“There’s always this kind of fight for the soul of Douglas County.”

House District 44 where Alyssa Nilemo is running is in Douglas County on the southern edge of the Denver metro area. The county has historically been conservative, but elections in the past two years indicate a shift in local politics. Political experts and Douglas County elected officials help me contextualize these changes within Colorado’s recent “Purple State Era,” and I introduce Nadia, a voter in Parker, who shares her experiences living in the rapidly developing town.