2024 General Election
EL PASO COUNTY
STATE REPRESENTATIVE HD22 CANDIDATES
EPC HD22 General Election Candidates
Listed in Ballot Order
THE TOPICS
& QUESTIONS
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Candidate Information
House District:
Campaign Website URL:
Email Address:
Occupation/Vocation:
Military Background (if any):
Years Resident of El Paso County/District Represented:
Your Experience, Priorities, and Vision
What experience (personal, professional, other), priorities, and vision do you have for the elected office that you seek that will benefit your constituency?
Ethics and Accountability
1st Amendment
2nd Amendment
What is your position on gun legislation regarding topics such as mandatory gun insurance, an increased minimum age to purchase a gun, so-called “assault weapons” bans, and creating various new “sensitive spaces” (additional “gun-free zones”)?
Anti-Americanism and Anti-Semitism
Over the past year there has been a sharp rise in the expression of anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism both across our nation and in Colorado, especially among youth. What do you view as the cause(s) of these sociopolitical issues, and what if anything should be done to address them?
The Economy and Resources
As an elected official, what initiatives would you champion to improve the local economy, and what are your priorities for addressing policies on water, energy, and other resources?
Education
If elected, what would you do to help improve the educational outcomes for students in our area? What is your position on parental authority in K-12 education, including school choice, parental notifications, etc.?
Protecting the Vulnerable
If elected, how will you seek to protect the lives of the most vulnerable in our community, including the unborn, victims of trafficking and abuse, senior citizens, and those experiencing mental illness?
Crime
What are your thoughts about crime in Colorado and our community? If elected, how will you work to reduce the impact of crime on your constituents?
Immigration
Do you believe that illegal entries into the U.S. have led to problems for our region? If so, what would you do if elected to improve the situation? Also, what is your view of sanctuary cities/counties?
Election Security and Confidence
Do you believe that elections in Colorado should be conducted differently? (For example, should people be required to show proof of citizenship and residency for registering to vote in Colorado, and should Government-issued identification be required to vote?) If elected, what specifically will you do to help improve Coloradans’ confidence in our elections?
KEN DEGRAAF
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survey question and reply
Republican Candidate Information
House District: 22
Campaign Website URL: KenDeGraaf4HD22.com
Email Address: Ken.Degraaf.House@coleg.gov
Occupation/Vocation: Pilot
Military Background (if any): Retired
Years Resident of El Paso County/District Represented: 11 years
Your Experience, Priorities, and Vision
What experience (personal, professional, other), priorities, and vision do you have for the elected office that you seek that will benefit your constituency?
My goal is to reverse the trend of government towards taking increasing chunks of our Liberty and Prosperity. While some politicians will promise to return to you a fraction of what they took, I will work towards government taking less. I have been to many countries have been able to reflect on what has taken our country from a backwater of 13 loosely affiliated colonies to a global superpower in less than 200 years. It is the values found in our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. After 30 years being a part of the military holding the line against the foreign enemies of our Constitution, I am trying to regain ground taken by the domestic adversaries of our founding principles.
Ethics and Accountability
What are your beliefs on ethics, accountability, and transparency in government as they relate to the position that you are seeking? Also, what is your position on accountability measures voted into law by Colorado’s electorate, such as the Colorado Sunshine Law and the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR)?
I agree “that to secure these Rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” The galleries above the General Assembly testify to the need for citizen engagement in making laws. There is a very limited box in which government can govern without lapsing into tyranny. Our government operates mostly outside the constraints of that wisdom.
The Taxpayer Bill of Rights is a brilliant way to keep spending in check and has been continuously undermined by those with an insatiable appetite to wantonly spend taxpayer extracted money. The GA should develop systems and processes that return us to the Gallery level of oversight of legislative actions instead of trying to limit citizen access.
1st Amendment
If elected, what will you do to protect your constituents’ rights to freedom of religion, speech, peaceable assembly, and petitioning the government for a redress of grievances?
Protecting 1A Rights should be an absolute of anyone taking on the role of Representative. Sadly, most elected officials take on the role of “Legislator,” which invariably leads to micromanaging away the liberty and prosperity of those they purportedly represent. “He who dares not offend cannot be honest,” and honesty must be the basis of our discussions and policy. Suppressing speech is purposed to control thought, making compelled speech anathema to our 1A.
The process of petitioning for grievances should be facilitated and have barriers removed—the “just powers” of government are “derived from the consent of the governed,” and the suppression of citizens cannot be considered “consent.”
2nd Amendment
What is your position on gun legislation regarding topics such as mandatory gun insurance, an increased minimum age to purchase a gun, so-called “assault weapons” bans, and creating various new “sensitive spaces” (additional “gun-free zones”)?
If the actual intent is a reduction in gun violence, then Constitutional Carry would be the focus as it has an actual record of doing so. “Shall not be infringed” is very clear. The purpose is the self-defense against the denial of “life, liberty, or property” by another individual, or the tyranny of government. Instead of looking for more ways to harass and prosecute law-abiding citizens for resisting the victimization, the government should be focused on securing our Rights by separating those who violate them. Then people will be less inclined to be armed. The “good intentions” to classify criminals as victims, creates a “hell” for the less fortunate especially and degrades society in general.
Anti-Americanism and Anti-Semitism
Over the past year there has been a sharp rise in the expression of anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism both across our nation and in Colorado, especially among youth. What do you view as the cause(s) of these sociopolitical issues, and what if anything should be done to address them?
This delves into 1A questions, but fundamentally the government is failing “to preserve these Rights,” among which are “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” for “all,” specifically those of Jewish descent at this time. 1A recognizes “the Right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The campus rent-a-riots are neither. Given the general ignorance of the participants, it seems they are actually the efforts of those wanting to Sun Tzu the Judeo-Christian West out of its position of global dominance by other-than-military means. Citizen-extracted money should not be funding institutions that propagate anti-Constitutional indoctrination and action. This issue has been amplified by centralized education by leftist activists.
The Economy and Resources
As an elected official, what initiatives would you champion to improve the local economy, and what are your priorities for addressing policies on water, energy, and other resources?
There’s no problem the government can’t make worse with a solution. The majority of legislators operate from emotion with very little analytical basis and less experience with economics. Taxes & burdensome regulation need to be drastically reduced to keep more money in the economy. The war on hydrocarbons destabilizes our economy, eliminates jobs and drives up prices. (HB23-1163 & HB24- 1246) Energy costs can be reduced by eliminating the unscientific policy used to promote vulnerable & unreliable displaced-emission diffuse-energy sources. Nuclear options must also be explored for a reliable electric grid. Restorative agriculture improves water-retention in the soil, and sound forestry practices promote conservation and industry. Most Greenism is economically and environmentally degrading; unsurprising since it is based on untruths.
Education
If elected, what would you do to help improve the educational outcomes for students in our area? What is your position on parental authority in K-12 education, including school choice, parental notifications, etc.?
Parents have the absolute responsibility in the raising and education of their children. Centralized authority in any area will result in centralized corruption (www.RatedBooks.org/books). Unfortunately, institutions with control over children attract not only upstanding educators, they also attract those eager to use children for their personal or political agenda. Publically funded schools, however, are an extension of our Representative Republic, so by extension schools should be representative of the values of the parents of the children. If an average student:teacher ratio is 20:1 and an average of over $18k is spent per student per year, then an average classroom is worth over $360,000 per year. Schools must be transparent & accountable.
HB23-1079 would improve accountability by returning control to parents.
Protecting the Vulnerable
If elected, how will you seek to protect the lives of the most vulnerable in our community, including the unborn, victims of trafficking and abuse, senior citizens, and those experiencing mental illness?
Denying the protection of the individual is the antithesis of our founding values. Those values to which we took an oath and daily pledge our allegiance. Government is tasked with protecting the Rights of All individuals, but not providing it. Government only functions on money extracted by force from citizens, and there are too many examples of mischief that have emerged from government purporting to provide for the well-being instead of protecting it. When the government takes on the role, too often people abdicate their responsibilities. Now, government has taken so much from people that people have little left to take care of their responsibilities. Government programs also drive up the cost of private medical options amplifying the problem.
Crime
What are your thoughts about crime in Colorado and our community? If elected, how will you work to reduce the impact of crime on your constituents?
There are sufficient laws on the books, but local governments need to actually enforce them in securing the “Life, Liberty (and) Property” of Coloradans. I will work to oppose the trend of correcting bad legislation with more legislation, or efforts to disarm law- abiding citizens. Citizens need to exercise more oversight into municipality operations and hold elected officials accountable. Without citizen engagement, government lapses into grift & cronyism. Ultimately crime is the result of citizen passivity in daily operations and elections. Public servants who discourage citizen involvement need it the most. Being in the super-minority means most of what I can do is expose bad legislation, but it is up to the citizens to remove bad legislators.
Immigration
Do you believe that illegal entries into the U.S. have led to problems for our region? If so, what would you do if elected to improve the situation? Also, what is your view of sanctuary cities/counties?
As 4% of the population, the US cannot solve global tyrannies by even accepting illegal migrants to the point of our collapse. Illegal migrants become an exploitable and expendable slave-caste trafficked in violation of their Rights, and the billions of dollars they send home prop up the despots they fled. Governmental support for illegal activity is immoral because it repurposes the prosperity extracted from citizens by force and uses it for a purpose contradictory to the best interests of the citizens from whom it was extracted. We would be better off exporting our Constructional values, but first we must elect representatives representing those values. The threat of millions of military-aged-males of adversarial countries cannot be ignored either.
Election Security and Confidence
Do you believe that elections in Colorado should be conducted differently? (For example, should people be required to show proof of citizenship and residency for registering to vote in Colorado, and should Government-issued identification be required to vote?) If elected, what specifically will you do to help improve Coloradans’ confidence in our elections?
The election system determines our economy, foreign policy, and the use of military force, and is therefore the highest value target in the nation. Yet we focus on convenience over security. The “gold standard” is premised on readily hacked, foreign-built computers with inaccessible code connected to the global internet through wireless devices and DoD-banned flash-drives with unproven “signature verification” as a pretense. Drop-boxes provide no legitimate chain of custody, and the remote voting promotes ballot harvesting, theft & coercion. That ballot boxes are required to be accessible through the dark of night belies their actual purpose.
I have presented HB’s 23-1170, 24-1279 & 24-1145 to clean up voter rolls and make our ballot system auditable and verifiable by individual voters.
MICHAEL M. PIERSON
Democratic Candidate Information
House District: 22
Campaign Website URL: www.Pierson4CO.com
Email Address: Mike@Pierson4CO.com
Occupation/Vocation: Public Relations
Military Background (if any): Lt Col, USAF, Retired
Years Resident of El Paso County/District Represented: 18 years
Your Experience, Priorities, and Vision
What experience (personal, professional, other), priorities, and vision do you have for the elected office that you seek that will benefit your constituency?
I spent 32 years serving my country, 20 years as an active-duty US Air Force officer and another 12 as a federal civilian official where I maintained the Air Force’s relationship with local and state elected leaders. I’ve lived in this district since 2006. My children graduated from Doherty High School. Through my volunteer work with Care and Share Food Bank of Southern Colorado, The Space Foundation, and the Peterson Air and Space Museum Foundation, I have learned the power of the non-profit sector in helping improve everyone’s quality of life. Most of all, my experience taught me to work with everyone to find common-ground solutions that benefit everyone.
Ethics and Accountability
What are your beliefs on ethics, accountability, and transparency in government as they relate to the position that you are seeking? Also, what is your position on
I believe that elected officials and anyone who takes an oath to serve the public must prioritize the well-being of the people they serve above themselves. This means listening to and considering a wide range of opinions from a wide range of people. You don’t go into service to push your beliefs on others, no matter how deeply held. You certainly don’t go into service to insult or belittle anyone.
I support Colorado’s Sunshine Law because it requires transparency so that people can make up their own minds whether government and their elected officials are operating in their best interest. I support TABOR in so far as it forces the state government to make hard choices within a balanced budget.
1st Amendment
I first swore to uphold and protect the Constitution when I was commissioned as an officer in the US Air Force in 1989 and I will continue to do so as an elected official. I believe that all rights come with responsibilities and that often means to protect and defend these rights in the long-term, we must find common ground when those rights come into conflict.
2nd Amendment
What is your position on gun legislation regarding topics such as mandatory gun insurance, an increased minimum age to purchase a gun, so-called “assault weapons” bans, and creating various new “sensitive spaces” (additional “gun-free zones”)?
I’m very familiar with firearms from my military career. I’ve been trained on a variety of weapons and carried firearms on my military deployments. I fully support requirements for robust firearms training, which must include live-fire experience, safe storage, safe carry, and a review of applicable state and federal laws.
Rights come with responsibilities. I believe every law-abiding adult has the right to reasonable self-protection. I also believe everyone has the right to be safe from violence and intimidation, especially in sensitive spaces such as courthouses, hospitals and schools where people are especially vulnerable, and tensions run high. These spaces should already have security measures in place, decreasing the danger for everyone.
Anti-Americanism and Anti-Semitism
Over the past year there has been a sharp rise in the expression of anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism both across our nation and in Colorado, especially among youth. What do you view as the cause(s) of these sociopolitical issues, and what if anything should be done to address them?
Unfortunately, hate has always been a part of human culture. It’s easy for political leaders to use hate to divide people against one another while presenting themselves as warriors against “the others.” This is why the Bible and other religious texts constantly council us not to give in to hate but to stand up for each other with love and compassion. Tragically, we have political leaders across our nation, and right here in Colorado, who use hate as a weapon against their fellow citizens. As voters and neighbors, we need to fight back against this hate by calling it out when we see it and not supporting politicians who sling insults and dehumanize their fellow Americans.
The Economy and Resources
As an elected official, what initiatives would you champion to improve the local economy, and what are your priorities for addressing policies on water, energy, and other resources?
Affordable, attainable, safe and sustainable housing is the dominant social and economic crisis in Colorado this decade. I would champion innovative solutions, including modular homes, 3D printed construction, repurposing office space, multi-family housing construction and encouraging more “in-fill” to build more, denser, housing within the current limits of our cities. This will improve how we utilize our utilities. Every new development on the outskirts of our cities means new schools, firehouses, police stations and more. Costs often outstrip the tax base created by new homes. Denser communities are also more conducive to older residents who enjoy supporting their communities, and for young families, especially new transplants to Colorado, who enjoy the support they can get in walkable neighborhoods.
Education
If elected, what would you do to help improve the educational outcomes for students in our area? What is your position on parental authority in K-12 education, including school choice, parental notifications, etc.?
Our investment in education is an investment in the future. Without a highly educated population, we can’t maintain our social, economic, and military leadership in the world or maintain our standard of living. I support parents’ ability to send their children to schools of their choice. However, public money should be reserved for public schools. Parents who are not satisfied with the quality or responsiveness of public schools, or who feel the schools are not properly serving them or their children, have the right to place their students in other schools or in other educational environments. Parents also have influence over public schools through school boards and old-fashioned personal relationships with teachers and administrators.
Protecting the Vulnerable
If elected, how will you seek to protect the lives of the most vulnerable in our community, including the unborn, victims of trafficking and abuse, senior citizens, and those experiencing mental illness?
We must ensure that our seniors and their caretakers receive support and protection. That support can be provided through government programs or through charities and non-profits. The state can set rules that protect seniors from abuse and discrimination, allowing our seniors to be fully valued and productive. Our most vulnerable neighbors deserve all the attention, respect, dignity and resources we can afford to give them. Those suffering from addiction and mental illness are especially vulnerable; I will support state-wide efforts to diagnose and treat our neighbors, and to support their families. We also must attack human trafficking wherever it happens and provide support and protection to victims.
Crime
What are your thoughts about crime in Colorado and our community? If elected, how will you work to reduce the impact of crime on your constituents?
Crime is a major issue in Colorado. I’m hearing dissatisfaction in my district over the response time of local law enforcement and the perceived lack of follow-up for less violent crimes such as car theft. Our law enforcement agencies must be well-trained, equipped and funded to be responsive and need the support of the courts to convict and punish offenders properly.
I will support the CSP and CBI in a campaign to build a multi-agency task force to take on vehicle theft. I also will support state grants to agencies that provide steering wheel locks to those who cannot afford them.
Immigration
Do you believe that illegal entries into the U.S. have led to problems for our region? If so, what would you do if elected to improve the situation? Also, what is your view of sanctuary cities/counties?
The US immigration system is broken. It’s overburdened and underfunded. We need to pressure our federal government to get its act together and find ways to give migrants their immigration hearings within weeks, not months or years as is currently the case. Immigration is a federal issue, but migrants are a local and state issue as our communities host a wave of newcomers. Colorado needs to care for and protect migrants and do all we can to include them in our society, and our workforce, until they achieve citizenship or are sent back to their country of origin. By the way, mine is the same position that Presidents George H.W. Bush and Ronald Regan took on immigration in their day.
Election Security and Confidence
Do you believe that elections in Colorado should be conducted differently? (For example, should people be required to show proof of citizenship and residency for registering to vote in Colorado, and should Government-issued identification be required to vote?) If elected, what specifically will you do to help improve Coloradans’ confidence in our elections?
It is illegal for non-citizens to register to vote in Colorado, or to try to vote, and penalties are high. Colorado uses a national database to flag non-citizens who attempt to register and there has been little proof that non-citizens have attempted to vote in our elections in any meaningful way. Requiring people to “show their papers” at the ballot box is unnecessary, dangerous to poll workers, and discourages people from voting.
Colorado’s elections are secure and well-managed. I will support our county clerks, the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General’s efforts to ensure our elections remain secure and support public education campaigns aimed at showing people what steps are taken to ensure election security.
DANIEL CAMPAÑA
Candidate Information
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