Two underdog candidates looking to unseat popular Colorado leaders

With Colorado’s midterm election looming, we are taking a look at two candidates you may have not heard too much about. They are considered the underdogs going up against two favorite Colorado leaders.

Democrat Grace Sweeney-Maurer is running for El Paso County Sheriff against current sheriff Bill Elder and Democrat Dr. Stephany Spaulding is running for the 5th congressional district against Doug Lamborn.

Spaulding is a professor at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs and also a pastor at a Colorado Springs church. Some of the issues she is focusing on for the district are education, universal healthcare, and bettering the environment. “I am looking to serve, the citizens of this district and provide the kind of services we have not see in decades around here,” Spaulding says. If elected, Spaulding would be the first woman of color to hold the seat.

Sweeney-Maurer has 40 years of law enforcement experience, but not as an officer. If elected as sheriff, she wants to focus on reducing jail overcrowding, increasing the number of deputies on the street and stricter gun control measures. “I don’t have any problem with having a gun, I have a problem with having a weapon of war,” Sweeney-Maurer says.

Both candidates have very different views than their conservative counterparts and most of the residents they want to represent. Especially Sweeney-Maurer who wants to ban the sale of so-called assault weapons and wants to prevent immigration authorities from getting involved in county cases. So far, it looks like their chances of winning are not the best, but they say they are willing to fight for it. “People get their excitement off of the challenge that this district presents,” Spaulding says, “I’m willing to embrace that challenge.” Sweeney-Maurer echoes Spaulding’s thoughts saying, “I think that this town may not be as conservative as a lot of people think.”

Both seats have never had a democratic candidate or a woman hold them.