Eileen Laubacher
District 4 - Democratic Party
How does your experience make you qualified to represent the people?
I've spent my entire adult life in public service. For 34 years, I served our country in the Navy, rising from a young officer to Rear Admiral. I worked on some of our nation's toughest national security challenges, led teams around the world, and advised leaders at the highest levels of government. But experience alone doesn't qualify someone to represent others.
What matters most is character. It matters whether people can trust your word, whether you'll put their interests ahead of your own, and whether you'll do what you say you're going to do.
When I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution, it wasn't a slogan or a campaign talking point - it was a commitment. Throughout my career, people trusted me with difficult decisions because they knew I would tell the truth, do the work, and put the mission ahead of myself.
That's what frustrates so many people about politics today. Too many politicians like Lauren Boebert say one thing and do another. They talk about serving their constituents, then put their own ambitions first. They tell voters they're opposed to something and then turn around and cast the deciding vote for it - like Lauben Boebert did for the War in Iran. They spend more time building their personal brand than solving problems for the people they represent.
The people of Colorado deserve better.
I'm not asking voters to agree with me on every issue. In a district as large and diverse as ours, that's neither realistic nor healthy. But I am asking them to trust that I will be honest with them. If I say I'm going to do something, I'll do everything in my power to follow through. And if I make a decision that someone disagrees with, I'll show up, listen, and explain why. I won't hide. I won't dodge tough conversations. I won't treat public service like a performance.
My entire life has been about serving something bigger than myself—from the Navy to raising my family here in Colorado. That's what I believe representation means: integrity, accountability, and putting the people you serve ahead of yourself every single day.
That's why I'm running for Congress.
What are your top policy priorities?
My top priorities are tackling costs and fighting corruption, because those two issues sit at the heart of so many of the challenges Americans face today.
Whether it's the cost of groceries, gas, housing, healthcare, or childcare, families across Colorado are feeling squeezed. Young people wonder if they'll ever be able to buy a home. Seniors worry about the future of Social Security and Medicare. Small business owners are struggling with rising costs. Farmers and ranchers are paying more for fuel, equipment, and supplies. At the same time, our national debt continues to grow, threatening the long-term economic security of future generations.
These aren't Democratic issues or Republican issues. They're American issues.
The same is true when it comes to corruption. Too many people feel like Washington works for lobbyists, special interests, and political insiders instead of the people who sent them there. And frankly, both parties have contributed to that problem. Americans are tired of politicians who spend more time protecting their careers, raising money, and fighting on cable news than solving problems.
I spent 34 years serving under both Republican and Democratic presidents. In the military, we didn't ask whether a problem was conservative or liberal before trying to solve it. We focused on the mission. That's the approach I'll bring to Congress.
What is one issue you think is being overlooked in this race, and how would you address it?
The issue I think is most overlooked is corruption in Washington.
People talk about the cost of living, healthcare, housing, immigration, and the national debt—and those are all important issues. But what often gets overlooked is why Congress struggles to solve any of them in the first place.
Too many elected officials are spending their time raising money, courting special interests, and building personal brands instead of focusing on the people they were sent to represent. Americans look at Washington and see politicians getting rich while their own costs keep rising. They see lobbyists getting access while ordinary people struggle to get heard. That erodes trust in government, and frankly, it's understandable.
That's why I support reforms like term limits, banning members of Congress from trading stocks, and strengthening ethics rules so elected officials can't use public office for private gain.
What's especially frustrating is that these ideas aren't new. Lauren Boebert herself campaigned on fighting corruption and supporting term limits when she first ran for Congress. But six years later, she's become exactly the kind of politician she promised to stand against. She hasn’t drained the swamp - she has joined it. That's the pattern Americans are tired of seeing: politicians promising reform on the campaign trail and then becoming part of the system they said they would fix.
In the military, leadership is about accountability. You don't get to say one thing and do another. You don't get to put yourself ahead of the mission.
When I am elected, I won't disappear into Washington. The work I've been doing across Colorado's 4th District - meeting with families, veterans, farmers, ranchers, small business owners, and community leaders - won't stop on Election Day. Representation isn't something you do every two years when you're asking for votes. It's something you do every day by listening, showing up, and staying accountable to the people you serve.
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