Polis, Gardner at odds on water, fracking issues

The re-election of Rep. Cory Gardner and victory of Jared Polis to a newly drawn district that now includes Northern Colorado promises to bring the region closer in some ways — and farther apart in others.

Polis, D-Boulder, and Gardner, R-Yuma, hold opposing views on some key issues important to Northern Colorado, including water projects and oil and gas development.

Northern Colorado has seen its fair share of the partisanship that has deeply divided the country. But having Polis now representing Larimer County while Gardner represents Weld County may mean even more political discord in the region.

It hasn't always been like this.

Reps. Marilyn Musgrave, a Republican who once represented Gardner's 4th Congressional District, and Mark Udall, a former representative of the 2nd Congressional District now serving in the U.S. Senate, worked well together in the 2000s.

Getting lawmakers to collaborate today isn't impossible; it's just harder than it used to be, said Robert Duffy, chair of CSU's political science department.

"More and more issues have been caught up in … (a) partisan swirl," he said.

Polis and Gardner may differ most sharply on the raging