Jason Lupo and Jarvis Caldwell are facing off in the Republican Primary for House District 20, which covers northern El Paso County and northern Colorado Springs, including Monument, Palmer Lake and the Air Force Academy.

Caldwell and Lupo are running for the seat vacated by Rep. Don Wilson, who is running for El Paso County commissioner.

The Gazette asked candidates to set themselves apart from the competition, explain how they would work across the aisle, and work to address any political overreach they have seen by the state legislature.  

Jason Lupo

Website: lupoforcolorado.com 

What is your top priority for the next session?

It doesn’t cost a dime to reduce regulations and improve our economic outcomes. It doesn’t cost a dime to reduce the drastic cost of illegal immigration at a cost of $851 per Colorado household. It doesn’t cost a dime to hold accountable the publicly funded K-12 schools and higher education that have prioritized radical ideology over education. Our legislature has a bad habit of passing bills that hinder the financial stability of Coloradans. 

What sets you apart from your opponent?

I am a true constitutional conservative who will fight hard to secure my constituents’ constitutional rights. I will stand firm in matters affecting liberties, reducing government’s reach, reducing government spending and will fight to toughen penalties for violent and sex crimes and will work hard to end Colorado’s sanctuary state status. As the only small-business owner in the race, I understand the impact that legislation has on our local businesses, workforce and everyday lives of consumers. 

Jarvis Caldwell

Website: jarviscaldwell.com

What would be your top priorities next session?

We are taxed, fee’d, and regulated to death. My No. 1 priority for House District 20 is getting legislation passed that gets our costs down. I’m supportive of further addressing the current property tax crisis and positive legislation like senior property tax exemption portability. Protecting TABOR, the money we overpaid and is owed back to us, is a piece of that priority. What we see now is billions of dollars owed back to us taxpayers being diverted for more and more Democrat pet projects. The Colorado Chamber of Commerce has endorsed me in this primary due to my strong stance against added taxes, fees and regulations.

Law and order is also a major priority for me, and I am endorsed in this primary by Sheriff Joe Roybal. Colorado was recently ranked the No. 3 “unsafest” state in the nation and No. 2 in the nation for property crime. We have a fentanyl crisis that is destroying our younger people, thanks to the open border and free rein of drug cartels coming into our country. The soft-on-crime policies coming from the state Capitol right now have to stop. I have a criminal justice background from my time as an Air Force JAG Corps member, and I plan to use that experience to hold criminals accountable while getting victims the justice they deserve through legislation.

What sets you apart from your opponent?

There is a massive experience gap between myself and my opponent. Not only am I the only veteran in the race, but much of that time serving was spent in the Air Force JAG Corps holding criminals accountable for their actions. I’m also endorsed by Sheriff Joe Roybal, and plan to work with him closely on anti-crime legislation.

Parental rights and school choice are important issues in House District 20. I’m a father of two elementary school boys and serve as the vice chairman on the board of directors of a District 20 charter school. I’ve testified at the state Capitol against radical anti-parental rights legislation and raised awareness before the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners regarding the attacks on school choice from legislators.

During the 2022 and 2023 legislative sessions, I served first as an aide to a House representative and then as the communications director for the House Republican Caucus. I know how to navigate the chaos of the Capitol while getting great things accomplished. I focused on bringing transparency to our constituents and raising awareness of the radical bills proposed in the legislature. My opponent has none of this experience.

How will you work with the Democratic majority on legislative goals?

There are issues that benefit Coloradans, no matter what their political affiliation is. While I will fight with all of my power against the horrendous bills we’ve seen recently, I also want to focus on getting bills passed that help the people of House District 20. With the numbers we have at the state Capitol currently, that will require working across the aisle to get bills passed as a Republican.

An example is expediting the process for teachers certified in other states by making it cheaper and easier when they move here. This is especially important for spouses of military members, who are often only here for two to three years and could begin teaching right away. This can help alleviate the teacher shortage we’re experiencing.

Another bill that needs to be passed is senior property tax exemption portability. There are many senior citizens in our communities who would like to move for various reasons but are often on fixed incomes and can’t afford to lose their tax-exempt status. They’ve earned it, and they should be able to take it with them, no matter where they move in the state.

Do you think the state has overstepped its authority? If so, how would you work to restore more local control?

The state government has overstepped its authority regarding local control in nearly every aspect. What is good for Boulder and Denver is often not good for Monument, Palmer Lake, Black Forest, or Falcon.

At a state level, we have to continue fighting against the assault on our local control by bringing representatives from our local governments and citizens to the Capitol to speak out. At a local level, we must continue to pressure our local elected officials and hold them answerable to us on the issues at hand. If the state oversteps its authority, as it has so many times recently, our local governments should take legal action against the state. We’ve seen this recently with El Paso County and Douglas County suing the state government over its horrendous illegal immigration sanctuary policies. I fully support that lawsuit.