Berthoud Weekly Surveyor | Covering all the angles in the Garden Spot

Jody Shadduck-McNally (D) Larimer County Commissioner District 3

By: Dan Karpiel | The Surveyor | October 08, 2020 | Politics

She has a servant’s heart, in her words, and after nearly a lifetime spent in public service, Jody Shadduck-McNally has set her sights the open seat in District 3 of the Larimer County Commission. Shadduck-McNally, a Democrat, is facing Republican Ben Aste in this November’s election.

Her ties to Larimer County, and even to Berthoud, run deep. While Shadduck-McNally was born and raised in Boulder County, her mother was born in a small farmhouse on the eastern edge of Berthoud.

Shadduck-McNally has been deeply involved in public service for more than two decades, undertaking a great number of endeavors, both out in front and behind the scenes, for the betterment of her community. “I’ve been doing community service since I was a young child, it’s something that is ingrained in me,” Shadduck-McNally said.

As she explained, “I’m running for something, I’m running to serve the community, I’ve been in this community my whole life, this is where I grew up, where I chose to raise my family, this is my home and I value our natural resources and I value this community. I am really looking to service this community and be a heart and a voice for this community. A lot the actions I’ve done, I’ve done for my community, to make it stronger and better. I think I have the background, the experience and the shown leadership and proven track record to be a strong leader for this community on the board of County Commissioners.”

Shadduck-McNally has worked on seven winning campaigns, including the 2018 mental health initiative and numerous school board elections. She has served on multiple committees and commissions including the. Thompson School District Accountability and Master Plan Committees, Larimer County Citizens for Mental Health Matters Team, Larimer County Strategic Planning Committee and the Larimer County Office on Aging Advisory, among many others.

She has been endorsed by a broad array of elected officials including Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), Senator Michael Bennett (D-Colo.), current Larimer County Commissioner John Kefalas (D), Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D), Berthoud Mayor Will Karspeck, Loveland Mayor Jackie Marsh and multiple state representatives and state senators.

After spending so much time working behind the scenes and serving on various committees and commissions, Shadduck-McNally said she came to realize that the importance of the county’s work and how it goes unnoticed by many people. As she explained, “All those things built up in the back of my head saying ‘you know what, this is a really important position and I love this county and I really want to do what I can and give back and make my community stronger and I really want to affect the future of Larimer County.”

She continued, “I realized there are a lot people who don’t understand how important the county is for them and I want to educate them and be a voice for them and help them connect to their government and see the county is working hard for them and make sure the county is listening to them before.”

Shadduck-McNally said she believes one of the biggest issues facing the county right now is dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak, assuring the best possible health outcomes while also supporting local small businesses that have been affected. She explained it takes a community effort and everyone has a part to play saying, “Now I feel the COVID recovery and resiliency is at the top. We have a lot of small businesses that are taking the hit. We have to, as individuals have that personal responsibility, whether it’s for ourselves or our essential workers, or people who are sick with COVID, or our business owners, I feel we need to be wearing masks and doing our part to suppress (the spread).”

“I’m not running for me; I’m running for my community. I will always be someone who will listen, I want to hear from them. Everywhere is somewhere in Larimer county and Berthoud has a special place in my heart since I spent a lot of time there growing up. I am going to be accessible, accountable and transparent,” she said.

For further information on Shadduck-McNally’s campaign, including a vast amount of details on all the issues facing the county, visit https://www.jodyforlarimer.com/.

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