Who knew turning the ballot upside down could be an effective voting strategy? We get to know Steph Vigil, candidate to return to the Colorado legislature representing District 16. She has a track record of standing up for the common man, woman and family. Our discussion includes how downballot races really impact our daily lives. We recorded with Steph Vigil on September 25, before ballots were mailed out.

We also hear from Pikes Peak Bulletin Managing Editor Heila Ershadi about campaign ads for Jeff Crank that his opponent, Jessica Killin, has decried as a security risk and invasion of her family’s privacy. Both are candidates in a very competitive race to represent Colorado’s District 5 in Congress.

Plus - some outstanding resources for voters trying to cast informed votes on a lengthy ballot.

LINKS:

Steph Vigil

info@vhillforcolorado.com or 719-297-3210

One Life Impacts Many - episode 31 of a Place for everyone

Pikes Peak Bulletin Voters Guide

Our Voice, Our Future 2026 - episodes recorded at the Studio 809 Podcasts Get Out the Vote Podcast Marathon

Candidate Killin’s Address Exposed in Political Ads

For the undecided: Crank vs. Killin for Congress

My Family and the One Big Beautiful Bill

To share your opinion at the Pikes Peak Bulletin: heila@pikespeakbulletin.org

Jessica Killin Wants to Represent You in Congress - Episode 41 of Loving the Springs, published in March

MENTIONED:

Front Range Passenger Rail

Bustang

RTD in Denver

DIA

Colorado Springs Airport

Uber

DoorDash

Amazon

Project Taurus

Data centers

Jeff Crank

Jessica Killin

Free Speech Coalition

ACLU

No Going Back PAC

MAGA Inc.

Wayne Laugesen

The Gazette

Aylo

PornHub

Nick Raven

Badly Needed & Long Overdue (BNLO)

Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest.

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Longtime Springs booster Carrie Simison co-hosts with local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner. All three love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they’ll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

With the critical November election coming up, how can you be certain you’ll receive a ballot? How do you vote? How secure is our voting system? Get the answers from the ultimate election nerd, El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker. Steve wants registering and voting to be so easy for you, he practically offers to be your personal election concierge. If you have questions, call him!

We recorded this conversation in front of a live audience at Studio 809 Podcasts’ Our Voice, Our Future 2026: Get Out the Vote Podcast Marathon. The marathon was held at CO.A.T.I. Uprise, the cool food hall, bar, dream hatchery and community event center in downtown Colorado Springs.

RESOURCES:

To check your registration and mailing address, or to register: govotecolorado.go

El Paso County Clerk and Recorder - Elections section - including location of ballot boxes and in-person voting centers

Steve Schleiker’s office: 719-575-VOTE (8683)

email Steve: steveschleiker@elpasoco.com

MENTIONED:

Hacking elections

Ballot harvesting

2,000 Mules

Tracie Woods

Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest.

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Longtime Springs booster Carrie Simison co-hosts with local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner. All three love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they’ll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

While the proposed Project Taurus data center awaits its city council hearing, we learn about another project being fast-tracked in southern Colorado Springs that will have data center equipment and needs, but we are told is not a data center. Project Primestone will begin with a facility requiring twice the electrical power of Project Taurus and may ultimately use four times Taurus’ 50 megawatt appetite.

Seth Palmer Harris, the reporter who has filed a story about Primestone in the Pikes Peak Bulletin, fills us in. The discussion includes various ways developers fund projects in Colorado Springs, including metro districts, urban renewal tax incentives and Tax Increment Financing. There is much more to the story, so listen to this episode and read the report in the Pikes Peak Bulletin.

NOTE: When Dave mention there will be many “NIMBYs” at the September 17 Colorado Springs City Council data center hearing, he does not mean it in a derogatory sense.

LINKS:

Project Primestone Isn’t A Data Center – It Will Just Look and Feel Like One

Fight to Save OCC Downtown Development Authority Ramps Up

The Rotten Roots of Project Taurus – Episode 154 of Peak Environment

52nd Annual Commonwheel Artists Co-Op Labor Day Weekend Art Festival

SinkMS MiniGolf Tournament

Creek Week 2026

10th annual COLORADO SHORT CIRCUIT Film Festival

Starlight Spectacular

MENTIONED:

Project Taurus proposed data center

Brandy Williams

Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority

Colorado Springs Gazette

Phil Anschutz

Commonwheel Artists Co-op

Independent Film Society of Colorado Springs

Gold Mine Mini Golf

National MS Society

Fountain Creek Watershed District

Trails and Open Space Coalition

Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest.

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Longtime Springs booster Carrie Simison co-hosts with local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner. All three love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they’ll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com