JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
The congressional district that sits in Western Colorado was decided by under 600 votes last election. It was the closest congressional race in the nation. Bente Birkeland from Colorado Public Radio went to hear from the voters living with that political divide.
BENTE BIRKELAND, BYLINE: The small town of New Castle, about 2 1/2 hours west of Denver, is bustling with the annual Burning Mountain Festival. The town pavilion is set up for a pie-eating contest and log-splitting. Children line up along the Main Street, holding huge bags that will soon be filled with candy from the floats in the parade.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Candy.
BIRKELAND: But with the general election just around the corner, politics is also top of mind. Republican Mike Samson has been a county commissioner for 16 years. He says he hears a universal message from voters.
MIKE SAMSON: People are tired of all the arguing and fighting and name-calling and stuff. And, you know, that starts at the top level with the presidential race nationally, and it just kind of moves its way down through all 50 states and into the counties and so on.
BIRKELAND: And it's here as well. This part of the state is represented by Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, a controversial figure in Congress. She only barely won reelection here two years ago. And she moved across the state to run in a more conservative district, so she won't be tested by these voters again. Still, the division uncovered by her 2022 race still exists here. It's something unaffiliated voter Nicholas Krick is worried about.
NICHOLAS KRICK: The scene is just set for chaos right now, and I think the people are going to lose either way.
BIRKELAND: Krick himself says he may not even vote in the congressional race this year. He admits to being kind of jaded by national politics.
KRICK: It's kind of scary because you have such a divide right now, where it doesn't matter who wins. The other side is going to be unhappy and blame the process.
BIRKELAND: Republican Caleb Waller is running for office for the first time. He's also concerned about the country's deep split, especially within his party.
CALEB WALLER: Am I going to be forced to vote for Trump because I believe his policies are better? Then I'm - that's a choice that I guess I'll have to make on the day of the election. But it's just - I get highly frustrated with the rhetoric 'cause I just - I despise the division with a passion.
BIRKELAND: For Trump supporter Jared Reid, Democrats are a big reason for that division. He believes Trump is being unfairly persecuted.
JARED REID: Ask anybody who's on the left what Trump did wrong - what his actual charge is or what he - what crime he actually committed - and they don't know, but they want him to be convicted.
BIRKELAND: Trump was convicted on fraud charges in New York and, in a separate case, found liable for sexual abuse and defamation. With each case, Trump supporters have largely become more supportive. His conviction and ongoing legal battles are partly why Democratic voter Willow Brotzman says she worries about the future of democracy if Trump wins.
WILLOW BROTZMAN: I mean, it's just terrifying thinking that he could make it back in there. So everything - I feel like everything is on the line with the presidential.
BIRKELAND: These Colorado voters say they don't expect an end to the political divide anytime soon. But at least for one day, they seem happy to just enjoy the town festival - together.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: They have an apple pie this year. These pies are a pound and a half for the adults. They have to finish everything.
BIRKELAND: For NPR News, I'm Bente Birkeland in New Castle, Colo.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: Five...
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: Four, three, two, one...
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: Go.
(SOUNDBITE OF SINY'S "ORANGE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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