2022 Colorado Primary

Republican

EL  PASO  COUNTY  CLERK  & RECORDER  CANDIDATES

PETER  LUPIA

Candidate Information

Campaign Website URL:      www.VotePeterLupia.com

Email Address:      VotePeterLupia@protonmail.com

Occupation/Vocation:    Business Consultant

Military Background:     Air Force family

Resident of El Paso County:      Personally 22 years, family is now in 5th generation of residency

Experience

What experience (personal, professional, other) would you bring to your role as Clerk and Recorder that will benefit our county?

I hold a Bachelor of Science degree with concentrations in Marketing, Finance, and Business Administration, with MBA coursework focused in International Business. I spent a decade within the public and non-profit sectors as a Subject Matter Expert for the development, implementation, operation, and oversight of multi-million dollar local, regional, and statewide programs. Since relocating to Colorado I successfully launched entrepreneurial endeavors in finance and security technology and have served in long-term chief officer level roles for consulting clients across a wide variety of industries. I have served on numerous local, regional, and national boards and advisory committees for non-profit, education, and ministry organizations including currently serving in leadership for the Culture Impact Team at Church For All Nations.

Vision

What is your vision for being our county’s Clerk and Recorder?

I am not a politician and had no intention of running for office but am tired of the same group of establishment people cycling through elected positions. Recycled elected officials have only lost freedoms and liberties, flaunted and disregarded laws, enforced government overreach and policies that do not serve We The People. Recycling candidates, supported and endorsed by the same organizations and other recycled candidates, has been to our detriment and resulted in elected office career building in government. I am in this race because without a truly conservative candidate option this office will suffer from career building versus statesman leadership. An entrepreneurial, outside the box attitude and mind-set focused on solid stewardship of our tax dollars is my vision.

Clerk and Recorder's Role

What are the roles, rights, and duties of the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder?

The role of a County Clerk & Recorder’s office is to oversee elections, administrate DMV services, serve as clerk to the County Commission, manage recorded documents, issue marriage licenses, and provide other approved constituent services. State statutes provide the rights and responsibilities Clerks have regarding how to administrate their numerous roles. The duty of Clerks is to follow state and federal constitutions and laws with regard to performance of their roles, especially with regard to elections. It is the sworn duty of Clerks to oppose rules, orders, or mandates that are illegitimate or illegally instituted (by decree) by higher offices, such as the Secretary of State, in contradiction to state and federal constitutions and laws.

Operational Changes

How would you run the Clerk and Recorder’s office differently from your predecessor?

While I am not granted access to the current day-to-day operations of the office, I can speak to potential changes based on constituent input. First, provide a less complex and more user-friendly public interface for internet-based information, searches, and services. Second, I would not authorize Clerk-collected taxpayer funds be given to other taxpayer funded entities. The current Clerk recently issued a press release celebrating the ongoing transfer of $60K per year to fund new staff within a separate government entity struggling with funding and budget needs. I firmly believe in responsible stewardship of taxpayer funds and the return of excesses to We The People versus transferring monies to other government entities working to supplement their own struggling budget.

Election Integrity

Is the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Election Department doing enough to ensure election integrity? If not, what are your proposals to secure our Colorado Elections?

Contrary to the narrative of election transparency, accuracy, and integrity given to the media, the reality has been the opposite. The current Clerk has followed illegitimate election orders and defended those actions at every opportunity. Private citizens and election integrity organizations have sought information and cooperation from the Clerk only to be rebuffed, given partial or misleading responses, or “smoke and mirrors” data. The situation is serious enough that the Republican canvassing judge was unwilling to certify the 2021 election results. A new and higher standard, diligently following state and federal constitutions and election laws, regardless of decrees from the Secretary of State, is what I will bring to the office. My opponent commits to more of the same.

Colorado Secretary of State

Do you believe that Colorado’s current Secretary of State is facilitating or hindering the Clerk and Recorder’s performance of sworn duties?

The environment Clerks are working in is a threatening one. Clerks who follow state and federal laws regarding the maintenance and record keeping of ballots and election results are being pursued via criminal complaints for performing their sworn duties. The fact that Clerks are being threatened and forced by the Secretary of State to submit to unlawful rules and orders and are by proclamation forbidden from forensically auditing questionable findings within their jurisdiction is unacceptable. A pattern of pursuing Clerks and limiting their abilities to perform their sworn duties continues to spread across the state with additional unlawful rules and orders being regularly decreed in an attempt to place more restrictions on Clerks working to fulfill their sworn duties.

Satellite Offices

Given the population growth in Colorado Springs, what is your position on the number and operation of satellite offices that the Clerk and Recorder currently has in place?

Based on the current and projected growth patterns of El Paso County I believe we need to actively explore opportunities to economically partner with other municipal and/or county organizations, most of whom are already in expansion mode, to create satellite service centers that offer expanded reach to constituents. New service centers in the Monument, Falcon/Peyton, and Fountain geographic areas warrant study as an opportunity to improve accessibility to all services across the entirety of the Clerk & Recorder’s divisions, especially DMV services. As the largest county by population in Colorado, we need to move away from just a few centralized service centers within urban core areas when growth is primarily occurring in suburban and rural areas.

Department Priorities

What are your priorities for the following departments: a. Recording b. Motor Vehicles c. Election

Recording: Eliminate or reduce non-statutory fees for both recording and retrieval of documents. Expand online access to searches and retrieval of all feasible document platforms to reduce constituent effort and expense in retrieval of documents.

Motor Vehicles: Eliminate or reduce non-statutory fees, many being merely repackaged local and state tax initiatives previously voted down by We The People. Work to decrease wait times and bring back in-person services that have been relegated to technology/internet-based interactions only.

Elections: Present election plans and budgets that call for the cancellation of all Dominion voting systems contracts in El Paso County and a return to in-person ballot delivery on election day, accompanied by photo ID, with hand counting at the precinct level.

STEVE  SCHLEIKER

Candidate Information

Campaign Website URL:      www.SteveSchleiker.com

Email Address:      Schleiker4ElPasoCounty@gmail.com

Occupation/Vocation:    El Paso County Assessor

Military Background:     Veteran / United States Marine Corps

Resident of El Paso County:      47 years

Experience

What experience (personal, professional, other) would you bring to your role as Clerk and Recorder that will benefit our county?

Former United States Marine, 47 year resident of our county, and current County Assessor, I have no doubt that I’m the most qualified person to be your next Clerk. I’m passionate about making El Paso County a better place for everyone.

I have an undergraduate degree in IT Management, an Executive Master’s in Business Administration, and a Master’s in Project Management.

I’m the only Constitutional Fiscal Conservative in this campaign, and at the end of this year I will have returned surpluses totaling over $650,000.00, since being elected as your Assessor with no operating budget increases for 7 consecutive years.

Vision

What is your vision for being our county’s Clerk and Recorder?

Before our 2024 Presidential Election, my vision and goals are to regain our public trust in our local elections. I will give all our citizens the agency and space to feel empowered. And will lock in open government reforms.

I will focus on Election Security and Integrity and potential property fraud, and I will provide all property owners with fraud protection at no cost. Property owners will be able to opt in to this program and notify them that somebody has filed a deed or lien on their property. I will work directly with our District Attorney, CSPD, and EPSO Investigative Offices to determine if fraud has taken place and charge and prosecute those that offend.

Clerk and Recorder's Role

What are the roles, rights, and duties of the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder?

The Office of Clerk & Recorder is where many transactions occur between the County Government and its citizens.

The Motor Vehicle Department is responsible for the certification of Motor Vehicle Titles and Registrations and acts as a Division of the Colorado State Department of Revenue.

The Elections Department is responsible for conducting all Primary, General, and Special Elections for the County. The Department maintains the voter registration rolls and works with other municipalities to assist with their elections.

The Recording Department is responsible for recording, indexing, copying, and preserving permanent public documents.

Our Clerk to the Board attends and prepares agendas, maintains minutes, attests the Chair’s signature, and preserves and catalogs the official records and documents of the Board.

Operational Changes

How would you run the Clerk and Recorder’s office differently from your predecessor?

Fewer than half of our citizens are confident that their vote will be counted correctly. Most say their ballot will not matter anyway because corporate interests dominate the political process.

Election Security, Integrity, Property Fraud, and Transparency will be my primary focus.

I bring the ability to query Assessor, Treasurer, Utilities, Realtor, and Coroner data to assist in the cleaning up of our voter rolls. I am the only candidate that can understand the queried data and make the necessary changes. Who owns the property, pays the property taxes, and pays the property utility bill? Is it a commercial, residential, multi-family, or mixed-use property? And who has passed away is vital information to update our voter rolls.

Election Integrity

Is the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Election Department doing enough to ensure election integrity? If not, what are your proposals to secure our Colorado Elections?

Our Election Staff has worked tirelessly to ensure safeguards are in place to secure the integrity of the process. However, I do not believe there is a perfect Office or Department; and I will work on improving processes and staff knowledge.

I will implement an annual multi-layered forensic audit of all election hardware and software.

This audit shall comprise three separate audits performed by third-party auditors.

Each audit shall analyze the hacking vulnerability of election equipment software and hardware. Verification that malicious malware was not installed, a test to ensure that tabulators were not sending or receiving information over the internet, and confirmation that vote switching did not occur.

These results will be shared with our citizens.

Colorado Secretary of State

Do you believe that Colorado’s current Secretary of State is facilitating or hindering the Clerk and Recorder’s performance of sworn duties?

Our Secretary of State serves as the Chief Executive of an Office that oversees and administers many laws and rules. Colorado’s business and commercial statutes for for-profit and nonprofit corporations. Colorado Election Code, Voter Registration Law, Campaign Finance Laws, Lobbyist Regulation, Colorado Charitable Solicitations Act, Bingo and Raffles Laws, and Notaries Public Laws.

Our current Secretary of State has issued emergency rules and continually oversteps the powers of the office, and has most certainly turned this office into a partisan and biased office, and is no longer a neutral and fair referee office for the citizens of Colorado. This office is not different from our Clerk, an impartial referee for all citizens.

Satellite Offices

Given the population growth in Colorado Springs, what is your position on the number and operation of satellite offices that the Clerk and Recorder currently has in place?

I am a strong proponent of smaller, more efficient, and more effective government. I will continue to push for processes that make things easier for our citizens.

As Assessor, I have saved working families in El Paso County time and money that have eliminated unneeded annual trips to the office, and I will do the same as the Clerk.

However, I also recognize that our citizens want a person to answer the phones and want to visit with an actual person to get their needs addressed.

So yes, I support satellite offices. In fact, and recently, I worked with our Sheriff to set up a new satellite office in Falcon, CO, at no additional tax burden to our taxpayers.

Department Priorities

What are your priorities for the following departments: a. Recording b. Motor Vehicles c. Election

Our Clerk and Recorder’s Office is the Ginzue Knife of local governance – it releases records, issues licenses, runs our local elections, and could probably cut through a tin can if you need it too.

Many of us visit the Clerk’s Office every year for one thing or another. We all need to register our vehicles, renew our driver’s licenses as veterans, request a copy of our DD214 or our Warranty Deed to our home, request a marriage or civil union license, and VOTE.

All of these departments are just as important as the others and will get the same attention and dedication from me as your Clerk & Recorder.

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Christian voting

Voting is a simple, yet significant way to do something about public policy in our country. As people of faith, we will be held accountable for our actions, as well as our lack of action. (Luke 12:48)

Biblical worldview

By diligently learning, applying, and trusting God’s truths in every area of our lives, we can begin to develop a deep comprehensive faith that will stand against the unrelenting tide of our culture’s non-biblical ideas.

Vote your values

The issues of the day change. Political parties and platforms change. God’s Word never changes. The vote of every Christian should be based on the principles of Scripture and not persuasive personalities.

Electing righteous leaders

Bad governance and our loss of freedom is the direct result of the church’s failure to disciple. When the citizenry do not seek to be obedient to God’s Law, they vote in wicked and corrupt candidates, who then trample underfoot the God-given liberties of the people.