Committee to Elect Stan VanderWerf
Why Stan VanderWerf Will Make a Difference
Please scroll to the question that is most important to you.
Public Safety
If you want lower crime, vote for Stan!
If you support law enforcement, vote for Stan!
If you are concerned about illegal immigration, vote for Stan!
If you want better protection from natural disasters, vote for Stan!
Fiscal Responsibility
If you want better state services at lower cost, vote for Stan!
Cost of Living
If you want to lower the cost of living, vote for Stan!
Local Government
If you support local government, vote for Stan!
Community Engagement
If you want a Senator who is deeply engaged in the Community, vote for Stan!
Endorsements and Donations
If you want a Senator supported by the Community, vote for Stan!
Attack Ads
If you want a more civil government, vote for Stan!
Public Safety
If you want lower crime, vote for Stan!
As a County Commissioner and community leader with responsibilities for community safety, Stan has been a member of the team that has kept crime low in El Paso County.
Stan's Opponent? Under my opponent's watch in the Colorado House, Colorado became the 3rd most dangerous state in the country. We now hold the top spot for cocaine use and had a record year in human trafficking crime in 2023. No matter what Stan's opponent claims, his actions, or failure to act have made Colorado a dangerous place to live.
- https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/colorado-third-most-dangerous-state-rankings/
- https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/colorado#state-rankings
- https://www.westword.com/news/colorado-tops-us-cocaine-use-again-22039525
- https://www.denverpost.com/2024/09/27/colorado-cocaine-use-survey/
If you support law enforcement, vote for Stan!
Our law enforcement personnel place themselves in harms way every day! They are essential for our safety. Stan has fully funded the Sheriff's office every year he has been a Commissioner. He provided additional funds to ensure our Sheriff's Deputies get the best body armor possible. He voted to substantially increase their salaries over recent years. Stan will support law enforcement as a State Senator.
Stan's Opponent? As a CO House Rep, Stan's opponent sponsored a bill (SB20-217) to substantially remove qualified immunity which protects law enforcement officers from frivolous civil liability. This made it harder to recruit law enforcement officers, and forced El Paso County to financially cover the change. This was an unfunded mandate to local government and placed the families of law enforcement officers at financial risk.
If you are concerned about illegal immigration, vote for Stan!
An open border brings human trafficking, increased fentanyl use, and higher risk from terrorist attacks. Stan supports increased penalties for both drug and human trafficking. Stan has extensive contacts at the federal Senate and House and will will use those to advocate for safety in Colorado by increasing security at our borders and asking for immigration reform.
Stan's Opponent? Law enforcement across the state is frustrated by HB19-1124 that prevents local law enforcement from accepting hold detainers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Here is an article about from the Denver Post about the damage this bill is causing. https://www.denverpost.com/2019/05/29/ice-immigration-colorado-law/. My opponent, in a recent debate, stated that several elements of this bill were real good.
If you want better protection from natural disasters, vote for Stan!
Stan has done so much in our local community to reduce natural disaster risks. He has an emergency operations background having served in three combatant commands in the DoD! He helped negotiate the creation of the Pikes Peak Regional Emergency Operations Center which was key in preventing small fires from turning into large disasters for the last five years through improved collaboration. As an El Paso County Commissioner, he approved funding for and participated in evacuation exercises sponsored by the County. Over the last five years these have been held in Palmer Lake, Monument, Green Mountain Falls, Crystal Park, and Broadmoor Bluffs. Citizens participated and received good evacuation practice. First responders also used these for training. As the EPC liaison to the federal government, in 2022, Stan helped get $18M for the Pike National Forest. They are using these funds to do extensive reduction of combustible wood north of highway 24 and west of Colorado Springs. These neighborhoods are a LOT more safe now with Stan's work.
Stan's Opponent? Despite his claims, Stan's opponent has done very little to protect us from natural disasters. While Stan helped get $18M and carried out evacuation exercises, his opponent was only able to get $45,000 for an evacuation study (HB23-1075).
Fiscal Responsibility
If you want better state services at lower cost, vote for Stan!
Stan has an Industrial Engineering degree which specializes in operations analysis, design, and re-design. For decades he has been designing more cost effective policy for all kinds of local, state and federal functions. This skill-set will serve Colorado well with Stan as a State Senator. Often costs for compliance and implementation can be reduced with better design. For example, as an El Paso County Commissioner, using innovation Stan doubled road paving and repairs, quadrupled emergency reserves, added regional parks, and obtained the highest bond rating a County can receive, all without raising taxes.
Stan's Opponent: Stan's opponent has been voting for all kinds of laws that have, collectively, doubled the size of state government and massively increased the number of employees at the State's regulatory agencies. This massive growth has not been implemented with cost and time effectiveness in mind. As such, Stan's opponent has increased cost of compliance for both citizens and businesses and increased the state's cost of implementation. Stan has a professional skill set that wil reduce these costs for all of us.
Lower Cost of Living
If you want someone fighting to lower cost of living in Colorado, vote for Stan!
State law has contributed to cost of living in Colorado. Prices are up on everything including energy, housing, groceries, and more and every citizen knows it. In energy, a better approach would be an "all sources" strategy to energy production including natural gas, nuclear, and geothermal. Additionally, the state has doubled in revenue and regulatory agency size in the last 10 years thus causing large increases in regulatory burdens. In a recent small business forum, 85 business small business leaders were highly critical of Colorado's increase in regulatory burdens. As stated in the previous question, Stan's skills as an Industrial Engineer will help the state reduce the cost of compliance AND implementation thus making it less expensive for us to live here and also potentially free up state funds to deliver more services. Stan supports an "all source" energy strategy to reduce energy costs. He supports construction defect reform and an extension of the senior homestead exemption to reduce housing costs. He supports farmers and ranchers to they can grow their output, increase supply, and reduce food costs.
Stan's Opponent: My opponent in this race, despite his claims, has contributed intensively to energy cost increases, regulatory burdens, and other cost of living concerns. Stan's opponent voted to place Proposition HH on the ballot which was arguably the largest tax increase in Colorado's history. Fortunately the citizens of Colorado saw this for what it was and voted it down. Stan's opponent voted for almost all of Colorado's greenhouse gas laws making energy production a lot more expensive.
Local Government
If you support local government, vote for Stan!
The state in recent years has carried out a war on local government enacting dozens of laws and then mandating local government pay for its implementation. This has angered almost every local government official. They are trying to repair roads, fund law enforcement, and provide other local services but have had to divert those funds to pay for the unfunded mandates coming from the State. Many local Democrat elected officials are supporting Stan for State Senate because they know he will fight for local government and consistently vote against local unfunded mandates.
Stan's Opponent? Stan's opponent has voted for many laws that either do NOT have a fiscal note (state funding) or have insufficient funding to properly pay for the bill. These are called an unfunded mandates, and are often regarded as a way to bypass TABOR by sending the bill to local government.
Community Engagement
If you want a Senator who is deeply engaged in the Community, vote for Stan!
Stan is deeply engaged in the community visiting with anyone willing to hold a civil discussion from the hard left to the hard right, from homeless people to CEOs, and from every demographic in our community. Just in the last 30 days, Stan has attended and engaged at 1) Hope and Home Fundraiser (supports foster kids), 2) Elk Glade Hunters Social, 3) CPCD Fundraiser (child support services), 4) PPRT Dinner, 5) Concrete Couch 20th Anniversary Celebration, 6) COSILOVEYOU Leadership Gathering, 7) Arts Month Community Social, 8) Broadmoor Bluffs Evacuation Drill, 9) Angel Flight Volunteer Meeting, 10) National Council of Jewish Women Event, 11) Justice Services Open House, 12) Chamber DC Fly-In, and the 13) 2024 Tourism Awards Dinner. These events are important. Citizens and organizations want to engage with their elected officials and Stan gives them those opportunities!
Stan's Opponent: Stan's Opponent did not attend any of these and only makes a few appearances at public events annually. Not to belabor this point, but we could point out hundreds of events that Stan has participated in and his opponent was no-where to be found.
Endorsements and Donations
If you want a Senator endorsed and financially supported by the local Community, vote for Stan!
Stan has over 100 personal and organizational endorsements from all kinds of community, business, non-profit, and law enforcement leaders. He has endorsements from veterans, education leaders, real estate brokers, current and former legislators, doctors, commissioners, mayors, ranchers, and citizens from every demographic. This includes former Mayor John Suthers, Sheriff Joe Roybal, District Attorney Michael Allen, and Senator Bob Gardner who is term limited and presently is our Senate District 12 Senator. Stan has several endorsements from unaffiliated and Democrat voters as well. On fundraising, Stan has been highly successful raising funds locally. Our community knows HOW IMPORTANT it is to have a Senator that truly cares about the people in his District.
Stan's Opponent: Stan's opponent has ONLY two personal endorsements and about 25 organizational endorsements, most of which are from unions. While Stan has successfully raised a lot of funds for his campaign, his opponent has raised more. But the majority of his funds DO NOT come from local citizens. They come from special interest groups in Denver and outside Colorado.
Attack Ads
If you want a more civil state government, vote for Stan!
Stan has been a gentleman his whole life. He learned this from his parents, his faith, and as a Commander in the US Air Force. Everyone who works with him knows this. He has a long history as a County Commissioner reaching across the aisle and working with anyone willing to have a respectful relationship with him.
Stan's Opponent? Surrogates for Stan's opponent are spending enormous sums of money to attack Stan. The money is NOT coming from local citizens or organizations. These false-fact attacks have been a common component of Stan's opponent's previous races as well. Stan's opponent will not disavow these false attack ads.
What the Attack Ads Say - And The Truth
1) "As a politician, he's taken over $800,000 in taxpayer-funded trips and salaries." - FALSE. Stan didn't take anything. For anyone with a concern about the size of a Commissioner salary, they need to take that up with the State Legislature which sets Commissioner salaries. Commissioners DO NOT set their own salaries. Stan's opponent as a Colorado House Rep voted FOR these salary levels.
2) "(Stan) Led the effort to prevent El Paso County workers from being eligible for paid sick leave." FALSE. Stan has consistently voted for one of the best public employee benefits packages, including sick leave, anywhere in the state for El Paso County employees. These employees receive 4 hours of sick leave for EVERY two week pay period and these hours accrue.
3) "Supports policies that would take funding from public schools attended by the middle class to subsidize private school tuition for the wealthy." - FALSE. When ANY school is not delivering good outcomes, parents, whether they are wealthy or not, should have a choice to send their children to a different school. If the public school is delivering the best outcomes for the neighborhood, Stan would always recommend attendance at that school. Choice brings competition and competition delivers better outcomes. Stan's opponent wants children to ONLY go to public schools because he receives a LOT of campaign money from school unions.
4) Stan hates gays - FALSE. Stan doesn't hate anyone. He is a man of faith and God tells us to love our neighbor. He supports the right of anyone to live with anyone else in any way they want because that's what the Constitution requires under the right to free assembly. Stan has enormous support from the Log Cabin Republicans, the gay and lesbian arm of the Republican Party. Stan has gay and lesbian friends from both the Democrat and Republican Party and has gay and lesbian family members.