St. Regis man files as commissioner candidate

A new candidate entered the race for the open Mineral County commissioner seat.

Curtis Cochran, a private contractor from St. Regis, filed for county commissioner as a Republican Feb. 11. “I really care about the community and the county,” Cochran said.

Cochran said that he has lived in Mineral County since 1976 and has been involved with several community improvement groups. He said that he has been a part of the St. Regis Community Club, the park committee that built the St. Regis Park and he was the chairman of the Mineral County Centennial Committee. Cochran added that he has been an assistant football coach, involved with Fourth of July celebrations, and has had experience managing his family's KOA campground in St. Regis.

“I think I'm in touch with the state of the county and the timber industry, as well as small businesses,” Cochran said. He added that he's particularly concerned with the west end of Mineral County. “The west end of Mineral County has long seemed to me a good blend of the tourism industry and the timber industry,” Cochran said.

He said that the West End needs a strong voice in particular because the towns on that end of the county are unincorporated. “We rely entirely on the county government for basic services,” Cochran said. “I would work to ensure that our road departments and sheriff's office have everything they need to do their job.”

Cochran said that he would work to help the county with its growth issues. “We're going through some growing pains,” Cochran said, who added that he would work to help businesses in the area grow and overcome the small town issues that Mineral County faces.

“I want to be well informed and work well with the other county commissioners to try to make the best decisions,” Cochran said.

Cochran lives in St. Regis with his wife of five years, Katherine. He has a 25-year-old daughter who is a journalist in Boulder, Colo. His parents, John and Louise Cochran, also live in St. Regis.