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Purplish: The Great Colorado Road Trip

Eileen Laubacher, Democratic candidate for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, hands out candy to kids and talks with voters at the Sand and Sage Parade at the Prowers County Fair. Aug. 8, 2026.
Caitlyn Kim
/
CPR News
Eileen Laubacher, Democratic candidate for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, hands out candy to kids and talks with voters at the Sand and Sage Parade at the Prowers County Fair. Aug. 8, 2026.

Purplish hit the road for a 1,600-mile-plus trip around the state, from Lamar to Greeley and Grand Junction, to rural areas and city centers. Voters shared what they’re worried about and what’s motivating them to head to the polls this November with especially high stakes because control of Congress hangs in the balance.

CPR’s Bente Birkeland and Caitlyn Kim hear from voters in the most competitive, or arguably competitive in some cases, congressional districts in the state. They also discuss the Republican and Democratic candidates vying for those votes, and where there’s the greatest chance of a potential upset.

Catch up on our latest coverage:

Purplish is produced by CPR News and the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Startup funding for the Alliance was provided, in part, by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Purplish’s producer is Stephanie Wolf. Sound design and engineering by Shane Rumsey. Story editing from Nicole Vap. The theme music is by Brad Turner. Other music in this episode is courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions.

Bente Birkeland is an award-winning journalist who joined Colorado Public Radio in August 2018 after a decade of reporting on the Colorado state capitol for the Rocky Mountain Community Radio collaborative and KUNC. In 2017, Bente was named Colorado Journalist of the Year by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and she was awarded with a National Investigative Reporting Award by SPJ a year later.
Caitlyn has been with Colorado Public Radio since 2019.