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Mark Baisley Republican
Residence: Woodland Park
Profession: Aerospace Engineer / State Senator
Education: BS in Computer Information Systems and Business Administration
Experience: 17 years as computer systems technologist, 30 years as aerospace engineer, 4 years (concurrent) as State Representative, 4 years (concurrent) as State Senator
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
Reducing the cost of living (affordability) through smart, lean government
Bring financial relief to Colorado’s agriculture industry
Reform healthcare industry
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?
Address cost of living by (1) Requiring universities that benefited from Obama’s loan federalization to use their endowments to share in eliminating student debt (2) Facilitating first time home ownership through lender incentives for mortgage rates pegged to the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield (3) Preventing drastic increases in property taxes by eliminating property values in the calculation.
Lower oil prices through controlling international bullies (Iran, Venezuela, etc)
Interest rates are low when inflation is under control and inflation is ALWAYS controlled by reducing government spending. So, reduce the size of government!
Should Congress play a stronger oversight role regarding the Trump administration, and if so, which matters deserve more scrutiny and why?
The Democrats in Congress should quit acting like irrational obstructionists and support the American renaissance.
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?
We should follow the leadership of Colorado’s wise expert, Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
As the Trump administration pursues an immigration crackdown, what specific actions should Congress take legislatively to direct the nation’s immigration policy?
Congress should inform the public that we have a sound immigration policy (violated by the Biden Administration). More than any other nation, America is enriched by immigrants “yearning to breathe free.” Each year, 1.2 million people are legally invited to live in America. These welcomed souls are vetted to ensure that they:
• Are not violent or dishonorable
• Will be self-reliant contributors
• Will proudly assimilate into American culture
Those applicants not fortunate enough to share in the American inheritance should establish Natural Law in their native countries by pledging to each other their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor.
John Hickenlooper (i) Democrat
Residence: Denver
Profession: U.S. Senator
Education: Wesleyan University, Bachelor’s in English, Master’s in Geology.
Experience: Laid-off geologist turned brew-pub owner. Former Mayor of Denver and Governor of Colorado. Now have the honor of serving as Colorado’s U.S. Senator.
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
We need to un-rig the system and actually lower prices. That starts with fixing our healthcare system, ending Trump’s war with Iran and his illegal tariffs that are increasing gas and grocery prices, and reducing the cost of housing.
We will be laser-focused on addressing the Colorado River crisis, the extreme wildfires, and climate change that are threatening our economy and our way of life.
We are dead-set on stopping Trump’s lawlessness. We need to end ICE’s violence, reject Trump’s extreme voter suppression efforts, and prevent MAGA from selling our public lands. But, stopping Trump is just the beginning.
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?
We’re in a cost-of-living emergency – no question. Yet, the president and his MAGA allies keep fanning the flames. We need to end the presidentap war with Iran thatap driving up gas prices and scrap his reckless tariff-taxes. We need to reverse MAGA’s extreme budget, which added trillions to the deficit and raised healthcare costs for millions, just to provide lavish tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy.
Housing costs are an issue where we’ve made progress – passing our major housing bill and securing millions for housing projects in Colorado – but we need to build on it to bring down prices.
Should Congress play a stronger oversight role regarding the Trump administration, and if so, which matters deserve more scrutiny and why?
Yes. This is the most corrupt administration ever. Trump and Republicans have prioritized billions for ballrooms, tax cuts for billionaires, and an illegal war with Iran. Meanwhile, they denied healthcare for millions of families and unleashed violent ICE agents.
We need to begin fixing America. We must take back Congress, hold them accountable, and actually lower prices. We’ll start with ICE, healthcare, and corruption.
We’ll deny ICE’s funding and stop their cruelty. We’ll rollback MAGA’s healthcare cuts. We’ll work to restore the funding illegally withheld from Colorado due to the presidentap petulance, and end their ludicrous war with Iran.
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?
Public lands in Colorado should not have their protections eliminated or even diminished. The Great Colorado Rockies are a global treasure and one of the most essential components of our state’s identity. The vast majority of hydrocarbon extraction in Colorado occurs on private land. Efforts to open public lands – which aren’t even top prospects for leases – are part of the Trump administration’s all-out war against our public lands.
They rolled back protections and tried to muffle the public’s voice. We stopped their public land sell-off. We’ll continue to push bills to protect more Colorado land, and protect the public’s voice.
As the Trump administration pursues an immigration crackdown, what specific actions should Congress take legislatively to direct the nation’s immigration policy?
Trump’s immigration agenda is too extreme, and we need to stop it. ICE has beaten and killed people. Kids with no criminal records have been detained for months.
We’ve voted against ICE’s funding, continued oversight visits of their facilities, and helped get Coloradans released. We’re pushing to pass our bills that’d require ICE agents take off their masks, turn on body cameras, and stop targeting schools and hospitals.
But, our current immigration system is completely broken. We need real, comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for dreamers, and guest worker visas while protecting American workers.
Bob Chew Forward Party
Residence: Boulder
Profession: Engineer
Education: B.S, Chemical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 1981
Experience: CAI, Co-Founder and CEO, 1996 – 2021
Performance Solutions, 1990-1996
Sonalysts, 1988-1990
Teton Adventures, 1986-1988
U.S. Navy Submarine Officer, 1981 – 1986
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
1. Address the national debt and deficit: We cannot keep passing the cost of today’s spending to future generations. Bring discipline back to Washington, cut wasteful spending, and make sure taxpayer dollars are used responsibly. Responsible budgeting is essential to protecting our country’s future, strengthening the economy, and restoring trust in government.
2. Improve affordability: help working families better manage the rising costs of housing, groceries, health care, energy, and other everyday necessities.
3. End the two-party dysfunction: put people ahead of party loyalty, challenge entrenched interests, and support practical, results-oriented solutions that bring accountability back to Washington.
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?
I would fight the rising cost of living by addressing its root causes: excessive federal spending, rising debt, burdensome regulations, tariffs, wars and other policies that drive up energy and business costs. I support disciplined budgeting, deficit reduction, practical entitlement reform, and a tax and regulatory climate that helps businesses grow, create jobs, and keep prices down. I also believe we must strengthen domestic energy production, encourage savings and homeownership, and pursue bipartisan solutions that restore economic stability so working families can keep more of what they earn.
Should Congress play a stronger oversight role regarding the Trump administration, and if so, which matters deserve more scrutiny and why?
Yes. Per the Constitution, Congress must, along with the Judicial branch, be the check when any administration tests legal, ethical, or constitutional limits. With the Trump and future administrations, I will scrutinize executive power, conflicts of interest, use of federal agencies for political purposes, immigration enforcement, election-related conduct, and compliance with court orders. Oversight is not about partisanship; it is about accountability. Congress has a duty to ensure public officials serve the country, respect the rule of law, and do not place personal or political interests above constitutional obligations.
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 oppose opening more Colorado federal land to extraction unless we first ensure protection of water, air, wildlife habitat, recreation, and nearby communities. As a Senator, I would use my position to push BLM, Forest Service, and Interior officials toward science-based, transparent decisions: require full environmental review, meaningful tribal and local consultation, strong bonding and cleanup rules, and priority for already-disturbed or existing lease areas. Colorado’s public lands are a long-term public trust, not a short-term revenue source. I advocate mineral extraction and energy development only where it is clearly compatible with conservation, responsible land stewardship, and local economies.
As the Trump administration pursues an immigration crackdown, what specific actions should Congress take legislatively to direct the nation’s immigration policy?
I would push Congress to reclaim its constitutional role and pass practical immigration laws instead of letting presidents govern by crackdown or chaos. That means securing the border with modern technology, staffing, and lawful enforcement; expanding legal pathways for hard-working, tax-paying workers our economy needs; protecting people brought here as children; requiring faster, fairer asylum decisions; and holding employers accountable when they exploit undocumented labor. I would also insist that reforms be fiscally responsible, humane, and bipartisan, focused on solving problems for Colorado and the country, not scoring points for either party.
Blake Huber Libertarian Party
Residence: Denver
Profession: Retired
Education: Attended 3+ years of college
Experience: More than 50 years of political and civic experience, including state party chair, Libertarian National Committee member, Approval Voting
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
My top three priorities are improving our elections by expanding voter choice and adopting better voting methods such as Approval Voting, so elected officials represent broader public support; creating rational immigration reform that secures our borders while providing realistic legal pathways for people who want to work, contribute, and build a life in America; and reforming excessive government regulations that disproportionately burden small businesses, discourage entrepreneurship, limit competition, and increase costs for consumers. Government should protect individual rights and public safety without unnecessarily restricting opportunity, innovation, or economic freedom.
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?
I would reduce federal spending and deficits, including bringing American troops home and reducing unnecessary military spending and commitments abroad. I support removing regulations that raise the cost of housing, energy, transportation, and doing business; expanding domestic energy production without government favoring particular energy sources; and eliminating policies that unnecessarily increase fuel costs. I would promote a simpler, more competitive tax and regulatory environment that encourages investment, housing construction, and small-business growth. The Federal Reserve should remain independent, but Congress must control borrowing and spending rather than expecting monetary policy to correct the resulting inflation.
Should Congress play a stronger oversight role regarding the Trump administration, and if so, which matters deserve more scrutiny and why?
Congress should vigorously exercise its constitutional oversight responsibilities regardless of which party controls the White House. Particular scrutiny should be given to executive actions that exceed authority granted by Congress, federal spending and deficits, military commitments and overseas deployments, surveillance and threats to individual privacy, immigration enforcement, and the use of emergency powers. Congress has surrendered too much authority to the executive branch over many decades. Oversight should not be partisan or selective; Congress should hold every administration accountable, protect individual liberties, control the power of the purse, and reclaim the legislative responsibilities the Constitution assigns to it.
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?
Colorado can produce energy and protect the land at the same time. We don’t need Washington telling us that every acre should be opened to drilling—or that every acre should be off limits. I support responsible oil and gas development where it makes economic and environmental sense. As a senator, I’d push federal agencies to listen to the people who actually live here, cut needless red tape, protect our water and public lands, and make sure companies clean up any damage they cause. Colorado decisions should reflect Colorado realities, not whichever political party happens to control Washington.
As the Trump administration pursues an immigration crackdown, what specific actions should Congress take legislatively to direct the nation’s immigration policy?
Our immigration system is broken, and Washington’s solution for decades has been to argue louder about it. Congress should secure the border while creating a legal immigration system that is simple, fast, and actually usable—a revolutionary concept for the federal government. People who want to come here, work, obey our laws, and contribute should have a realistic way to do it legally. Enforcement should focus on people who pose genuine threats, not workers and families trying to build better lives. Congress should finally do its job and write clear immigration laws instead of passing the problem from president to president.
Christopher Baum and Adam Withrow did not return the questionnaire.
