U.S. Senate · Colorado

• YesConsolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 — Senate passage · H.R. 7148 · Bill Passed 71–29 · 2026-01-30 roll call ↗The bill provides full-year discretionary appropriations for federal agencies for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, replacing the stopgap funding enacted after the fall 2025 shutdown. It sets spending levels across defense and non-defense programs through September 2026.
• YesNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 — final passage · S. 1071 · Motion Agreed to 77–20 · 2025-12-17 roll call ↗The fiscal year 2026 NDAA authorizes roughly $900 billion in defense spending, including a pay raise for service members and funding for shipbuilding, munitions, and missile-defense programs. This vote sent the House-Senate compromise version to the President, who signed it into law the next day.
• NoContinuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 — shutdown-ending vote · H.R. 5371 · Bill Passed 60–40 · 2025-11-10 roll call ↗The bill reopened the federal government after a 43-day shutdown by funding most agencies through January 30, 2026, and providing full-year funding for a smaller group of agencies through September 2026. Eight members of the Democratic caucus joined nearly all Republicans to pass it.
• YesWar Powers Resolution on Venezuela — motion to discharge · S.J. Res. 90 · Motion to Discharge Rejected 49–51 · 2025-11-06 roll call ↗S.J.Res. 90 would have directed the President to end military hostilities within or against Venezuela that Congress had not authorized, after U.S. strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the region. A motion to discharge the resolution from committee failed, blocking a vote on final passage.
• YesResolution to end the global tariff emergency · S.J. Res. 88 · Joint Resolution Passed 51–47 · 2025-10-30 roll call ↗S.J.Res. 88 terminates the national emergency the President used to impose broad tariffs on imports from most countries under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Unlike an earlier April 2025 attempt, this resolution passed the Senate, though it still required House and presidential action to take effect.
• NoOne Big Beautiful Bill Act — Senate passage · H.R. 1 · Bill Passed 50–50 · 2025-07-01 roll call ↗H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, extends and expands the 2017 tax cuts, adds new deductions for tips, overtime pay, and seniors, and increases border security and defense spending. It reduces projected Medicaid and SNAP spending and adds new work requirements; Vice President Vance cast the tie-breaking vote.
• YesWar Powers Resolution on Iran — motion to discharge · S.J. Res. 59 · Motion to Discharge Rejected 47–53 · 2025-06-27 roll call ↗S.J.Res. 59 would have directed the President to end U.S. military hostilities against Iran that Congress had not authorized, following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities earlier that month. A motion to discharge the resolution from committee failed, preventing a vote on final passage.
• YesGENIUS Act — Senate passage · S. 1582 · Bill Passed 68–30 · 2025-06-17 roll call ↗The GENIUS Act creates a federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, requiring issuers to hold reserves backing their tokens on a one-to-one basis and comply with new disclosure and licensing rules. It was the first major piece of cryptocurrency legislation to clear Congress.
• YesResolution to end the global tariff emergency · S.J. Res. 49 · Joint Resolution Defeated 49–49 · 2025-04-30 roll call ↗S.J.Res. 49 would have terminated the national emergency the President declared in April 2025 to impose broad tariffs on imports from most U.S. trading partners. The resolution failed on a tied 49-49 vote.
• NoFull-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 — Senate passage · H.R. 1968 · Bill Passed 54–46 · 2025-03-14 roll call ↗The bill funded the federal government through the remainder of fiscal year 2025, largely at prior-year spending levels, averting a shutdown. It also extended several expiring health and other program authorizations.
• NoConfirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as HHS Secretary · PN Kennedy · Nomination Confirmed 52–48 · 2025-02-13 roll call ↗The Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services, overseeing federal health, food-safety, and drug-regulatory agencies. Senator Mitch McConnell was the only Republican to vote against the nomination.
• NoConfirmation of Pamela Bondi as Attorney General · PN Bondi · Nomination Confirmed 54–46 · 2025-02-04 roll call ↗The Senate confirmed Pamela Bondi, Florida's former attorney general, to serve as U.S. Attorney General, leading the Justice Department. The vote fell largely along party lines.
• NoConfirmation of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense · PN Hegseth · Nomination Confirmed 50–50 · 2025-01-24 roll call ↗The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army National Guard officer, to serve as Secretary of Defense. Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote after three Republican senators joined all Democrats in voting against the nomination.
• NoLaken Riley Act — Senate passage · S. 5 · Bill Passed 64–35 · 2025-01-20 roll call ↗The Laken Riley Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented immigrants who are arrested, charged, or convicted for theft, burglary, or certain violent crimes. It also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government over certain immigration enforcement decisions.

• ✓SupportsExpand public health coverageFrom recorded votes

  Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-07-01), which reduced federal Medicaid spending and added Medicaid work requirements.[13][14]

  What they say: Says every American should be guaranteed access to high-quality, affordable, universal health care and opposes the 2025 federal law's Medicaid and ACA cuts.[3]

  “Senator Hickenlooper believes that health care is a right, not a privilege.”

• ✓SupportsFaster transition away from fossil fuelsFrom recorded votes

  Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-07-01), which phased out Inflation Reduction Act clean-energy tax credits.[13][14]

  What they say: Calls for a bold, science-based transition away from fossil fuels and cites his role in passing the Inflation Reduction Act, which he calls the largest climate investment in history.[4]

• ✓SupportsStricter gun laws

  As governor, helped enact universal background checks and a ban on high-capacity magazines after the 2012 Aurora shooting; as senator, supported the bipartisan Safer Communities Act and supports banning assault weapons.[5]

• ✕OpposesExpand immigration enforcement and deportationsFrom recorded votes

  Voted no on Laken Riley Act (S. 5, 2025-01-20). Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-07-01), which funded expanded immigration enforcement, detention and border operations.[12][13][14]

  What they say: Says federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration has 'gone too far' and calls for restoring due process and accountability while maintaining a secure border, rather than expanding enforcement.[6]

  “enforcement without accountability undermines our values and our security.”

• ✕OpposesBroad tariffs on imported goodsFrom recorded votes

  Voted yes on Resolution to end the global tariff emergency (S.J. Res. 49, 2025-04-30). Voted yes on Resolution to end the global tariff emergency (S.J. Res. 88, 2025-10-30).[15][16]

• ✓SupportsRaise taxes on high earners or corporationsFrom recorded votes

  Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-07-01), which made the 2017 individual tax rates, including the 37% top rate, permanent.[13][14]

• Health care: says health care is a right, not a privilege, and criticizes the 2025 federal reconciliation law's roughly $1 trillion in Medicaid and ACA cuts, which he says will strip coverage from an estimated 15 million Americans including 241,000 Coloradans.[3]
• Climate: calls climate change the defining challenge of the era and points to his role helping pass the Inflation Reduction Act as a model for expanding clean energy and the green workforce.[4]
• Immigration: says the immigration system is broken and that enforcement under the Trump administration has gone too far, and calls for restoring due process while maintaining a secure border.[6]

• Born in Narberth, Pennsylvania, in 1952.[2]
• Earned a bachelor's degree (1974) and a master's degree in geology (1980) from Wesleyan University.[2]
• Career experience includes working with Buckhorn Petroleum and founding the Wynkoop Brewing Company brewpub in Denver.[2]
• Served as Mayor of Denver (2003-2011) and Governor of Colorado (2011-2019) before his 2020 election to the U.S. Senate.[2]

Raised $8.1M · spent $7.5M · $2.1M cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

• actionAs a Colorado state legislator, served on the Business, Labor, and Technology Committee, Senate Local Government and Housing Committee, and Technology Committee (2025-2026 session).[7]
• vote2025-05-06 · Voted no on SB25-130 (requiring hospitals and other emergency-care facilities to provide emergency medical services without denying or delaying care for a discriminatory or unlawful reason, codifying federal EMTALA-style anti-patient-dumping requirements), which the Senate repassed with House amendments 23-12 on May 6, 2025.[10]
• vote2024-03-15 · Voted no on SB24-003 (authorizing the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to investigate firearms crimes), which passed the Senate on third reading 21-10 on March 15, 2024.[11]

• ~MixedBroad tariffs on imported goods

  Campaign material does not state a clear tariff position; emphasizes cutting federal taxes and regulation to boost domestic prosperity rather than broad tariffs specifically.[8]

• ✓SupportsExpand immigration enforcement and deportations

  Says the roughly 1.2 million people legally admitted to the U.S. each year should be vetted to ensure they are not violent, will be self-reliant, and will assimilate, and frames unauthorized immigration as something to be addressed under 'Natural Law' rather than expanded legal pathways.[8]

• ✓SupportsIncrease police funding and staffing

  Says he will work with law enforcement to give them the support and funding needed to keep communities safe.[8]

• Affordability and prosperity: says he will cut federal taxes, roll back regulations, and restore American energy dominance rather than rely on Washington mandates.[8]
• Public safety: says he will work with law enforcement on funding and support, and end programs he says return violent offenders to neighborhoods before rehabilitation.[8]
• Agriculture: proposes cutting red tape and costs for farmers and ranchers, releasing a 'Farm Prosperity Proposal' in July 2026.[8]

• Born in Hastings, Minnesota; earned a B.S. in computer information systems/business administration from Columbia College.[7]
• Career experience includes serving as president of Slipglass, Inc. and Enspherics, a senior engineer at Raytheon, and a senior systems engineer at Martin Marietta.[7]
• Served in the Colorado House of Representatives, District 39 (2019-2023) before winning election to the Colorado State Senate, District 4, in 2022.[7]
• Served as vice chair and finance chairman of the Republican Party of Colorado.[7]

Raised $138K · spent $89K · $50K cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

Raised $1.3M · spent $226K · $1.0M cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

• ✓SupportsRaise the minimum wage

  Supports a federal living wage indexed to the Consumer Price Index, phased in starting with the highest-revenue organizations.[9]

• Supports a federal living wage tied to the Consumer Price Index, phased in starting with the most profitable organizations.[9]
• Says the U.S. should not fund actions that harm civilians abroad and should focus on becoming 'a better nation' before acting to influence other countries.[9]

• Describes himself as a working father of four, age 43 at the time of his survey response.[9]