Cleave Simpson Jr.

Cleave Simpson Jr.

Republican Party

Colorado State Senate District 6

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

2

Predecessor

Don Coram

Prior offices

Colorado State Senate District 35

Successor: Rod Pelton

Predecessor: Larry Crowder

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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

Colorado School of Mines, 1984

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Air Force

Years of service

1979 - 1980

Personal

Birthplace

Alamosa, Colo.

Profession

Farmer/Rancher

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign YouTube

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Cleave Simpson Jr. (Republican Party) is a member of the Colorado State Senate, representing District 6. He assumed office on January 9, 2023. His current term ends on January 10, 2029.

Simpson (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Colorado State Senate to represent District 6. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

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

Simpson began serving as state senate minority leader on June 13, 2025.

Biography

Cleave Simpson Jr. was born in Alamosa, Colorado. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1979 to 1980. Simpson graduated from Alamosa High School in 1979. He earned a degree from the Colorado School of Mines in 1984. Simpson's career experience includes working as a rancher and farmer. He has served on the Rio Grande Basin Roundtable and the Interbasin Compact Committee. He has been affiliated with Colorado Open Lands, the Colorado Farm Bureau, and the Colorado Cattlemen's Association.

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

Simpson was assigned to the following committees:

• Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee
• Senate Finance Committee
• Transportation and Energy Committee

2021-2022

Simpson was assigned to the following committees:

• Colorado Health Insurance Exchange Oversight Committee
• Senate Health and Human Services Committee
• Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee

Sponsored legislation

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 6

Incumbent Cleave Simpson Jr. defeated Vivian Smotherman in the general election for Colorado State Senate District 6 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cleave Simpson Jr. (R)	55.9	52,131
		Vivian Smotherman (D)	44.1	41,108

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 93,239
= 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Frederick Williams (L)
• Lucas Mize (L)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Colorado State Senate District 6

Vivian Smotherman advanced from the Democratic primary for Colorado State Senate District 6 on June 25, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Vivian Smotherman	100.0	13,010

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,010
= 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 6

Incumbent Cleave Simpson Jr. advanced from the Republican primary for Colorado State Senate District 6 on June 25, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cleave Simpson Jr.	100.0	14,620

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 14,620
= 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

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Simpson in this election.

Pledges

Simpson signed the following pledges.

• U.S. Term Limits

2020

See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Colorado State Senate District 35

Cleave Simpson Jr. defeated Carlos Lopez in the general election for Colorado State Senate District 35 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cleave Simpson Jr. (R)	60.1	43,970
		Carlos Lopez (D)	39.9	29,163

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 73,133
= 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 35

Carlos Lopez advanced from the Democratic primary for Colorado State Senate District 35 on June 30, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carlos Lopez	100.0	15,609

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,609
= 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 35

Cleave Simpson Jr. advanced from the Republican primary for Colorado State Senate District 35 on June 30, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cleave Simpson Jr.	100.0	17,504

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,504
= 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.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am native Coloradan and a fourth-generation farmer and rancher in the San Luis Valley. My wife Cathy and I have been married forty plus years and have a beautiful family. I am blessed to work with my dad, my son, and my grandson on the farm when not at the Capitol. I also am the General Manager of the Rio Grande Water Conservation Board and past Chairmen of the Board of Trustees of Adams State University.

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?

• We must work hard to keep rural Colorado relevant and resilient in an urban dominated legislature.
• Life in rural Colorado, while extremely rewarding, does come with challenges like access to quality and affordable healthcare, necessary funding for K-12 school districts, economic development to name a few.
• Water security challenges in Colorado, demand continues to exceed supply, have the potential to fundamentally change the landscape of rural Colorado. We can't continue to buy and dry productive agriculture to support more urban growth.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Natural resources, agriculture, behavioral health, higher education. Policies that impact rural Colorado the most.

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

My dad. A man of great character, hardworking and cares about his fellow human beings.

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

Humility, thoughtful good listener.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Thoughtful, good listener and will make time to hear how our government is failing to meet minimum standards of service and care, sometime.

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

Advocate for your constituents and for all Coloradans. Take input from all sides of a policy consideration and ultimately formulate a thoughtful, engaged position.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Impacted my communities and the state to have had a positive impact on the standard of living here in Colorado, by raising up the standard for those that need it the most.

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

Working on the family farm, irrigating and putting up hay. My first job after college graduation was at a surface coal mine. I worked for that company for 10 years.

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

Affordability and standard of living.

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

Somewhat helpful in certain circumstances, but not a pre-requisite to be an effective legislator.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Absolutely, working in the minority party for the last 4 years it is imperative to be effective. You have to find areas of common ground, and there are many.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

NO

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?

A couple of stories in particular about the rates of suicide in rural Colorado. Touched on a number of occasions with what surely must feel like desperation and no alternatives that have led individuals to take their own life - unimaginable.

What committees interest you?

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Transportation and Energy, Finance

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Our government should function with FULL transparency and be fully accountable to the general public.

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

Cleave Simpson Jr. did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

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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.

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Cleave Simpson Jr. campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Colorado State Senate District 6	Won general	$152,170	$145,964
2020	Colorado State Senate District 35	Won general	$103,149	N/A**
Grand total			$255,318	$145,964
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal 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

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show].

In 2024, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 10 to May 8. Centennial Institute Legislators are scored on their votes on issues relevant to the mission of the Centennial Institute and the strategic priorities of Colorado Christian University. Colorado AFL-CIO Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes. Colorado Consumer Health Initiative Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes. Colorado Union of Taxpayers Legislation is scored on its "reduction of taxes, regulation, and spending accountability." Colorado Voters for Animals Legislators are scored on their stances on animal issues. Conservation Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes on bills about Colorado's climate, land, water, and communities. Healthier Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes related to public health issues. Liberty Scorecard Legislators are scored on votes related to "the principles of individual rights, free markets and limited government." Mental Health Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes related to mental health issues. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

2023

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show].

In 2023, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 9 to May 8. Colorado AFL-CIO Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes. Colorado Consumer Health Initiative Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes. Colorado Union of Taxpayers Legislation is scored on its "reduction of taxes, regulation, and spending accountability." Colorado Voters for Animals Legislators are scored on their stances on animal issues. Healthier Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes related to public health issues. Liberty Scorecard Legislators are scored on votes related to "the principles of individual rights, free markets and limited government." Mental Health Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes related to mental health issues. The Arc of Colorado Legislators are scored on votes related to intellectual and developmental disability legislation. Women's Lobby of Colorado Legislators are scored on their stances on women's issues.

2022

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show].

In 2022, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 12 to May 11. Centennial Institute Legislators are scored on their votes on issues relevant to the mission of the Centennial Institute and the strategic priorities of Colorado Christian University. Cobalt Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to reproductive health issues. Colorado AFL-CIO Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes. Colorado Consumer Health Initiative Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes. Colorado Union of Taxpayers Legislation is scored on its "reduction of taxes, regulation, and spending accountability." Conservation Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes on bills about Colorado's climate, land, water, and communities. Colorado Voters for Animals Legislators are scored on their stances on animal issues. CoPIRG Legislators are scored on their votes on "bills that will protect consumers, strengthen our democracy, and safeguard public health." Healthier Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes related to public health issues. Liberty Scorecard Legislators are scored on votes related to "the principles of individual rights, free markets and limited government." Mental Health Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes related to mental health issues. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. One Colorado Legislators are scored based on their votes on LGBTQ+ issues. The Arc of Colorado Legislators are scored on votes related to intellectual and developmental disability legislation.

2021

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show].

In 2021, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 13 to June 8. Centennial Institute Legislators are scored on their votes on issues relevant to the mission of the Centennial Institute and the strategic priorities of Colorado Christian University. Colorado Health Initiative Legislators are usually scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes. Colorado Union of Taxpayers Legislation is scored on its "reduction of taxes, regulation, and spending accountability." Conservation Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes on bills about Colorado's climate, land, water, and communities. Colorado Voters for Animals: U.S. Congress and General Assembly Legislators are scored on their stances on animal issues. CoPIRG Legislators are scored on their votes on "bills that will protect consumers, strengthen our democracy, and safeguard public health." Colorado Education Association: Senate and House Legislators are scored on their votes related to education reflection and on how well legislators worked with educators to advance the CEA's priorities. Healthier Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes related to public health issues. Liberty Scorecard Legislators are scored on votes related to "the principles of individual rights, free markets and limited government." Mental Health Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes related to mental health issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. The Arc of Colorado Legislators are scored on votes related to intellectual and developmental disability legislation. Women's Lobby of Colorado Legislators are scored on their stances on women's issues.

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Don Coram (R)	Colorado State Senate District 6 2023-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by Larry Crowder (R)	Colorado State Senate District 35 2021-2023	Succeeded by Rod Pelton (R)

[show]

Current members of the Colorado State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:James Coleman

Majority Leader:Robert Rodriguez

Minority Leader:Cleave Simpson

Senators

District 1

Byron Pelton (R)

District 2

Lisa Frizell (R)

District 3

Nick Hinrichsen (D)

District 4

Mark Baisley (R)

District 5

Marc Catlin (R)

District 6

Cleave Simpson (R)

District 7

Janice Rich (R)

District 8

Dylan Roberts (D)

District 9

Lynda Zamora Wilson (R)

District 10

Larry Liston (R)

District 11

Thomas Exum (D)

District 12

Marc Snyder (D)

District 13

Scott Bright (R)

District 14

Cathy Kipp (D)

District 15

Janice Marchman (D)

District 16

Chris Kolker (D)

District 17

Katie Wallace (D)

District 18

Judy Amabile (D)

District 19

Lindsey Daugherty (D)

District 20

Lisa Cutter (D)

District 21

Dafna Jenet (D)

District 22

Jessie Danielson (D)

District 23

Barbara Kirkmeyer (R)

District 24

Kyle Mullica (D)

District 25

Faith Winter (D)

District 26

Jeff Bridges (D)

District 27

Tom Sullivan (D)

District 28

Mike Weissman (D)

District 29

Iman Jodeh (D)

District 30

John Carson (R)

District 31

Matt Ball (D)

District 32

Robert Rodriguez (D)

District 33

James Coleman (D)

District 34

Julie Gonzales (D)

District 35

Rod Pelton (R)

Democratic Party (23)

Republican Party (12)