2026 Primary Election
REPUBLICAN
STATE REPRESENTATIVE HD14 CANDIDATES
HD14 Republican Primary 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:
Priorities, Vision, and Experience
What priorities and vision do you have for the office of Colorado State Representative, and how would your personal and professional experience contribute to that?
Accountability
Colorado’s Sunshine Law and Taxpayer Bill of Rights are examples of accountability measures that Colorado’s electorate voted into law. What are your beliefs on ethics in government, and how would you seek to improve accountability and transparency as they relate to the office of Colorado State Representative?
1st Amendment
What are your thoughts on the establishment clause; and 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?
2nd Amendment
In light of recent Colorado legislation and US Supreme Court’s rulings regarding our nation’s historical tradition of firearms regulation, what steps would you take to protect the rights of the people while addressing gun violence?
Anti-Americanism and Antisemitism
There has been a rise in incidences of anti-Americanism and antisemitism in Colorado and across our nation. What do you view as the causes, and what should be done to address these issues?
Economy and Resources
If elected, what initiatives would you champion to improve Colorado’s economy, including policies on water, energy, and other resources, and how would you make your office more fiscally responsible?
Education
If elected, how would you help improve the educational outcomes for Colorado’s students, and what is your position on parental authority in K-12 education, including school choice and parental notification?
Protecting the Most 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?
Public Safety and Rule of Law
What are your priorities for addressing crime in Colorado, including issues such as cybercrime and the slavery of human trafficking, and how do you view the role of state policy in addressing immigration-related challenges and coordination with federal authorities? Also, what is your opinion regarding sanctuary city (or county) policies?
Election Integrity
Do you believe that elections should be conducted differently in order to ensure integrity and confidence? Should people be required to show proof of citizenship in order to register to vote, and/or be required to show a government-issued ID to cast their vote?
Constitutional Compatibility
Many Christians are concerned about ideologies that place the state, the collective, or religious law above individual liberty and limited constitutional government. Do you believe socialism, communism, or political movements seeking to impose religious law — including Islamic Sharia law — are compatible with America’s constitutional representative democracy? Why or why not?
AVA FLANELL
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survey question and reply
Candidate Information
House District: HD14
Campaign Website URL: www.AvaForColorado.com
Email Address: AvaFlanell4CO@gmail.com
Occupation/Vocation: Business Owner
Years Resident of El Paso County/District Represented: Native of Colorado
Priorities, Vision, and Experience
What priorities and vision do you have for the office of Colorado State Representative, and how would your personal and professional experience contribute to that?
My priorities are affordability, public safety, and reducing unnecessary regulations.
I’ve been self-employed for thirteen years and was raised by entrepreneurial parents who taught me the values of business. I understand how excessive regulations impact businesses and ultimately drive-up costs for consumers.
When the cost of living rises and people struggle to make ends meet, crime and economic instability rise. I understand the connection between economic policy, opportunity, and quality of life, and I want to help make Colorado a state that is once again affordable, safe, and free.
Accountability
Colorado’s Sunshine Law and Taxpayer Bill of Rights are examples of accountability measures that Colorado’s electorate voted into law. What are your beliefs on ethics in government, and how would you seek to improve accountability and transparency as they relate to the office of Colorado State Representative?
Colorado’s Sunshine Law and TABOR exist because voters understood that government must remain accountable to the people. I strongly support both measures because transparency, fiscal restraint, and public oversight are essential to maintaining trust in government. Ethics in government starts with honesty, transparency, and remembering that elected officials are public servants.
As a representative, I will support stronger enforcement of open records laws, greater budget transparency, independent audits, and policies that prevent backroom deals and undisclosed lobbying influence.
Accountability also means being accessible and responsive to constituents year-round, not just during election season. I have worked to stop harmful legislation, improve bills through amendments, and will continue fighting for affordability, constitutional rights, and individual liberty.
1st Amendment
Colorado’s Sunshine Law and Taxpayer Bill of Rights are examples of accountability measures that Colorado’s electorate voted into law. What are your beliefs on ethics in government, and how would you seek to improve accountability and transparency as they relate to the office of Colorado State Representative?
The Establishment Clause is important because it prevents the government from creating an official state religion. It’s important to note that the United States was founded on Judeo-Christian values that have shaped our laws, culture, and understanding of individual liberty however, Americans should be free to openly practice their faith without government interference or discrimination.
History shows that when governments merge religious authority with state power, individual freedoms can be threatened. The Constitution must remain the guiding framework for our laws. Free expression and religious liberty are foundational to a free society and the government must protect these rights equally for all Americans while applying the law fairly and consistently.
2nd Amendment
In light of recent Colorado legislation and US Supreme Court’s rulings regarding our nation’s historical tradition of firearms regulation, what steps would you take to protect the rights of the people while addressing gun violence?
As a licensed firearms dealer and instructor, I bring firsthand experience to these debates. In a legislature made up of 65 Democrats to 35 Republicans, I’ve worked to improve and narrow anti-gun legislation through amendments and debate to reduce unintended consequences for responsible gun owners.
I believe the Second Amendment is a God-given constitutional right, and that an object itself is not the cause of violence. I also believe that expanding gun laws on law-abiding citizens does not address the root causes of violent crime.
When legislation goes too far, I work with organizations like the Colorado State Shooting Association to challenge unconstitutional laws in court and support efforts to restore constitutional balance through both litigation and the legislative process.
Anti-Americanism and Antisemitism
There has been a rise in incidences of anti-Americanism and antisemitism in Colorado and across our nation. What do you view as the causes, and what should be done to address these issues?
Rising antisemitism and hate are being fueled by growing division, identity politics, extremism, and a culture that increasingly isolates people from faith, community, and shared values. When society loses its sense of purpose and moral foundation, hatred and division become easier to spread.
I believe we must confront antisemitism clearly and consistently, regardless of where it comes from. That means supporting free speech while enforcing laws against violence, threats, and harassment. It also means promoting civic education that reinforces equal protection under the law, individual responsibility, and respect for others. I also believe strong communities, faith, and personal values play an important role in pushing back against hatred and helping people find meaning and connection.
Economy and Resources
If elected, what initiatives would you champion to improve Colorado’s economy, including policies on water, energy, and other resources, and how would you make your office more fiscally responsible?
Colorado’s government needs a serious audit. We must cut wasteful spending, eliminate outdated and unnecessary regulations, and refocus on core responsibilities like public safety, infrastructure, and education instead of continually expanding government programs.
I also oppose mandates that drive up utility costs faster than our infrastructure can support. Consumers should have the freedom to choose the energy options that work best for their homes and businesses while keeping energy reliable and affordable.
Water is one of Colorado’s most precious resources and we cannot take it for granted. We need responsible long-term planning that protects agriculture, supports growing communities, strengthens infrastructure, and encourages practical conservation efforts to ensure Colorado’s future remains sustainable.
Education
If elected, how would you help improve the educational outcomes for Colorado’s students, and what is your position on parental authority in K-12 education, including school choice and parental notification?
My focus is to prioritize education funding so resources go where they matter most, into the classroom. Colorado students deserve a strong, standards-based education focused on reading, writing, math, science, and civics, not ideological agendas that distract from core learning or undermine parents’ role. Schools should be places of learning, not political or social experimentation.
Parents are the primary authority in their children’s education. That includes full transparency from schools, timely parental notification, and respect for a parent’s right to guide their child’s upbringing.
I also strongly support expanding school choice so families can select the educational environment that best fits their values and their child’s needs, whether public, charter, private, or homeschooling.
Protecting the Most 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?
I am staunchly pro-life and believe every unborn child is a life created in God’s image, deserving of protection and dignity. This session, I worked to oppose HB26-1335, which allows college campuses to distribute the abortion pill to students. I lost sleep over this bill. Unfortunately, it passed despite our efforts.
A safe and just society requires both moral clarity and strong laws that hold offenders accountable. To hurt the most vulnerable is the most disgusting act someone can commit. We must support law enforcement and strengthen penalties, ensuring these perpetrators won’t strike again
I co-sponsored SB26-149, which ensures criminals with mental illness will no longer be released into the communities who are incompetent to stand trial.
Public Safety and Rule of Law
What are your priorities for addressing crime in Colorado, including issues such as cybercrime and the slavery of human trafficking, and how do you view the role of state policy in addressing immigration-related challenges and coordination with federal authorities? Also, what is your opinion regarding sanctuary city (or county) policies?
If we are to defend the widowed and orphaned, as the Book of James calls us to do, then we cannot allow predators and traffickers to operate freely in our communities due to sanctuary-style policies.
I support closer coordination between state and federal authorities when dealing with violent offenders who are in the country illegally, including the upcoming ballot initiative requiring Colorado law enforcement to report violent illegal immigrants to ICE.
This session, we made progress with SB26-011, strengthening tools to investigate online crimes, and SB26-015, increasing penalties for exploitation and internet luring of a minor. More must be done to protect vulnerable people and hold dangerous offenders accountable.
Election Integrity
Do you believe that elections should be conducted differently in order to ensure integrity and confidence? Should people be required to show proof of citizenship in order to register to vote, and/or be required to show a government-issued ID to cast their vote?
Yes, I would encourage Colorado to go back to how things were done before mail in voting, but at the very least, voters should be required to show proof of citizenship and a government-issued photo identification to prove they’re legally allowed to vote when turning in their ballot. Additionally, I support maintaining and improving safeguards such as accurate voter rolls, signature verification, post-election audits, and strong chain-of-custody procedures for ballots. These measures are essential to ensure public trust in the process.
Constitutional Compatibility
Many Christians are concerned about ideologies that place the state, the collective, or religious law above individual liberty and limited constitutional government. Do you believe socialism, communism, or political movements seeking to impose religious law — including Islamic Sharia law — are compatible with America’s constitutional representative democracy? Why or why not?
No, I do not believe socialism, communism, or any system that places ideology or religious law above the Constitution is compatible with America’s system of limited government and individual liberty. Systems that impose religious law, including Sharia-based governance, are incompatible when they replace equal rights under constitutional law with religious rule.
The United States was founded on the principle that our rights come from God, not the government. Our Constitution protects freedom of religion, speech, property rights, and equal protection under the law.
America succeeds when government remains limited, accountable, and bound by the Constitution, while allowing individuals to freely practice their faith without any belief system being imposed through law.
TROY VANDERHULE
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survey question and reply
Candidate Information
House District: HD14
Campaign Website URL: www.TroyVanderhule.com
Email Address: Troy.Vanderhule@gmail.com
Occupation/Vocation: Nonprofit Executive
Years Resident of El Paso County/District Represented: 10 years. Lived here from 1984-1986. Then from 2019-present.
Priorities, Vision, and Experience
What priorities and vision do you have for the office of Colorado State Representative, and how would your personal and professional experience contribute to that?
Colorado needs stronger leadership.
We have devolved into a one-party rule that has given Colorado radical social policies; extreme debt, fraud, and waste; and a net negative migration.
Colorado needs conservative leadership that will re-energize the conservative base and galvanize the conservative caucus in the CO legislature.
Colorado needs to be a welcome place for businesses.
Colorado needs to be a safe place for families.
Colorado needs to be a prosperous place for communities.
I have experience leading state-wide initiatives.
I have experience leading economic development.
I have experience galvanizing support by clarifying issues and rallying people around a cause. The Colorado conservatives are de-moralized by radical Democrats and compromising Republicans. I would help lead a resurgence of successful legislation.
Accountability
Colorado’s Sunshine Law and Taxpayer Bill of Rights are examples of accountability measures that Colorado’s electorate voted into law. What are your beliefs on ethics in government, and how would you seek to improve accountability and transparency as they relate to the office of Colorado State Representative?
Colorado is transparently corrupt and brazenly un-accountable.
Our radical one-party rule openly passes un-ethical laws every legislative sessions.
They add and increase fees at every level.
They add and increase strangling regulation on every business.
They add and increase you taxes for unlimited sex changes, unlimited abortions, and unlimited funding for housing and medical for illegal aliens.
Then they steal your TABOR.
We have transparency: there is absolutely fraud, waste, and self-enrinchment in our Colorado governance.
We lack accountability.
We need conservative leadership to bring accountability to our Colorado government.
1st Amendment
Colorado’s Sunshine Law and Taxpayer Bill of Rights are examples of accountability measures that Colorado’s electorate voted into law. What are your beliefs on ethics in government, and how would you seek to improve accountability and transparency as they relate to the office of Colorado State Representative?
Conservatism and Christianity are both under attack in Colorado.
The goal is to make it illegal to be a Christian or a conservative.
The Colorado Covid lockdowns were a prime example.
Churches were restricted from meeting, but other assemblies, gatherings, and businesses were allowed to remain open.
The state cannot establish a church, but it has to let the church be established.
Churches have to fight for the right to engage in Godly politics, teach their people Christian principles, and lead their communities into flourishing.
Religious freedom has to be protected.
But it also has to be fought for. Our churches have been passive for far too long.
Exercise your rights, don’t ask for permission.
2nd Amendment
In light of recent Colorado legislation and US Supreme Court’s rulings regarding our nation’s historical tradition of firearms regulation, what steps would you take to protect the rights of the people while addressing gun violence?
Gun rights are absolute.
There is no infringement.
We should have Constitutional Carry in Colorado.
Addressing gun violence is a governance problem, not a gun problem.
The state is to punish evil, reward good, and bring justice.
Colorado is soft on crime. We let criminals go, but criminalize normal citizens.
We have a violence problem in Colorado. Whether that’s guns, knives, blunt objects, or assault.
Violence is curbed by enforce the laws we already have and punishing criminals.
Anti-Americanism and Antisemitism
There has been a rise in incidences of anti-Americanism and antisemitism in Colorado and across our nation. What do you view as the causes, and what should be done to address these issues?
Anti-American sentiment has been led by the radical left for several decades.
They seek to destroy Western Civilization because it was built on Godly principles: natural law, rule of law, governance based on justice, and human flourishing based on Christian principles.
Conservatives have been lulled into taking a neutral approach to civics and government. Along with a libertarian attitude.
Conservatives need to remember they are conserving Western Civilization, Biblical foundations, and the Constitution. These three things have led to thriving civilizations and human flourishing for millions of people over thousands of years. There is no neutral form of governance. All governance need to promote the good and eradicate evil.
Economy and Resources
If elected, what initiatives would you champion to improve Colorado’s economy, including policies on water, energy, and other resources, and how would you make your office more fiscally responsible?
There are three causes of Colorado’s dismal and dysfunctional economy:
1. Illegal aliens. Colorado allows unlimited illegal aliens into our state. The state pushes massive amounts of funding to house them, feed them, subsidize them, and provide free medial services. This drives up houses costs. This under-cuts our labor forces. This add crime and violence to our communities. It drives up our auto insurance. :
2. Regulation. We are one of the worst states for regulation. This drives businesses out of the state. It steals from the businesses that remain. It steals from families and workers.
3. Insane social policies. Our social policies drive students our of our schools and families our of our state.
Education
If elected, how would you help improve the educational outcomes for Colorado’s students, and what is your position on parental authority in K-12 education, including school choice and parental notification?
Pass, strengthen, and enforce the Colorado Parental Bill of Rights.
Schools work for the parents and the community.
Allow stronger school choice.
Ban trans ideology from all schools.
Ban sex grooming at all schools.
Ban race ideology and DEI from schools.
Punish administrators and teachers who undermine the law, who undermine parents, who subvert children with sex grooming, trans ideologies, and racial animosity.
Strengthen homeschooling.
Strengthen charter schools.
Make public schools be accountable for teaching basic education.
Reward good teachers.
Fire bad teachers.
Allow problem students to be expelled, suspended, or moved to other programs.
Protecting the Most 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?
Colorado is one of the worst states on protecting the most vulnerable.
We have one of the highest rates of sex trafficking.
We promote and fund unlimited abortion. Which kills innocents and is always medically dangerous for women..
We do not enforce our laws for violent predators and offenders.
We leave mentally un-well people on the streets to suffer and cause crime.
We have poor oversight of our senior citizens.
There are two solutions to these problems:
1. Bring transparency. Expose bad laws, gaps in the system, and negligent prosecution. Many of our legislators work to cover this up.
2. Bring accountability. Enforce our laws and punish criminals.
Public Safety and Rule of Law
What are your priorities for addressing crime in Colorado, including issues such as cybercrime and the slavery of human trafficking, and how do you view the role of state policy in addressing immigration-related challenges and coordination with federal authorities? Also, what is your opinion regarding sanctuary city (or county) policies?
Currently, Colorado allows rampant human trafficking. Our one-party rule will not pass stronger legislation, nor will they prosecute individuals who commit crime. The approach of the radical Democrats is to allow all manner of crime, violence, and perversion. But strangles our businesses, allows perverts in our schools and libraries, and silences churches.
Cybercrime should be better defined and aggressively prosecuted.
Colorado should not allow any illegal aliens into the state.
Colorado should work with the federal government to aggressively deport illegal aliens.
There is no such thing as a sanctuary state. Any attempt to promote those false poliicies should be prosecuted at the state and federal level.
Election Integrity
Do you believe that elections should be conducted differently in order to ensure integrity and confidence? Should people be required to show proof of citizenship in order to register to vote, and/or be required to show a government-issued ID to cast their vote?
Currently, our elections are not secured.
It is vital that we have election integrity.
Our elections should be transparent throughout the entire process.
Voter ID is a must.
Along with one-day vote, paper ballot, in-person voting, with very limited mail-in exemptions.
No unsupervised drop boxes.
Clear chain of custody.
Transparent counting and auditable records.
Constitutional Compatibility
Many Christians are concerned about ideologies that place the state, the collective, or religious law above individual liberty and limited constitutional government. Do you believe socialism, communism, or political movements seeking to impose religious law — including Islamic Sharia law — are compatible with America’s constitutional representative democracy? Why or why not?
All government and laws are religious.
They have to derive their legitimacy from a higher source.
‘Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.’ John Adams.
Our Constitution is a product of Western Civilization which is grounded in Biblical revelation: natural law, the rule of law, the rights of man, government of justice and peace, and human flourishing.
The Constitution seeks to enshrine and enforce these Biblical principles.Without these Biblical principles it is impossible to derive or arrive at individual liberty or limited constitutional government.
All other religions, governments, and politics can only devolve into barbarism, tyranny, or anarchy.
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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.