I wouldn't take her to be a great source of what living in Denver is like. Living in cities is obviously not for everyone, and some policies that cities have are idiotic. Needle exchanges aren't one of them though, that's for sure. One of the great things about this country is that we are free to live where we want. Personally, I'd much rather live in Denver (either city or suburbs) than rural Missouri, Louisiana, Texas, or Mississippi. Other people prefer the rural areas though.
It's not really a democrat vs republican issue though because so many of the poorest states are run by Republicans. Politicians don't have the answers. It's more a question of what type of environment do you prefer.