Jeff Livingston

Jeff Livingston was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He served in the U.S. Army from 2013 to 2017. His career experience includes working as an IT specialist.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm Jeff Livingston, running for state house district 15. As a father, husband, and veteran who has lived here for 11 years, I understand this community.

I've experienced firsthand what it feels like to be reduced to a stereotype. To walk into a room and have someone decide who you are before you speak. That experience taught me something: stereotypes don't just hurt the people they target. They rob everyone of a genuine first impression and divide us from one another.

I believe we are all impacted when those with money and power keep us divided and not enough powerful people talk about that or more importantly want to take steps to change it. As your state representative, I will educate, empower, and embolden this community because your prosperity and your neighbor's prosperity are not in competition. A strong community is a healthy community.

I promise I will not pander. I will not divide. I will work tirelessly for what you need most.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I will make housing more affordable by incentivizing affordable housing initiatives like the building of apartment complexes and smaller single family homes. I also want to disincentivize, cancel or remove projects that are not explicitly dedicated to making housing and/or home ownership better and more affordable for working families.I will bring higher quality higher paying jobs to Colorado

by increasing protections and union access for workers. I will also increase access to training for jobs that need to be done and help people find employers in the fields they actually want to work in. Finally, I will make education better capable of preparing young people to thrive in the workforce by getting teachers the tools they need to thrive and teach.I will make taxes make sense by closing local tax incentives for businesses that are no longer considered small businesses (As defined by their respective category) and make those incentives more applicable to small businesses that need it most. I will expand existing funding and incentives for small businesses and have the ultra wealthy pay their fair share.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am personally passionate about education and the renewable energy transition. Those two things from a policy perspective are a couple of the most important way we can foster a compassionate informed electorate and energy independence that would remove our reliance on fossil fuels and the need for forever wars in the middle east.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to very few people since I believe in being the change I want to see, but Tony Exum comes to mind on a local level because he implicitly understands that he is a servant of the people.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The most important defining feature of an elected official is how willing they are to serve the people. We are public servants first and foremost. It is impossible to do our jobs effectively if that isn't the north star. Additionally, I believe we need the ability to work effectively with others, lead where we can be experts and defer to those with that expertise to bring the greatest good to the community.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Our job is to make the most impactful change for the most people. Our end goal is to build a world where everyone can live peacefully and happily.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave a world that is safer, better, and with more opportunities for future generations. My kids are my everything and I absolutely want to make sure they are better off than our generation.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was at Little Caesars in the summer of my sophomore year. I held that job for many years (more than 10) over 2 states with 3 different franchise owners.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

It should be one of cooperation in the goal of serving the people.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Affordability, homelessness and the abuse of vices like fentanyl are in my opinion among the largest issues we still face over the next 10 years. In general, problems that require effort from more than just the legislature or new laws are tough but doable if we work together.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

It is the cornerstone of desirable policy making. I have said many times that as long as the goal of a legislator is to make the lives of as many people as possible better, I will work with them regardless of party.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I have been endorsed by the Colorado Education Association, Indivisible, Planned Parenthood and Cobalt.

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

The bombing in OKC was the first historical event I remember. It was so vivid in my mind that even now I remember the exact word I was writing on my school assignment when the windows shook. (That word was time.)

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a husband, veteran, lifelong christian, father and citizen of this district who wants to see its people thrive. I want to create more options for our children to grow and succeed economically, socially, and societally.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

First and foremost, I seek to improve funding and transparency for education in the district. Providing the teachers in this district what they need to open up more opportunities for all of our children through trades, skills, and higher education is my goal here. I also want to pivot some of the focus of the education system not on just facts or data, but on how to digest and interpret that information in a way that grows a generation of strong thinkers and doers.My aim is to expand opportunities to the folks in this district when it comes to renewable energy. Making it easier for this district to have access to rooftop solar, solar projects, battery storage and any other renewable source is key.Every election there is a large number of people who decide not to vote. Also every election there is a race that could have changed the fate of the masses if 10 or 20 people voted for one candidate or another. I want to help people understand how much their voice counts and increase turnout for this and every other election. I want to also preserve peoples right to vote by continuing to make sure elections are fair and everyone who can legally vote has the opportunity to do so.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about maintaining people's freedom of expression, choice and autonomy. I seek to make the next generation more free than my own. I believe that my platform is the best way to make that happen. I am also for women's right to choose. I would even go as far as to say that when women's reproductive rights are discussed men should have very little if any input.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My mother was very adamant about us knowing about great men and women who looked like us. She felt it was important to our growth and development to know that we could be anything. I personally agree with her philosophy, but to answer the question I was always fascinated by the story of Jesus, Abraham and Lewis Latimer. The latter of whom, along with my love of Legos inspired me to be an engineer.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The most important thing for an elected official to understand is that we serve our constituents end of story. My personal feelings thoughts and opinions should automatically take a back seat in the interest of representing the people faithfully.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To understand and amplify the voice of the people whatever form that voice takes and always look out for what is best for those they govern as a whole.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave office knowing that those I served were better for me being in office.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first major historical event I remember was the OKC bombing. I was 9 at the time and I just remember a teacher running into our room and whispering to our teacher. She turned on the TV in the room and for the rest of that day (until we were sent home) our teacher sat in front of the TV speechless with her hand over her mouth.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was Little Caesars. I held that job from my sophomore year in high school to my sophomore year in college.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I like comic books and manga of all types, but the character that stood out to me as someone I would like to be was Ironman. Something about thinking your way out of a problem speaks to me.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Whatever relationship fosters the greatest benefit for the most people would be my knee jerk answer, but more specifically, I believe that the governor and the state legislature should work together, compromise where they can and fight like mad for those they govern.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Housing, healthcare and wages.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

It is absolutely a plus but not required. I believe that it is also important for state legislators to have other experiences outside of government and politics often. Experiences that let them get out and connect with the struggles of those they govern. This helps them stay rooted in the issues everyday people are going through and better represent them.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

There was young teacher that I spoke to who was at her wits end. She shared that she could not afford to live in the district she taught in. She wanted to have a better relationship with the parents of her students, but a lack of time or resources on the parent's part usually made that impossible. She told me that after just a couple of years in the field, she did not know if she would be able to continue because she didn't know how to make a difference if she was too stressed, underpaid, and sleep deprived to do her job well. Finally, she told me that she could point me in the direction of dozens more. Her story told me that someone who is in a profession that I consider the most important safeguard on our future (Teaching) was struggling. I believe that education is not the only field that needs an overhaul, but it is a great place to start.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

The first bill I would introduce would be "The Increase in Funding and Transparency for Education Bill" aimed at getting teachers more access to what they need to educate our future leaders and workers.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

El Paso County Young Dems, 314 Action Fund

What committees interest you?

Appropriations, Energy & Environment, Education, Finance

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I believe that because the government works for the people, they should be held accountable to the people. All finances or any other information that does not jeopardize the safety of America if shared should be shared in as simple and easy to digest ways as possible.