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Melat Kiros Democrat
Residence: Denver
Profession: Former Lawyer and Barista
Education: Washington College – undergrad, Notre Dame Law School, University of Colorado Denver – PhD
Experience: Worked as a securities regulatory and enforcement associate in the New York office of Sidley Austin. Worked as a barista at Whittier Cafe in Denver.
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
Denver’s working families are being priced out of their own city, so my priorities are the ones I hear at every door: Medicare for All, so healthcare is guaranteed to every person with no premiums, deductibles, or surprise bills; Housing First, with major federal investment in social and public housing and an end to the corporate consolidation of single-family rentals; and universal childcare that caps what families pay. None of it happens while corporations write the rules, which is why I take no corporate PAC money and will fight to get big money out of politics from day one.
What specific actions would you support to address concerns about the rising cost of living, oil prices, high interest rates and the toll of high inflation in recent years?
Costs are high because of concentrated corporate power and a Congress paid to protect it. I will fight to break up the hospital, insurance, and pharmacy-benefit-manager monopolies driving up healthcare prices, expand Medicare’s authority to negotiate drug prices for everyone, and pair federal investment in housing supply with real accountability for corporate landlords. I support raising the federal minimum wage to at least $20 an hour, tied to the cost of living, capping what families pay for childcare, and ending the giveaways that prop up oil and gas.
Should Congress play a stronger oversight role regarding the Trump administration, and if so, which matters deserve more scrutiny and why?
Yes. Congress has spent decades giving away its own power, and this administration has exploited that. I’ll fight to get it back: make sure money Congress approves, like the billion dollars in Colorado transportation funding that got clawed back, actually gets spent; end the blank-check war authorizations that let presidents start wars without a vote; and take away the President’s power to set tariffs alone. Oversight should focus on the $2.25 billion in corrupt money Trump and his family have made while American taxpayers foot the bill for his ballroom and war with Iran; ICE raids on our schools, hospitals, places of worship, and the killing of innocent people; and the gutting of public agencies like FEMA and NOAA while the West burns and dries out.
The Trump administration has pushed to open more public land to oil and gas leasing. Should more federal land in Colorado be made available for extraction, and how would you use your position to influence or instruct federal public land agencies in this decision-making process?
No. I support a moratorium on new fossil fuel production on federal lands and an end to the subsidies that keep this arrangement profitable. Colorado is running dry. The Colorado River is being drained faster than it refills, snowpack no longer follows historical patterns, and wildfire seasons keep getting longer. Opening more public land to extraction pours fuel on that fire. I would use appropriations, oversight hearings, and enforceable standards to direct land agencies toward conservation, water resilience, and an accelerated clean energy build-out. What we inherit from the land, we hold in trust for those who come after us.
As the Trump administration pursues an immigration crackdown, what specific actions should Congress take legislatively to direct the nation’s immigration policy?
Congress should stop funding ICE’s cruelty and impunity and start legislating a system grounded in human rights and dignity. That means a fast path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, especially DREAMers, essential workers, and longtime residents; a lawyer and a fair hearing for everyone facing deportation; and an end to private detention, family separations, and mass raids. I have called for defunding the mass-deportation machine and abolishing ICE, because masked agents raiding schools and churches don’t make us safer. I came to Denver as a baby from Ethiopia and watched my parents build the American Dream. I know what immigrant families give this country, and our laws should reflect it.
Christy Peterson Republican
Residence: Denver
Profession: Accountant
Education: Bachelors
Experience: Colorado born & raised, front range lady, construction manager, notary, tax guru, businesswoman, designer, sister, auntie, cousin, concerned citizen, patriot.
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
Safety, Economy & Education
What specific actions would you support to address concerns about the rising cost of living, oil prices, high interest rates and the toll of high inflation in recent years?
Colorado is the best state! Everyone wants to be here! The (opposed) “sanctuary” policy invites illegal migrants, taking up housing, making prices higher. We have good homes ready they may need renovation. My concerns are more about our residents having work opportunities and making proper 2026 wages. Oil prices I would speak with the oil companies to see how we can support best efficiency. High interest rates talk how we can improve the process. The toll of high inflation: rises in insurance costs was due to crime increases. Let’s improve the safety of our city, make it pleasant for residents, our visitors, our future.
Should Congress play a stronger oversight role regarding the Trump administration, and if so, which matters deserve more scrutiny and why?
I support the President, his agendas and tax breaks. He is a strong man and we are lucky to have him! Recall all the fraud he discovered, as more fraud is being found. I approve of the Presidents’ work and support his administration.
The Trump administration has pushed to open more public land to oil and gas leasing. Should more federal land in Colorado be made available for extraction, and how would you use your position to influence or instruct federal public land agencies in this decision-making process?
Yes I am for allowing more public lands for extraction. These are resources we want plus work opportunities. I support nuclear energy, it is possible to be done cleanly.
As the Trump administration pursues an immigration crackdown, what specific actions should Congress take legislatively to direct the nation’s immigration policy?
I support the President and his efforts. Our local jurisdictions should be fully cooperative with immigration enforcement. All peacefully and respectfully. In fact any jurisdiction with “sanctuary” policy is the problem.
Chad Humphrey Libertarian Party
Residence: Denver
Profession: Tech Manager / Entrepreneur
Education: MBA in Finance, Pepperdine University; BA, Occidental College
Experience: Software Manager, Retired USMC Officer (Combat Vet), Entrepreneur, Veteran Volunteer, wannabe kickboxer, and very amateur guitar player.
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
Turn Off the Money Printer: Stop federal spending, audit the Fed, and end corporate bailouts. Uncle Sugar shouldn’t be bankrolling mega-corps while inflating away your paycheck.
Defend Civil Liberties: Protect the full Bill of Rights. End warrantless government surveillance—including invasive Flock cameras—and strip regulatory agency power. Get government out of our bedrooms and leave people alone!
End Ego-Driven Wars: Stop acting as the world’s police or starting overseas diversions to distract from political scandals. Reclaim war powers, protect veterans, and focus strictly on homeland security.
What specific actions would you support to address concerns about the rising cost of living, oil prices, high interest rates and the toll of high inflation in recent years?
Truth bomb: I re-read the Constitution, and nowhere does it state government is responsible for managing the economy. Every time politicians intervene, we get artificial booms followed by devastating busts.
Unpopular opinion: Both Republicans and Democrats created this inflation through trillions in debt, endless Fed money printing, and wall-to-wall bailouts. Meddling in energy leads to foreign wars or crony EV subsidies that build trillionaires. Energy prices belong to free markets, not DC manipulators. Tariffs are just taxes you pay while corporations get refunds. Audit the Fed and stop spending. Return to the gold standard.
Should Congress play a stronger oversight role regarding the Trump administration, and if so, which matters deserve more scrutiny and why?
Integrity over party—plain and simple. Both Republicans and Democrats blindly toe the party line, giving executive administrations a free pass to trample the Constitution. Congress has abdicated its duty, acting as a rubber stamp for partisan bosses instead of a check on executive overreach.
I was so disgusted by the systemic corruption in both Congress and executive administrations that I stepped up to run. Congress must aggressively audit executive orders, mass warrantless surveillance, undeclared foreign conflicts, and runaway spending. We need independent leaders who answer to the Constitution, not corrupt party machines.
The Trump administration has pushed to open more public land to oil and gas leasing. Should more federal land in Colorado be made available for extraction, and how would you use your position to influence or instruct federal public land agencies in this decision-making process?
Decisions about Colorado’s public lands have no business being made in Washington, D.C. Period. Unelected D.C. bureaucrats shouldn’t dictate energy extraction or conservation from 1,800 miles away. Colorado needs to fight—in and out of the courts—to take our land back.
There may be little precedent for taking D.C. head-on, but that shouldn’t stop Coloradans, regardless of party affiliation, from letting our own state legislature decide our land policy.
State rights trump federal law.
As the Trump administration pursues an immigration crackdown, what specific actions should Congress take legislatively to direct the nation’s immigration policy?
Republicans want cheap labor; Democrats want votes. That political cynicism is why we haven’t had real reform since 1986.
We can’t have uneducated, unqualified federal stormtroopers roaming our streets, pulling kids out of school, and shooting innocent Americans. Immigration is a reality, and we need an established, responsible path to citizenship.
Someone here undocumented trying to build a better life isn’t a criminal. But make no mistake: if you break our laws, there are no second chances. Fix the legal pipeline, restore common sense, and end executive overreach.
Shimon Blau Unaffiliated
Residence: Denver
Profession: Physician/small business owner
Education: University of Maryland School of Medicine
Experience: Physician with over 20 years of experience and a small business owner.
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
My top three priorities are affordability, healthcare reform, and economic growth.
Affordability: Lower the cost of living by addressing housing, energy, and everyday expenses while protecting taxpayers from wasteful spending.
Healthcare reform: As a physician, I will fight to make healthcare affordable and accessible, reduce bureaucracy, and put patients, not insurance companies, first.
Jobs and the economy: Support small businesses, encourage innovation, and create an environment where businesses can grow, workers earn good wages, and Denver remains a great place to live and work.
What specific actions would you support to address concerns about the rising cost of living, oil prices, high interest rates and the toll of high inflation in recent years?
For too many young people, working hard in Denver no longer feels like enough to afford a home. To lower costs, we must increase housing supply, cut unnecessary regulations, and transition to a reliable, affordable energy grid. We must support working families with targeted relief while reducing wasteful spending to ease inflation and help lower interest rates. Ultimately, my goal is simple: make Denver a place where young people can afford to live, work, buy a home, and build their future, not a place they are forced to leave because they can no longer afford it.
Should Congress play a stronger oversight role regarding the Trump administration, and if so, which matters deserve more scrutiny and why?
Yes. Congress has a constitutional responsibility to check executive power, particularly regarding war, national security, spending, and public health. I am concerned that Congress has increasingly ceded its authority to the executive branch. The use of military force in Iran deserves serious scrutiny, including whether Congress has exercised its constitutional war powers. As a physician, I also believe Congress should examine changes to federal vaccine recommendations and ensure public-health policy is grounded in rigorous scientific evidence and independent medical expertise. Oversight is not partisan, it is about preserving the checks and balances that protect our democracy.
The Trump administration has pushed to open more public land to oil and gas leasing. Should more federal land in Colorado be made available for extraction, and how would you use your position to influence or instruct federal public land agencies in this decision-making process?
I do not believe more federal land in Colorado should be opened to oil and gas extraction. I grew up in Denver, and our mountains, rivers, and public lands are a major reason people choose to live here. They are also an important part of our economy. BLM lands alone supported nearly 12,000 recreation-related jobs in 2024. I would advocate for protecting these lands, expanding responsible renewable energy, and ensuring federal agencies consider conservation, recreation, wildlife, and local communities in leasing decisions. Colorado’s natural heritage is something we should preserve for future generations.
As the Trump administration pursues an immigration crackdown, what specific actions should Congress take legislatively to direct the nation’s immigration policy?
Our country needs a strong, secure border, and we cannot allow an open-borders approach to become the status quo. Criminal aliens who threaten public safety should be deported, and our streets must be safer. At the same time, we should fast-track legal status for long-term, contributing members of our communities who have built their lives here. Immigration enforcement must be professional and accountable. Congress should require rigorous training, stronger supervision, and accountability for immigration agents to prevent indiscriminate roundups and civil-rights violations. We need an immigration system that secures our border, enforces our laws, protects our communities, and treats people with dignity.
Critter Milton did not return the questionnaire.
