Tommy Butler

Tommy Butler earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Colorado in 2012. His career experience includes working as a small business owner.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a Colorado native and graduate of the University of Northern Colorado. After graduating, my wife, Molly, and I chose to make Greeley our home because we love this community and wanted to put down roots here. We bought our first home in Greeley and have been proud to build our lives and our business here.

I have served on the Greeley City Council representing Ward 1 since 2019 and I am the co-founder and owner of the Greeley Bagel Company. I also serve on the Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity Board and as a Commissioner on the 19th Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance.

My experience as a small-business owner, community volunteer, and local elected official has given me a firsthand understanding of the challenges facing families and communities in Northern Colorado. I am running for state office because I believe the same practical, community-focused approach I have brought to Greeley can help make a difference at the state level.

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?

Housing affordability is one of the biggest challenges facing working families in Colorado. I’ve seen that firsthand during my six years on Greeley City Council, where I’ve worked to expand affordable and supportive housing in our community. We helped bring projects like StarRise Apartments and Hope Springs to Greeley, and most recently funded the city’s first year-round homeless shelter.

State government can do more to help communities address the housing and homelessness crisis. We need to invest in affordable and permanent supportive housing, expand access to mental health services and shelter, and make state funding easier for nonprofit housing organizations to access and administer.I know firsthand how important Colorado’s public schools are because I am a product of our public education system and graduated from the University of Northern Colorado. Every student deserves access to a high-quality education. Colorado needs to do more to reduce overcrowded classrooms, recruit and retain talented teachers, and ensure educators are compensated fairly for the work they do.

We’ve made meaningful progress, including expanding universal Pre-K and eliminating the Budget Stabilization Factor, but we cannot stop there. As a state representative, I’ll fight for continued investment in education from early childhood through higher education to give students and teachers the resources they need to thrive.Northern Colorado deserves a transportation system that keeps up with our growing communities. So many of our state highways are in need of repair, while critical projects continue to wait for funding. CDOT needs additional resources, but it also needs to work more closely with local governments to ensure Northern Colorado’s priorities receive the attention they deserve.

I’ve seen the difference that state and local partnership can make during my time on Greeley City Council, where I helped secure funding for projects including the 5th Street overlay and the 12th Street Outfall project to address flooding in downtown Greeley. At the state level, I’ll fight to bring more transportation funding back to our region.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about housing policy. It is the number one cost for most families. If we are serious about lowering costs, we have to start with the cost of housing. I leaned into it that policy work in my time on city council, but I also bring non-profit affordable housing development experience. We need more people in our legislature that understand how affordable housing is built and funded.

Another area I want to tackle is the increasing cost of childcare. In Weld County in particular, we have a CCCAP freeze that keeps low-income families from accessing the childcare they desperately need. We need to address funding issues that created that freeze and then work toward long-term sustainable funding for childcare in Colorado.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

State Treasurer Dave Young, Former HD 50 Representative Mary Young, Greeley City Councilwoman Deb DeBoutez, Evans City Councilwoman Alicia Johnson

These are just some of the 25+ elected officials and community leaders who have endorsed our campaign.

I am proud to be endorsed by organizations such as Colorado AFL-CIO, Colorado Education Association, Colorado Professional Fire Fighters and more.

See the full list here: https://www.butlerforhd50.com/endorsements