The division between urban and rural communities is a tension as old as democracy itself. Walker Stapleton and Jared Polis should be commended for doing their part to address the urban-rural divide in Colorado by participating in the Rural Colorado Debate on Oct. 6 at Colorado Mesa University.

From the town of Maybell near the Wyoming border to Cortez and Durango in the southernmost reaches of the state, Colorado's rural communities face challenges unique to remote regions of the Centennial State. Federal land-use tensions, limited infrastructure, shortages of water and changes in agricultural represent just a few items in a long list of issues spoken about by communities who feel left behind. Likely, the disenfranchisement felt by some rural residents is both real and perceived. But the political underrepresentation of rural Colorado in undeniable. Nearly 60 percent of Colorado residents live in just five of the state's 64 counties. This fact leaves the remaining 39 percent wondering how the priorities of urban-centric legislators will affect their economies, communities and future. And wonder they well should. After all, demographic changes in Colorado are shifting the urban political dynamics dramatically. All the while, many rural Colorado communities remain largely static economically and culturally.