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LIFELONG REPUBLICAN PARTY ACTIVIST
TWICE SERVED AS WELD COUNTY REPUBLICAN VICE-CHAIR
FORMER WELD COUNTY REPUBLICAN PRECINCT CHAIR
FORMER SCHOOL TEACHER IN HUDSON — 25 YEARS SERVICE
PROUD GRANDMOTHER OF 14
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Ruth Gartrell, former Weld County Republican Vice-Chair and Precinct Chair, supports Stan Matsunaka for Congress
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"I am a Republican who supports Stan Matsunaka"
Ruth Gartrell has been an active Republican for nearly four decades, serving twice as Vice-Chair in the Weld County Republican Party and recently volunteering as a precinct chairwoman. But she quit the post when state Sen. Marilyn Musgrave won the Republican nomination in the 4th Congressional District.
"I knew I could not support Marilyn Musgrave, so I resigned," Ruth said.
"Marilyn Musgrave does not represent the Republican Party I have supported
and served."
"I wanted to decide for myself"
"At that point, I asked myself, ' Well, who is this Stan Matsunaka?' So I went and looked up Stan's record. Having been involved in Republican Party politics for so many years, I wanted to know exactly where he stood on all the issues that I care about."
"I also talked to people who knew him personally—his friends, his acquaintances, people who had known him for years. Because I personally didn't know him."
"After looking at his voting record and talking to people who knew him well, I decided I could agree with most of Stan's record, and more important, that he was an honorable person. I myself was surprised to find that I supported a Democrat. But I have always decided for myself who I am going to support. I don't let anyone tell me who to support."
Farmers are very independent-minded people
"I should tell you that although I worked as a schoolteacher for 25 years, I grew up on a farm and I'm still a farmer at heart. And farmers are very independent people. They don't like the government or anyone else telling them what to do or how to do it," Ruth said. "You can just ask the wife of any farmer about that," she added, laughing. Ruth Gartrell, who raised six children, and today has 14 grandchildren and 6 great-grands, ought to know. She was married to a farmer and truck driver for 44 years.
"So what I like about Stan is that he is independent-minded, too. He looks at the broad issues, not just a narrow point of view. He thinks for himself, and is not a dogmatic Democrat. I don't like dogmatic politicians, whether they are Republicans or Democrats. Stan is very intelligent and willing to listen respectfully to both sides of an issue. I like that."
Water and Education are the top issues
"As far as which issues I think are most important, I have to agree with Betty Ehn that water is the Number One issue in Colorado. As I said, I'm a farmer at heart. When you have brown lawns and can't water them, that doesn't bother me. But when the farmer can't have water to raise his crops, that's his livelihood. My lawn is not my livelihood. So we have to get our priorities straight and get some water to the farmers of the Fourth District."
"Another issue that's important to me is education, because of my experience as a schoolteacher and on the board of trustees for Ames Community College. I happen to believe that more money doesn't necessarily mean better education. Educating our kids takes a lot of cooperation from the community. We need to back the teachers, and parents need to be more involved in the schools. That's another reason I like Stan Matsunaka. He works hard for good education, and he is willing to think outside the box to find solutions that fit a particular community's needs."
Ruth Gartrell's advice to voters
"The only advice I have is that voters should think for themselves and vote for the candidate they believe in. If you vote for a candidate you don't care for, don't expect that candidate to care for you after they are in office."
"The other day I was volunteering at a local museum, and a woman I know came up and asked me, ' Who should I vote for?' "
"I said, ' I can't tell you who to vote for. You have to decide that for yourself.' "
"One of my friends was working right beside me and she said to the woman, ' You asked the wrong question. Ask her who is the best candidate.' "
"So the woman asked me. And I answered, ' Well, I can tell you that. It's Stan Matsunaka.' "
"And the woman smiled and said, 'Good. Then I voted the right way.' "
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