4th CD:

Cory Gardner–Republican

Biggest strength: When the 4th Congressional District was redrawn to cover practically every farm east of I-25 from Wyoming to New Mexico, no one was better served than the incumbent, a conservative Republican who won back the district in 2010 after its brief flirtation with Democratic representation under former Rep. Betsy Markey. Now the size of South Carolina, the 4th’s values of “common sense conservatism,” as Gardner calls them, play to his strength.

Is it too homogenous? “People are really worried about the future, their jobs, the economy,” he says. “That’s true whether you live in Lone Tree or Lamar.” Though vastly rural, the district is also home to big retail at Park Meadows Mall, telecom interests like Dish Network and lots and lots of energy companies.

Brandon Shaffer–Democrat

shafferforcolorado.com

Biggest strength: The former state senator and Senate president can look like a dark horse in a district redrawn to remove its one big strength for Democrats—the liberal-leaning college town of Fort Collins. But he comes into the race for Colorado’s rural hearts and minds with a reputation for bipartisan cooperation and hoping to ride a wave of “throw the bums out” frustration that could harm the GOP incumbent.

Leadership style: “I would be honored to serve in Congress ,because my style of leadership is opposite of the sort of leadership we see in Washington, D.C.”

Resume bullet points: Former U.S. Navy, served in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Doug Aden–Constitution

dougaden.com

Biggest plank: If it’s not in the Constitution, it shouldn’t be in the government. Like many in the Constitution Party, Aden is an advocate of doing away with agencies like the Department of Education, returning the currency system to the gold standard and returning the country to the literal word of the Constitution. But he tells those who are nervous about such things that it wouldn’t happen overnight, even if Constitution candidates found themselves in the White House and with a majority in Congress—itself a long shot, to put it mildly. “I try to tell people that it’s a process,” he says. “It’s not going to happen tomorrow.”

Social issues: True to being a third-party candidate, Aden is a little more scattershot than other candidates but consistent with his belief in the Constitution as a driving force. He would legalize drugs on one hand but outlaw abortion on the other. The Constitution, he points out, says nothing about the former and addresses the latter by promising citizens the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Josh Gilliland–Libertarian

joshgforliberty.com

Motivation: Josh Gilliland entered the race because of his “utter frustration with the direction of the country” and a concern for the world he was leaving for his kids. The country is so bad in his estimation, he had little choice but to run to try fixing it. He hopes to attack crony capitalism with full force and move the economy toward a purer free market system. He says the government shouldn’t be concerned with defining marriage or criminalizing drugs and he’s in favor of a strict “hands-off” approach to foreign policy except where clear and direct national security is at stake.

Background: Gilliland has never held elected office. He’s a program manager for content delivery at Level 3, and he has three kids.

YS Endorsement: Brandon Shaffer

While Cory Gardner is clearly in his element in this district, Brandon Shaffer’s history of bipartisanship is needed more urgently in Congress than fealty to party identity, which during the last Congress brought the country to the brink of financial ruin and resulted in a downgrading of America’s credit standing. More than ever, Congress is in need of a bipartisan peacemaker, and there is no one better suited for the job than Shaffer.