Colorado River Governors Face Tight Races as Water Cuts Loom
Six of seven basin states vote this week amid stalled federal negotiations and a 10-year mandate for reduced allocations.
By Tyler Khalil ·
Candidates for governor in six Colorado River Basin states are trading accusations over water management as midterm elections approach this week. In Nevada, Democratic candidate and Attorney General Aaron Ford claims incumbent Republican Governor Joe Lombardo mishandled recent negotiations. In Arizona, Republican candidate Rep. Andy Biggs argues that Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs has depleted the state's water supply. The Trump administration joined the fray, criticizing Hobbs for prioritizing politics over solutions when Arizona filed a motion to join Nevada in suing the federal government's new water framework.
The conflict stems from a 10-year federal framework that imposes water cutbacks exclusively on California, Arizona, and Nevada. These Lower Basin states historically consumed more water than their legal entitlements allowed. Nevada and Arizona now challenge the Department of the Interior's plan in court. A larger lawsuit involving all seven basin states remains possible due to disagreements over the compact's clauses. The Upper Basin states, which have never used their full allotment, resist mandatory cuts, citing hydrological uncertainty at the river's headwaters.
Polls suggest current partisan splits will largely hold. Xavier Becerra leads in California, Phil Weiser leads in Colorado, Deb Haaland leads in New Mexico, and Eric Barlow leads in Wyoming. The Nevada race between Ford and Lombardo is tight, while Hobbs holds a lead over Biggs in Arizona. Gary Wockner, founder of Save the Colorado, noted that water politics remain surprisingly nonpartisan. "Everyone wants to drain the river and get every drop they legally are allowed to get," he said. He lives in the basin and has sued to limit Colorado's water withdrawals.
Voter concerns vary by region. In Arizona, 69 percent of voters lack confidence in the state's long-term water supply, according to the Center for the Future of Arizona. In contrast, water is a less prominent issue in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming, where states face no mandatory cuts under the new plan. Wockner described these states as having "won" because they do not need to address immediate deficits publicly.
Experts warn that changing leadership may not immediately resolve the stalemate. Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University, said that personal feelings among long-term negotiators complicate the process. She suggested that new officials might find ways to reach agreements that current parties have missed. Elizabeth Koebele, a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, expressed pessimism about the states reaching a consensus. "This is probably the most pessimistic I've ever been about the states being able to reach a consensus," she said.
Negotiations continue despite the litigation. The Lower Basin proposes taking less water during certain drought conditions, with further cuts shared equally. The Upper Basin opposes this structure. Celene Hawkins, Colorado River program director at The Nature Conservancy, urged newly elected officials to lower tensions. She called for a commitment from leaders to find a long-term solution for managing the river in a hotter, drier future.
Campaigns for Weiser in Colorado and Barlow in Wyoming did not respond to requests for comment regarding their water policy positions. The next step for the basin is the outcome of these gubernatorial elections, which will determine who leads their states into the next phase of river management.
