By: Sarah Gomez, Staff Writer
Though I’m sure as we approach election day everyone has heard about the presidential candidates, however, not everyone is sure of what else is on the ballot. When voting, there are federal and state positions looking to get filled that not everyone knows about. Out of state students who especially don’t know what views some candidates have can be inclined to only vote for the president. With that being said, here is a quick guide to individuals running for federal office on your Colorado ballot.
Running for senate there are 5 candidates, two of which do not have much of a presence in the media. Of the three well known candidates we have John Hickenlooper, Cory Gardner, and Stephan “Seku” Evans. John Hickenloper is the democratic candidate known for being former governor of Colorado, mayor of Denver and even running for president. Hickenlooper’s views include abolishing the death penalty, raising the federal minimum wage, and keeping the electoral college. Cory Gardner is the republican candidate known for having served in the Colorado House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives and is running for reelection into the Senate. Gardner believes in keeping the death penalty, supports the second amendment, and wants to invest in transportation. Stephan “Seku” Evans is the Unity candidate known for his previous affiliation with the black panther party. Evans is well known for his work against nonviolence and community service work.
Also, up for election is representative to congress with five candidates on the ballot and three with adequate representation of their ideologies. Shane Bolling is the republican candidate that lacks much representation in the media despite being affiliated with a major party. Diana DeGette is the democratic candidate known for serving in the Colorado House of Representatives and her representation in Congress. DeGette is against teenage vaping, supports the Colorado Wilderness Act, and wants to lower the price of insulin. Jan Kok is the candidate from the approval voting party best known for co-founding The Center of Election Science. Kok does not want further gun restrictions, believes the federal government is preventing economic recovery, and wants approval voting in federal elections. Paul Noel Fiorino is the candidate for the unity party, known for previously running for the U.S. Senate, governor of Colorado and mayor of Denver. Fiorino supports a strong military and tax paid public higher education.
There are several other items on the ballot, and I strongly encourage you to research further and form your own opinions on state offices and the candidate’s political views. This is a summary of what each of the well-known federal office candidates support and though it is not extensive, I hope this offers some help when filling out your ballot.