What experience (personal, professional, other) would you bring to your role as Attorney General that will benefit our state?

I grew up in a military family where I learned the importance of serving our country and my community. As a military officer deployed overseas, I learned the importance of leading from the front and building effective teams. As a career prosecutor and elected District Attorney for over 1 million Coloradans, I’ve fought for justice for victims and to protect my community. As Colorado’s Attorney General, I will be an advocate for public safety and turn back the crime wave engulfing Colorado. I will stand up for consumers against scammers and unethical businesses, while protecting our environment and precious land, water and air.

What is your vision for being our state’s Attorney General?

Colorado leads the nation in auto thefts and bank robberies and has the 47th worst overall crime rate. Additionally, our state suffers from the second-highest rate of fentanyl overdose death increase in the country. Our state’s trajectory on crime and public safety is unacceptable and we must reverse course. Too often, our current Attorney General has stayed on the sidelines or advocated for criminal-friendly laws and policies, and the results are grim. As Attorney General, I will work every day to protect our citizens so everyone feels safe in Colorado to live, raise a family, or start a business.

As Attorney General, how will you support, defend, and follow the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights, as well as the Colorado Constitution and Colorado Revised Statues, as written?

The Rule of Law is my North Star. As a young child growing up in a military family, I lived overseas and saw how other countries suffered from dictatorships and socialist regimes. I also served in Afghanistan, where I witnessed a country without the rule of law or the guiding principles of a strong Constitution firsthand. My role as Attorney General is to enforce the law – not make my own based on politics.

How will you defend Constitutional freedoms and guarantee equal justice under the law to all citizens of Colorado regardless of their demographics? 

I took the oath as a 2nd Lieutenant to support and defend the Constitution, and have made that same pledge many more times as I was promoted in the Marine Corps. As a prosecutor, I believe that equal justice under the law is critical to public trust in our government. As District Attorney I recently co-led a statewide, bipartisan project to bring greater transparency to our justice system by establishing public-facing Data Dashboards, so everyone can see what’s working and what needs improvement. I not only espouse the principles of equal justice but am accountable to the people I serve. I look forward to bringing that same level of accountability to the Attorney General’s office.

As Attorney General, what policies will you seek to advance that will help law enforcement improve community safety?  

Throughout 2020, I was dismayed to see many high-ranking politicians march alongside those who sought to the defund the police. The result was demoralizing to police, resulting in countless qualified officers leaving law enforcement across the state. Now we suffer from a dramatic shortage of officers at a time of rising crime. I have always “Backed the Blue” as a District Attorney and respect their critical role in keeping our communities safe. As Attorney General, law enforcement will know that I have their back, ensuring they are adequately funded and supported, which is why I am supported by the largest police association in the state. This includes supporting mental health services due to the demanding nature of the profession.

As Attorney General, how will you approach drug enforcement in Colorado, including the opioid/Fentanyl crisis?

As a District Attorney I focused on going after large-scale drug trafficking organizations. Recently, my Office seized over 300,000 fentanyl pills, dozens of firearms, and indicted over two dozen members of alleged Mexican drug cartels. As Attorney General, I will use the Statewide Grand Jury to target the prolific poison-peddlers who are endangering our communities, taking a holistic view of this crisis across the entire state. I will also demand accountability from the federal government to secure the southern border through which drug traffickers are smuggling massive amounts of fentanyl.

As Attorney General, how would you seek to protect the most vulnerable in our state, including the lives of the unborn, the trafficked, and the elderly?

As the state’s chief law enforcement official, the Attorney General must take a leadership role in protecting the most vulnerable in our state. Recently I worked on a task force to locate child victims of sex trafficking. We located 38 children, 11 of whom were victims of sex trafficking with an average age of 13. We also found 11 adult victims. Where I serve as District Attorney, two of the longest sentences for sex traffickers in the country were handed down. My team has been able to achieve these results because we work collaboratively with state and local law enforcement. I will bring that same level of commitment to the Attorney General’s office.

As Attorney General, how will you, in a timely manner, thoroughly and impartially investigate election irregularities, including citizen complaints and/or lawsuits as they occur?

The Attorney General has a vital role in ensuring elections are secure, reliable and fair. As required by law, I will take citizen complaints and thoroughly investigate and file charges if the evidence is sufficient to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. I will also ensure the results of any investigation are made public and transparent.

Will you work with other State Attorneys General on issues of national importance? If so, how?

Absolutely. I will work with other State Attorneys General when their concerns align with the values and interests of Colorado. This could include fighting against federal overreach, supporting our Constitutional rights, investigating corporations that take advantage of consumers, or demanding action to fight the fentanyl epidemic sweeping the country.