State Senate District 4 race in full swing

Q&A with candidates for Senate District 4

 

Holly Gorman, Democrat

Holly Gorman, the Democratic candidate for state Senate District 4, lives in The Meadows in Castle Rock and has lived in the district for six years. She is a native of Colorado and is married to Mark Gorman. The couple has three girls, Jordan, Amaris and Sabriya.

Gorman has a bachelor's degree in justice studies with a minor in sociology and family studies. She also attended the University of Colorado, where she studied politics and public policy. Gorman continues to pursue educational and development opportunities for personal and professional growth and presently attends Leadership Douglas County.

She facilitates online learning at Denver Public Schools and has worked as a restorative justice coordinator, a site assessment leader and adjunct faculty member for the University of Colorado. Before returning to education, she was a judicial educator for the Colorado Judicial Branch and has experience as a district interventionist and as a community coordinator for state tobacco education and prevention in the superior court in Arizona.

Her previous public service experience includes volunteer work with the Daughters of the American Revolution, organizing for Colorado Firefighters and Families Family Initiative, Leadership Douglas County, Turkey Rock Trot race director, Douglas/Elbert Task Force board of directors, Girl Scouts of Colorado school coordinator, Douglas County School District diversity council member, Colorado Juvenile Council board of directors president, Douglas County back-to-school clothing drive, Colorado Prevention Partners chair, Metro Denver Gang Coalition member, Young Offender Mentoring Program mentor, Colorado Coalition for Girls member, National/Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children member, and anger management facilitator mediator.

Colorado Community Media asked the following questions of the candidates in the race for Colorado Senate, District 4. Below are Gorman's answers.

What makes you the best candidate for this office?

My style of leadership. As a Colorado educator and civic-engaged leader, I'm all about our community. I will absolutely put the interests of people ahead of partisan politics and work with all Coloradans, Republicans, Democrats, and other to implement solutions to make Colorado a better place to live, work, play, and raise our families. I connect and unite people around common goals to strengthen and improve community. This will be the same approach I will bring to the Senate.

I know that our communities cannot stay strong if we don't rebuild our economy and expand job opportunities. Additionally, our children cannot be successful and competitive in a global economy without access to world-class education. I will listen to your ideas and concerns and make sure your voice is heard at the Capitol.

My opponent closely follows an extreme partisan ideology, without regard for the whole community. The consequences of that style of leadership can be found in the bitter division and partisanship rearing its ugly head in our schools.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing your constituents and what would you do to meet that challenge?

Education. As I have been reaching out to voters several issues have been brought to my attention to include foreclosures, jobs, healthcare, fracking, and most sadly drug-induced teen deaths. However, education rises to the top. In my district, folks with children are concerned about the quality and quantity of education their children are receiving; they are concerned about the bitter division and partisanship rearing its ugly head in our schools. And folks without children are concerned about their home values and the consequences to the community as a result of the district unrest. They understand the value of a great education.

What should be done to improve Colorado's K-12 educational system?

We first need to determine if public education is truly a priority. I see a lot of talk about this but then as a parent and educator I see major cuts occurring in the classroom. That said, we must strengthen P-20 public education across the state, ensuring all students have access to early intervention programming, preschool, full-day kindergarten, and affordable post-secondary options.

In addition, we must ensure all students learn in 21st-century (STEM) classrooms that prepare for careers, today undefined. Careers that will include mobile technologies, virtual learning, and advance computer applications. All schools should provide students with technology, and teachers with training to ensure our students graduate prepared for a global economy. How we do this is another article.

 

Chris Grundemann, Libertarian

Chris Grundemann, the Libertarian candidate for state Senate District 4, lives in Castle Rock and has lived in the district for 26 years. He is the father of two sons, ages 5 and 10.

He attended Douglas County High School and is self-educated. He regards learning as a lifelong and daily pursuit.

Grundemann is a network engineer who focuses on technical leadership and innovation. He has written two nonfiction books and various standards, specifications and industry papers.

His past public service experience includes work as the founding chair of the Colorado chapter of the Internet Society, a board member of the Rocky Mountain IPv6 Task Force, an elected member of the ARIN Advisory Council and a number of volunteer positions in prominent industry organizations.

Colorado Community Media asked the following questions of the candidates in the race for Colorado Senate, District 4. Below are Grundemann's answers.

What makes you the best candidate for this office?

I am offering a fresh perspective and a fresh start. At all levels of government the dominant two parties are beholden to the special interests that pay for their campaigns. These donors very often back both Republicans and Democrats, ensuring that they always win and the voting people always lose. I offer an alternative to that false dichotomy. As a Libertarian I believe in individual liberty and in the ability for each man and woman to govern themselves, with government's role simply to facilitate that self-governance. I will only support policy that opens opportunities, and never laws that are unnecessary.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing your constituents and what would you do to meet that challenge?

There are many distinct issues facing District 4, but many of them surround unconstitutional federal expansion of power. I plan to meet this challenge by ensuring the Colorado State Senate addresses all state problems directly. I believe that we must also fight against further expansion of federal power, and do our level best to restrain existing oversteps. To accomplish this, I will build relationships with Colorado's U.S. senators and representatives to ensure that they understand that District 4 can speak for itself, through me. To make this happen, my door, phone, and mailbox will always be open to all constituents.

What should be done to improve Colorado's K-12 educational system?

Our primary problem in education today is that we are using a decades-old system. We are teaching digital children in analog schools. This must change. We need to take a hard look at how and what we are teaching our kids and how that facilitates the future. Critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity must trump rote memorization in nearly all cases. We must shift our focus from preserving the status quo to shaping the next generation of innovators and leaders. Once we make that shift, we must measure and manage the system, providing incentives appropriately.

 

Mark Scheffel, Republican

Mark Scheffel, the Republican candidate for state Senate District 4, lives in Parker and has lived in the district for 39 years. He has been married for 19 years and is the father of three daughters and one son.

Scheffel graduated from the University of Denver with a degree in finance and has a Juris Doctor degree from The John Marshall Law School and a master of laws degree in taxation from New York University School of Law.

He is a principal/owner of Reid and Scheffel P.C., a Parker law firm emphasizing business and taxation issues.

Scheffel's previous public experience includes membership on the citizen advisory board for The Wildlife Experience; he is an active member of the Parker Rotary; an active board member of Skycliff Stroke Center of Castle Rock; and the former chairman of the Douglas County Republican Party.

Colorado Community Media asked the following questions of the candidates in the race for Colorado Senate, District 4. Below are Scheffel's answers.

What makes you the best candidate for this office?

One of the greatest privileges I have experienced was to be asked to run for the state Senate four years ago and to successfully be elected to serve the citizens of Senate District 4 at the State Capitol where I currently serve as the Senate Assistant Minority Leader.

I believe I am the best candidate for this office because my conservative, pro-family, pro-life, pro-gun, pro-business values represent the district and I have worked faithfully to sponsor and support legislation that advances liberty and freedom while limiting the size of government, lowering taxes and reducing burdensome regulations.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing your constituents and what would you do to meet that challenge?

Our economy continues to struggle. Every day I hear from constituents who are working to raise their families and make ends meet. Many people are looking for work while others struggle with chronic underemployment, or the devastating news of losing their job.

Over the last four years I worked with business leaders and citizens on legislation that allows business to flourish and rekindles the entrepreneurial spirit that built this community, state, and nation. I am dedicated to limiting government and strengthening our economy with a free market economic agenda and will continue to advocate for businesses, so they may thrive.

What should be done to improve Colorado's K-12 educational system?

Our children and their education are critically important as they are our future. Colorado's K-12 educational system will continue to improve as long as it promotes school choice, parental involvement, and accountability. Douglas County schools are at the forefront of the education reform movement, which I enthusiastically support. I support expanding educational options and empowering parents to make education choices for their children. I support raising student achievement, teacher accountability, and empowering local school boards instead of federal and state bureaucrats.