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Eileen Laubacher  Democrat

Residence: Highlands Ranch
Profession: Retired Rear Admiral
Education: United States Naval Academy, B.S.
Experience: Retired Rear Admiral; Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for South Asia; Defense Attache to New Delhi; Intelligence Officer, United States Navy Reserve
Campaign website

What are your top three priorities, if elected?
We need to lower costs for Americans and balance our budget. In Congress, I would vote to end the tariffs and the Iran War that are raising costs, support common sense policies that drive down inflation, and make basic needs like health care and housing affordable. We also need to root out the corruption in DC – I support term limits and age limits, legislation banning politicians from trading stocks, and campaign finance reform. We also must support rural America, which frankly has been left behind by both parties for too long. I’ll work to pass a real, meaningful farm bill along with legislation that gives farmers the stability they need to thrive, and support our rural hospitals by ensuring that they are given the tools to negotiate rates, get reimbursed fairly and build for the future.

What specific actions would you support to address concerns about the rising cost of living, oil prices, high interest rates and the toll of high inflation in recent years?
There are concrete bills Congress can pass that would directly lower costs. We can pass a real Farm Bill that gives farmers and ranchers stability and helps keep food prices down. We can pass legislation requiring insurers to fairly and promptly reimburse rural hospitals, cutting the enormous administrative costs of fighting endless denials. We can stop giving tax breaks to data centers while passing the costs of the energy and infrastructure they require onto taxpayers and ratepayers. We can end tariffs that increase the price of fuel, fertilizer, equipment, groceries, and everyday goods. These are just a few of the actions I would work on in Congress because simply talking about inflation won’t lower costs – we need to pass legislation that actually reduces what Americans are paying.

Should Congress play a stronger oversight role regarding the Trump administration, and if so, which matters deserve more scrutiny and why?
Washington needs far more accountability, and Congress needs to reclaim its constitutional responsibilities instead of handing its authority to the executive branch. That means oversight when a president starts a war without congressional authorization, spends taxpayer dollars without sufficient accountability, or personally profits from public office. It also means scrutinizing wasteful spending and the national debt and demanding accountability when cuts to agencies undermine services Americans depend on. Agencies like the VA, that serve veterans like me, who were exposed to burn pits in Afghanistan like I was. Oversight should not be partisan. Congress’s job is to protect taxpayers, root out corruption, and ensure Washington works for the people it serves.

The Trump administration has pushed to open more public land to oil and gas leasing. Should more federal land in Colorado be made available for extraction, and how would you use your position to influence or instruct federal public land agencies in this decision-making process?
We have to be honest about where we are: right now, we need all available energy sources while continuing to move toward the cleanest, most affordable options. But an all-of-the-above strategy does not mean developing every available acre. I don’t believe Washington should impose blanket policies on communities, and I see no reason federal lands in Colorado’s 4th District should be our first option for new extraction. If additional development is necessary, decisions should be made responsibly, with local input and consideration for water, agriculture, wildlife, recreation, and energy needs. In Congress, I’ll push federal agencies to listen to the communities directly affected, rather than dictating one-size-fits-all decisions from Washington.

As the Trump administration pursues an immigration crackdown, what specific actions should Congress take legislatively to direct the nation’s immigration policy?
Americans deserve a functioning and reliable immigration system – and we must have a secure border. We should know who is entering our country and decide through law who can come here and how. That means securing our border, preventing uncontrolled illegal immigration, and removing dangerous criminals who are here illegally. But we also need to be honest about our workforce needs. I’ve heard from dairy farmers who need immigrant labor to milk their cows and rural hospitals that rely on visas to recruit doctors. Legal immigration has a crucial place in our economy. Through serious bipartisan reform, we can secure our border, enforce our laws, and create a legal immigration system that meets America’s needs. Those goals are not in conflict – and Americans should expect Congress to deliver.

Lauren Boebert and Douglas Mangeris did not return the questionnaire.

How candidate order was determined: A lot drawing was held at the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office on July 28, 2026 to determine the general election ballot order for major and minor party candidates for US Senate, US House of Representatives, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Attorney General, State Board of Education, University of Colorado Board of Regents, State Senate, and State House of Representatives. Colorado law (1-5-404, C.R.S.) requires that candidates are ordered on the ballot in three tiers: major party candidates followed by minor party candidates followed by unaffiliated candidates. Within each tier, the candidates are ordered by a lot drawing with the exception of the office of Governor and Lt. Governor, which are ordered by the last name of the gubernatorial candidate. The lot drawing was conducted by Secretary of State Elections Division staff and was witnessed by representatives of the Colorado Democratic, Colorado Republican, and Colorado Forward Parties. Questionnaires were not sent to write-in candidates.

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