are agriculture, water and education.

Simpson is highly respected in the water community and if elected, would bring practical experience to the Colorado Senate on these vital issues. As a fourth-generation San Luis Valley farmer and rancher, he has a deep understanding of the water issues facing Colorado’s agriculture and rural communities. He believes leadership through a thoughtful, collaborative approach is necessary to provide solutions to the pressing needs across 

Senate District 35 and the state of Colorado.

Simpson serves as a representative on the Rio Grande Basin Roundtable and is a

Roundtable representative to the statewide Interbasin Compact Committee. He also is active in the Colorado Water Congress, and has served on the Farm Service Agency County Committee, Alamosa County Planning Commission, Alamosa Mosquito Control District and Alamosa School District Accountability Committee.

“I think District 35 needs a senator who is grounded and has life experiences in the communities and issues our rural areas face: prosperity and quality of life, challenges for agriculture, water demands, affordable quality healthcare, opioid impacts, rural education challenges, economic development, and the growing divide between rural and urban Colorado,” said Simpson. “My own experience is there is more that unites us than divides us. When we come together to find reasonable solutions, we can achieve a great deal. We all share the dream of a prosperous, secure future. Our communities are supported by healthy land and water management that supports productive agriculture, recreation, the environment

and wildlife. We all want to provide quality education and career opportunities for the next generation. As state senator, I would work hard to help create that future for the citizens of this district and all of Colorado.”

Simpson, a lifelong Republican, is running for the seat that will be vacated by term-limited Senator Larry Crowder. Simpson is a 1979 graduate of Alamosa High School and a 1984 graduate of the Colorado School of Mines. After spending time working in Texas and Australia, he and his wife of over 35 years, Cathy, returned to their hometown of Alamosa to be close to family and friends.

A formal announcement event is being planned; details will follow.

For more information about Simpson and to support his candidacy for Colorado Senate District 35, contact Cleave Simpson at [email protected]