Tom Sullivan, candidate for state House District 37

Party: Democratic

City of residence: Centennial

Profession: Retired

Campaign website:sullivanforcolorado.com

What makes you the best choice for this office?

I have been fortunate enough to live the middle-class lifestyle many Coloradans find out of reach today, and I want to take that experience to our legislative body and stand up for working families in my district. Through my time in the Air Force and with the post office, I have served my state and country nearly my entire life, and I want to continue doing so by serving the people of House District 37.

What can the Legislature do to ease the strain of rising housing prices on Colorado residents?

Colorado must establish a sustainable and permanent attainable housing trust fund so that we can invest in homeownership initiatives for working Coloradans. We can do so without instituting burdensome taxes on our communities or gutting other key services and programs from our state budget.

What can be done to ensure the state's transportation system will be able to accommodate continued population growth?

We have to start focusing on moving people instead of cars. I support investing in multi-modal forms of transportation and repairing our roads and bridges. Doing so will make our state more accessible and also create good-paying jobs for local communities.

What two issues demand more attention in the upcoming legislative session than they received in the previous one, and why?

Workforce development and suicide prevention. We need to prepare our children for an ever-changing economy and help businesses attract the employment talent they need to succeed and grow our economy. Colorado is also currently in the top 10 states in the country for suicide deaths. I find this tragic, especially because so many of them arise from a firearm. These deaths are preventable, and I will work hard with my colleagues to address this head-on.

If elected, what must you accomplish in order for you to consider your term a success?

One of my top priorities is to pass an Extreme Risk Protection Order bill, commonly referred to as a “red flag” bill. This bill is in essence a suicide-prevention bill that will empower law enforcement officers to intervene in a dangerous situation when there is a firearm involved. We must end preventable gun violence and suicides, and this is a good first step toward that goal.