Colorado is holding elections, including for municipal offices and school boards, on Nov. 7, 2023. A number of candidates running in these elections completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office.
Below is a selection of responses from the candidates who filled out the survey as of Sept. 26. To read each candidate’s full responses, click his or her name at the bottom of the article.
Thomas Carey (nonpartisan) is running for Colorado Springs School District 11 school board, and the general election is on Nov. 7. Here’s how Carey responded to the question: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
“… For years, Colorado Springs District 11 has underperformed state averages. Our children deserve better: educational outcomes must be the central goal of any school. As a school board director, I would work to right the trajectory of poor public education:
1. I would work to ensure that District 11 focuses on student educational outcomes as the number one priority.
2. I would make sure that District 11 is accountable to parents, providing them with a voice and choice in their children’s education.
3. I would fight to secure the best working environment and salary we can for our teachers so they in turn can give their best to our students.”
Click here to read the rest of Carey’s answers.
Mark Cravens (nonpartisan) is running for Falcon School District 49 school board District 3, and the general election is on Nov. 7. Here’s how Cravens responded to the question: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
“We need to focus our schools on academic excellence. … Our schools exist to academically educate our children to become adults who can support themselves in this modern world, and to participate in their communities as civic-minded citizens. We need to bring parents back into the academic lives of their children, and to protect and ensure parental decision authority for their children. … We need to restore civil discourse in our schools and districts and in our deliberations. Too often, simple disagreement serves as justification for personal attack, censure, demonizing and marginalization. This is a failure of leadership, and it needs to stop. Understandably, the initiative to stop it, needs to come from leaders on the district Board and district administrators.”
Click here to read the rest of Cravens’ answers.
Jeffrey Sanford (nonpartisan) is running for mayor of Aurora, and the general election is on Nov. 7. Here’s how Sanford responded to the question: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
“Environmental Sustainability
Fiscal responsibility
Economic Development:
Community Education for Trades and Crafts
Community Safety”
Click here to read the rest of Sanford’s answers.
Debra Schmidt (nonpartisan) is running for Falcon School District 49 school board District 2, and the general election is on Nov. 7. Here’s how Schmidt responded to the question: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
“Education and Free Speech”
Click here to read the rest of Schmidt’s answers.
If you’re a Colorado candidate or incumbent, click here to take the survey. The survey contains over 30 questions, and you can choose the ones you feel will best represent your views to voters. If you complete the survey, a box with your answers will display on your Ballotpedia profile. Your responses will also populate the information that appears in our mobile app, My Vote Ballotpedia.
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