Chris Kolker

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Chris Kolker
Image of Chris Kolker
Colorado State Senate District 16
Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

2

Predecessor
Prior offices
Colorado State Senate District 27
Successor: Tom Sullivan
Predecessor: Jack Tate

Compensation

Base salary

43,977/year for legislators whose terms began in 2023. $41,449/year for legislators whose terms began in 2021.

Per diem

For legislators residing within 50 miles of the capitol: $45/day. For legislators living more than 50 miles from the capitol: $237/day.

Elections and appointments
Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Clarke University, 1994

Personal
Birthplace
Guttenberg, Iowa
Religion
Evangelical Lutheran
Profession
Financial Advisor
Contact

Chris Kolker (Democratic Party) is a member of the Colorado State Senate, representing District 16. He assumed office on January 9, 2023. His current term ends on January 10, 2029.

Kolker (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Colorado State Senate to represent District 16. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Kolker completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Chris Kolker was born in Guttenberg, Iowa. As of 2020, he lived in Arapahoe County, Colorado. He earned a bachelor's degree from Clarke College in 1994. Kolker's career experience includes working as a certified financial planner, high school teacher, and business owner.[1][2]

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2023-2024

Kolker was assigned to the following committees:

2021-2022

Kolker was assigned to the following committees:

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.


Elections

2024

See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for Colorado State Senate District 16

Incumbent Chris Kolker defeated Robyn Carnes and Bennett Rutledge in the general election for Colorado State Senate District 16 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Chris Kolker
Chris Kolker (D) Candidate Connection
 
52.1
 
53,740
Image of Robyn Carnes
Robyn Carnes (R) Candidate Connection
 
47.8
 
49,302
Image of Bennett Rutledge
Bennett Rutledge (L) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
16

Total votes: 103,058
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Colorado State Senate District 16

Incumbent Chris Kolker advanced from the Democratic primary for Colorado State Senate District 16 on June 25, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Chris Kolker
Chris Kolker Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
14,644

Total votes: 14,644
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Colorado State Senate District 16

Robyn Carnes advanced from the Republican primary for Colorado State Senate District 16 on June 25, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Robyn Carnes
Robyn Carnes Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
10,945

Total votes: 10,945
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Campaign finance

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Kolker in this election.

2020

See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Colorado State Senate District 27

Chris Kolker defeated Suzanne Staiert in the general election for Colorado State Senate District 27 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Chris Kolker
Chris Kolker (D) Candidate Connection
 
55.3
 
51,005
Image of Suzanne Staiert
Suzanne Staiert (R) Candidate Connection
 
44.7
 
41,222

Total votes: 92,227
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Colorado State Senate District 27

Chris Kolker advanced from the Democratic primary for Colorado State Senate District 27 on June 30, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Chris Kolker
Chris Kolker Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
26,173

Total votes: 26,173
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Colorado State Senate District 27

Suzanne Staiert advanced from the Republican primary for Colorado State Senate District 27 on June 30, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Suzanne Staiert
Suzanne Staiert Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
14,638

Total votes: 14,638
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2018

See also: Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Colorado House of Representatives District 38

Incumbent Susan Beckman defeated Chris Kolker in the general election for Colorado House of Representatives District 38 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Susan Beckman
Susan Beckman (R)
 
50.4
 
24,164
Image of Chris Kolker
Chris Kolker (D)
 
49.6
 
23,790

Total votes: 47,954
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 38

Chris Kolker advanced from the Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 38 on June 26, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Chris Kolker
Chris Kolker
 
100.0
 
10,109

Total votes: 10,109
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 38

Incumbent Susan Beckman advanced from the Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 38 on June 26, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Susan Beckman
Susan Beckman
 
100.0
 
9,564

Total votes: 9,564
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Kolker was endorsed by the Aurora Sentinel.[3]

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Chris Kolker completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kolker's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I am a husband and a father to two wonderful daughters, Caroline and Lydia. I am a former teacher and small business owner. I grew up in rural Iowa among some of the hardest workers on earth. I believe in leading with honesty and integrity. I believe government should be transparent and always center around the people it serves. I know that listening is one of the most valuable skills on earth, and I will always listen and work to empathize, even to those with whom I staunchly disagree. I believe government has a role to play in solving problems, and I want to leave a more just society behind than the one we inherited. I will always actively seek out bold solutions to the most pressing issues facing Coloradans.
  • 1. A well funded public education system funding that is equitable with high expectations for every child and school, where children's minds are nurtured and challenged is my number one issue. In 2024 we ended the BS factor for the first time in 14 years! I will continue to devote my energy to prioritize public education and push for the school finance act to be heard and voted upon before the general budget bill. We need to better understand the cost of educating our kids. It is why I supported the funding of 2 studies to take place in 2024 to do so before we make any changes to the school finance formula, so we can base improvement on known data. Our kids deserve a well thought out approach that takes all data into consideration.
  • 2. Mental healthcare should be a part of what is considered healthcare for all. I am strong advocate of improving mental healthcare for those on Medicaid and in the private sector. I have sponsored and passed numerous bills to expand access for all to mental healthcare and will continue to strive for improvements in our system of care. It is a deeply personal issue for me based on my own experiences living with depression.
  • 3. We must continue to push for equal rights for all, protections for our consumers, workers, retirees, and environment through an efficient, transparent, and fair government. This includes but is not limited to; equal protection under the law for all, especially communities of color who have been historically discriminated against and over-prosecuted, protecting workers rights, individual rights to reproductive healthcare, equity for the disabled community, affordable medical care for all, affordable housing for all, the right for everyone to breathe clean air and drink clean water.
I am passionate about funding our public schools, creating an affordable and accessible system of behavioral healthcare, protecting and supporting workers rights, and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels to create a cleaner environment now and for the future.
I will always look up to my mom and dad. Dad worked on the assembly line at John Deere, and mom worked two jobs tirelessly for my brothers and I to have the opportunities we have today. I would like to follow their example in hard and honest work.
If there we a biography on my grandfather and parents, I would recommend it to all. It would be detailing the importance of family, hard work, education, labor unions roles in protecting workers, faith, kindness, self sacrifice, and helping people in need. As my grandpa said, "there is nothing wrong with giving a hand to those in need, be kind, help people."
Honesty, integrity, willingness to listen and empathize, hard work for those that they serve.
I am honest, hard working, and empathetic. I believe in keeping my word, being thoughtful in making decisions, and trying to understand the needs of those I serve.
My core responsibilities are to serve the people I represent in a fair and empathetic way. I am here to promote the issues that I hold dear through policy and legislation and also to connect my constituents in need to services they may or may not know about that are available through our government and our partners. Elected officials are more than lawmakers, we are also here to serve the people we represent when they are in need and may not know where to turn for assistance.
The legacy I want to leave is one of service. I want to know that I did everything I could to make Colorado better for my fellow citizens. I also want my legacy to be one of hard work, honesty, transparency, and fairness.
I was a paperboy and did it for a couple of years with my brothers.
Band of Brothers. It is an amazing true story of an Airborne Company in World War II. I am amazed at their resilency, perseverance, and loyalty to one another and their country. They truly were a part of the "Greatest Generation."
I have lived with depression for most of my life. It has been something that I have had to fight off and deal with to become the person I am today.
I believe a governor should act as the constitution states, as the executive in charge of enforcing our laws. A good governor will create an open line of communication with the legislature, getting to know each member's goals and issues they represent, assisting with creating policy that helps meet the goals that align with their own in a transparent manner without being heavy handed. They will keep in mind the roles each branch has to play in government, knowing they are EQUAL branches, and allowing each branch to act as they were intended by the constitution of the state.
My answer is the same as it was four years ago. Colorado's greatest challenges over the next decade will all stem from the lack of funding that TABOR has imposed on our state. We need to make sure that our budget reflects our values, and that we are funding the aspects of our society (especially education) which really matter to us. Working with TABOR has created unclear, jumbled, and disconnected policies. Returning Colorado to a truly representative democracy will be my top priority when elected, as aligning our budget and our priorities will be our greatest challenge. These priorities include how do we transition to a cleaner environment while maintaining an affordable standard of living for all.
I do believe it a great help, because there is a sharp learning curve with any governmental position one is elected. It is why I believe I will be a more effective legislator if re-elected. The experiences I have in my position over the last 4 years are invaluable in more effectively representing my constituents and all of Colorado.
Absolutely. We all have specific reasons for running for office and it is important to understand each other's motivations and values. In doing so, we may find common ground to better our state and communities. I have made some great friends on both sides of the aisle. We don't have to agree on everything, but understanding where one comes from, where they stand, creates a healthy amount of respect which is the building block to legislate on behalf of all Colorado citizens.
The same as it was 4 years ago. I want to have the tenacity and conviction of John Lewis, the thoughtfulness of Barack Obama, the patience of Abraham Lincoln, the influence and steadfastness of FDR to get things done. Those are pretty great models to work toward.
I was going through a McDonald's drive thru during session in 2023. A young woman was the cashier and saw my name tag. She looked at me and asked if I was a legislator. I said yes, I was a state senator that represented this area. She looked at me and said, "Don't forget about me." I was taken aback, and asked what was her story, what did she mean? She told me she was a single mom with one child living with a friend in their apartment, sleeping on their couch and they were facing eviction because she and her child were not on the original lease. She made $20/hour but could not afford an apartment on her own. This had a profound impact on me and it is a story I share when I talk about my bills to help the working poor, like increasing the state Earned Income Tax Credit. I have not seen her sense, but I will never forget that conversation and it motivates me to help her and many like her.
I believe in an emergency, it is best to have fewer "cooks in the kitchen" than many who may have many disagreements and delay taking action when action is needed.
My next bills will focus on increasing the ability of teachers to teach. Lowering class sizes and workload so teachers can focus on why they became teachers for in the first place, to teach their students.
as of May 24th 2024, AFT, Teamsters, Colorado Professional Firefighters, with more to come.
Education, Joint Budget Committee, Pension Review, Tax Expenditure, Finance, and Business, Labor, and Technology.
Government should be totally transparent in its finances and responsible to its citizens in its actions. I am a Certified Financial Planner by day and absolutely believe we need to understand our needs, educate the public about those needs, and create a plan with full transparency and accountability to our clients, the citizens of Colorado to meet those needs.
I neither support or oppose changes. I believe we need to review the current process and determine if is the most equitable process, then determine if changes are appropriate.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2020

Candidate Connection

Chris Kolker completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kolker's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I am a husband and a father to two wonderful daughters, Caroline and Lydia. I am a former teacher and small business owner. I grew up in rural Iowa among some of the hardest workers on earth. I believe in leading with honesty and integrity. I believe government should be transparent and always center around the people it serves. I know that listening is one of the most valuable skills on earth, and I will always listen and work to empathize, even to those with whom I staunchly disagree. I believe government has a role to play in solving problems, and I want to leave a more just society behind than the one we inherited. I will always actively seek out bold solutions to the most pressing issues facing Coloradans.
  • A well funded public education system funding that is equitable with high expectations for every child and school, where children's minds are nurtured and challenged is my number one issue. The caveat is our state budget must be given the opportunity to be flexible. I would address working within our budget to find the resources to fulfill the promise of Amendment 23. This requires a technical, mathematical analysis of our current spending. I have already begun and know that we have an opportunity, but it still falls short due to the inflexible constraints of the TABOR and Gallagher amendments. which have so severely restricted what we are able to do for public education and economic recovery in Colorado. I will continue to work to educ
  • Affordable health care that must include mental health care is also a priority. I know personally how financially devastating mental health challenges can be. I would address this issue by working with insurance companies, schools, and hospitals to make sure that mental health care is affordable and accessible to those who need it.
  • We must continue to push for equal rights for all, protections for our consumers, workers, retirees, and environment through an efficient, transparent, and fair government.
I am personally passionate about making mental health care affordable and accessible to Coloradans. It is an issue that has affected my family personally as my wife works as a middle school counselor.
I will always look up to my mom and dad. Dad worked on the assembly line at John Deere, and mom worked two jobs tirelessly for my brothers and I to have the opportunities we have today. I would like to follow their example in hard and honest work.
Honesty, integrity, willingness to listen and empathize, hard work for those that they serve.
The legacy I want to leave is one of service. I want to know that I did everything I could to make Colorado better for my fellow citizens. I also want my legacy to be one of hard work, honesty, transparency, and fairness.
Colorado's greatest challenges over the next decade will all stem from the lack of funding that TABOR has imposed on our state. We need to make sure that our budget reflects our values, and that we are funding the aspects of our society (especially education) which really matter to us. Working with TABOR has created unclear, jumbled, and disconnected policies. Returning Colorado to a truly representative democracy will be my top priority when elected, as aligning our budget and our priorities will be our greatest challenge.
I want to have the tenacity and conviction of John Lewis, the thoughtfulness of Barack Obama, the patience of Abraham Lincoln, the influence and steadfastness of FDR to get things done. Those are pretty great models to work toward.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary


Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.


Chris Kolker campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* Colorado State Senate District 16Won general$258,319 $259,029
2020Colorado State Senate District 27Won general$229,781 N/A**
2018Colorado House of Representatives District 38Lost general$61,830 N/A**
Grand total$549,929 $259,029
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Colorado

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Colorado scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.


2024


2023


2022


2021






See also


External links

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by
Tammy Story (D)
Colorado State Senate District 16
2023-Present
Succeeded by
-
Preceded by
Jack Tate (R)
Colorado State Senate District 27
2021-2023
Succeeded by
Tom Sullivan (D)


Current members of the Colorado State Senate
Leadership
Senate President:James Coleman
Majority Leader:Robert Rodriguez
Minority Leader:Cleave Simpson
Senators
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
Matt Ball (D)
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
Democratic Party (23)
Republican Party (12)