Kent J. Thiry (@KentThiry) header
Kent J. Thiry (@KentThiry) profile picture

Kent J. Thiry

@KentThiry

Love being a father of two. Cycling enthusiast. Civically engaged. Former CEO and Executive Chairman of DaVita. Mayor Emeritus, DaVita Village.

 Denver
Joined October 2012
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  • Followers3.2K
Warp has the potential to save millions of lives, and enhance millions more … it is rare that an opportunity like this exists in the real world!
Kevin Weil 🇺🇸 (@kevinweil) profile pictureKevin Weil 🇺🇸
@kevinweilOct 22
💥 Introducing Warp Sciences, a new company applying AI and robotics to help the world develop new medicines faster. We’ve raised a $215M Series A led by @lightspeedvp to bring frontier AI out of the browser and into the lab, and build scientific capacity here in America. I co-founded Warp with my long-time friend @dpatil, FAIR co-founder @manohar_paluri, and drug hunter Sol Reisberg. The early team is full of incredible people like @bkspears9, who helped achieve Q>1 fusion at LLNL.
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While we make it easy to cast and count votes in the general election, we have built an election system that makes it increasingly difficult to cast a meaningful one. And who loses? Voters. Read more: kentthiry.com/regardless-of-…
Regardless of primary outcome, the real loser is Colorado voters - Kent Thiry

Regardless of primary outcome, the real loser is Colorado voters - Kent Thiry

Originally published in the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel The most revealing metric from the June 30 primary election wasn’t the final vote tally for any single candidate or the margin of victory in...

kentthiry.com
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X: "I still vote for the person, not the party." — La Plata County Clerk Tiffany Lee.
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When election officials themselves are saying the system is broken, it’s time to listen. We need a fully open primary system where every voter can vote for the candidate they actually believe in, regardless of party. No barriers. Just democracy. 9news.com/article/news/local…
Colorado’s 2 million unaffiliated voters can choose between Democratic and Republican primary...

Colorado’s 2 million unaffiliated voters can choose between Democratic and Republican primary...

Current and former unaffiliated elected leaders make their case for why they’re turning in Democratic primary ballots.

9news.com
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10 years ago, opening the primaries to Independent voters was considered crazy talk. Today, Independents are officially the majority in Colorado.
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That happened for a reason. Polling from Let Colorado Votes shows 86% of Independents intentionally chose that status to reject the two-party system. These aren't accidental voters; they are deliberate reformers seeking proportional representation the system fails to provide.
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When a handful of party loyalists can effectively rig representation, the system is broken. Colorado’s antiquated caucus-and-assembly process is structured to favor political extremes by ignoring 99% of the general electorate when it comes to deciding who gets on the ballot.
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This 19th-century system is failing 21st-century democracy. Let’s end the chaos, dump the caucuses, and demand an open primary that invites ALL voters to participate – not just party loyalists.
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As an enthusiastic mountain biker, I know there’s no better way to experience Colorado than on two wheels! That’s why Denise and I are thrilled to sponsor the 2026 season of the Colorado High School Cycling League through the Thiry-O’Leary Foundation.
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This org accomplishes fundamentally powerful things for young people. By combining outdoor recreation, exercise and a focus on well-being, the league is empowering some 2,000 student-athletes to build self-confidence, cultivate leadership and develop appreciation of the outdoors.
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Elections belong to the people, not the parties. But a recent court ruling just made it easier for political parties to lock out the state’s largest voting bloc – Independents – from primary elections.
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That’s a dangerous step backward from our 2016 reform allowing Independent voters to participate in either party's primary. Democracy is on high alert in Colorado as a minority of hardline party insiders could soon dictate nominations for our taxpayer-funded general elections.
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Colorado has both an opportunity and obligation to establish our identity as the pinnacle of outdoor recreation with the twin peak of environmental stewardship. Passing HB-1008 allows us to meet that obligation and honor the legacy of our great outdoors. kentthiry.com/turn-blueprint…
Image from Kent J. Thiry (@KentThiry)
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In a state where more than 50% of voters are independents, it’s time to retire this mess and switch to something that is more inclusive of partisans and non-partisans alike. "This isn’t democracy, it’s dysfunction." denverpost.com/2026/03/30/co…
Extreme candidate’s win in CD1 signals time to end caucuses in Colorado (Opinion)

Extreme candidate’s win in CD1 signals time to end caucuses in Colorado (Opinion)

A system that filters candidates based on a razor-thin fraction of the voting population cannot credibly claim to reflect the will of the party’s voters. That’s not representative democracy, it’s...

denverpost.com
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1/2 This decision tramples on the voting rights of a majority of Colorado voters, namely the independent voters.  Voters own elections, not the parties.  Voters pay for the elections, not the parties.   denverpost.com/2026/04/01/ju…
In win for Colorado GOP, judge rules that state makes it too hard to close primaries to unaffilia...

In win for Colorado GOP, judge rules that state makes it too hard to close primaries to unaffilia...

“The background and origin of the three-fourths opt-out provision is unclear,” Judge Philip A. Brimmer wrote. “What is clear is that it constitutes an unusual and difficult barrier.”

denverpost.com
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2/2 This terrible tunnel vision decision is yet another reason why Colorado should adopt a fully open primary where each Colorado voter can vote for whomever they want, independent of party.  I am eager for this deeply flawed decision to be appealed.
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The system is broken when 50% of our voters are shut out of the primary petition process. This isn't democracy, it’s a completely unreasonable structural flaw that dilutes the candidate pool and tilts the scale to favor big money.
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It's past time to eliminate this outdated rule and empower ALL voters. Open the door and let Independents sign!
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1/2 I had the great pleasure of presenting @ShannonBird4CO with the Advocacy Award at the @cowomenschamber State of Women in Business Luncheon earlier this month. I’ve seen former State Rep. Bird in action — and she is an incredible asset to our state and the community.
Image from Kent J. Thiry (@KentThiry)
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2/2 Denise and I know the challenges professional women face all-too-well, and are pleased to play a part in elevating and celebrating their stories.
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When it comes to vacancies, my view is simple: Voters deserve a voice. Read my guest column on Sen. Michael Bennet bringing the issue front-and-center with his gubernatorial run. denverpost.com/2026/02/23/mi…
Sen. Michael Bennet should not get to pick his replacement (Opinion)

Sen. Michael Bennet should not get to pick his replacement (Opinion)

Bennet should either say now who intends to appoint or — to remove even a hint of impropriety — promise to resign his Senate seat should he win the governor’s race and let Gov. Polis make the...

denverpost.com
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1/2 Kudos to GOP Rep. Jeff Hurd for voting to end Canadian tariffs and putting Colorado first. These tariffs are hampering the state's economy, raising costs and uncertainty for businesses and consumers. cpr.org/2026/02/11/u-s-house…
U.S. House votes against Trump's tariff on Canada with help of Hurd and five other Republicans

U.S. House votes against Trump's tariff on Canada with help of Hurd and five other Republicans

Updated at 8:10 a.m. on Feb.12, 2026 The U.S. House delivered a rebuke to President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada on Wednesday evening. The chamber

cpr.org
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2/2 Congress must restore its power to set tariffs. Washington needs leaders who prioritize constituents over partisan politics and defend the Constitution's separation of powers. #Copolitics
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Denise and I are among the couples named Grand Marshals for the Beaux Arts Ball benefiting National Jewish Health. Dubbed “Grease and Glamour: A Rockin’ ‘50s Beaux Arts Ball,” the fundraising gala takes place March 7. Tickets: njhealth.org/beauxartsball We hope to see you there!
Overview | Beaux Arts Ball | National Jewish Health

Overview | Beaux Arts Ball | National Jewish Health

Join us at the Beaux Arts Ball for our biggest annual fundraising event in Denver.

nationaljewish.org
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As many of you know, I have been beating this drum for a few years now: The major parties ignore the rising tide of Independents at their own peril. realclearpolitics.com/articl…
Image from Kent J. Thiry (@KentThiry)
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1/2 After pushing for vacancy reform via the Title Board two years ago, we supported legislative reforms to the process instead. Clearly, those weren’t enough. .., completecolorado.com/2025/12…
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2/2 When more than 1 in 4 lawmakers arrive at the Capitol via vacancy appointment (notably: 27 of 30 vacancy appointments were Dems as of 2024) it’s time for a total revamp!
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The growth of Independents is the most important political trend in America.
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In 2016 we saw the rise of Independents and worked to open CO primaries. In 2018 we created redistricting commissions where Independents actually had seats at the table.
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1/2 Thanks to Colorado Politics for picking up my latest thoughts on the cancer that is gerrymandering. coloradopolitics.com/2025/11…
Voters, democracy suffer from ugly mid-decade gerrymandering | OPINION

Voters, democracy suffer from ugly mid-decade gerrymandering | OPINION

As Republicans’ mid-decade gerrymandering efforts push our increasingly fraught democracy through its latest stress test, it raises the very real question: do desperate times require desperate...

coloradopolitics.com
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2/2 "Gerrymandering is a cancer that must be cured in order to sustain a healthy democracy. Unfortunately, the systematic mid-decade gerrymandering has put the patient in the emergency room, so every treatment must be considered in order to save it."
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Every Colorado voter should be allowed to vote for whoever the heck they want to, independent of party. coloradopolitics.com/2025/09…
Kent Thiry, please pull your checkbook out again | SONDERMANN

Kent Thiry, please pull your checkbook out again | SONDERMANN

Business and civic leader Kent Thiry is a complex figure. He built Denver-based DaVita to be a behemoth in the world of kidney care and dialysis. Along the way, he was known for some wild, over-the...

coloradopolitics.com
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Top two voting would be a big improvement over our current partisan process where candidates have to veer to the far left or right to get through their primary — leaving the majority on the middle cheated from a meaningful vote.
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