Jon Caldara
| Jon Caldara | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Organization: | Independence Institute |
| Role: | President |
| Location: | Denver, Colo. |
| Education: | University of Colorado |
| Website: | Official website |
Jon Caldara is the head of the Independence Institute, a 501(c)(3) free market think tank in Colorado. Caldara has been president of the organization since 1998.[1]
Biography
Caldara studied economics and business at the University of Colorado in Boulder in the mid-1980s, where he pioneered a daily comic strip, "B Street," that was eventually syndicated to more than 50 newspapers across the country.[2]
In 1994, Caldara was elected to the Board of Directors of the Regional Transportation District (RTD), the fourth largest governmental entity in Colorado. He became chairman of RTD in 1998.[1]
In 1998, Caldara became president of the Independence Institute, succeeding Tom Tancredo.
In 2005, Caldara was presented with the Thomas Roe Award by the State Policy Network.
Work and activities
2005 ballot referenda
In 2005, Caldara led the campaigns opposing two Colorado ballot referenda on state borrowing: Colorado State Borrowing Act, Referendum C and Referendum D. Referendum C, which deferred tax refunds to pay for portions of the state budget, passed with 53 percent of the vote. Referendum D, which proposed to allow "the state to borrow an additional $2.1 billion to jump-start 55 road projects, pay off a legal settlement to fix crumbling schools in poor districts, and cover an unpaid pension bill to firefighters and police officers," did not pass.[3]
Radio show
As of July 2025, Caldara hosted a daily radio talk show on KNUS. He previously hosted a show on News Radio 850 KOA and was named by 5280 Magazine as one of the top 10 most influential men in Denver, Colo., while Westword—a Denver-based news organization—awarded Caldara the title of "Denver’s Best Media Manipulator" in 2001.[4] [5][6]
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Recent news
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See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Denver Post, "RTD chief to drive think tank," October 15, 1998
- ↑ Jon Caldara, "Welcome to Funny Fridays a.k.a. Friday’s Funny," January 18, 2008
- ↑ Denver Post, "Voters say yes to C," November 1, 2005
- ↑ Westword, "Best Media Manipulator," accessed October 12, 2015
- ↑ Independence Institute, "Jon Caldara," accessed October 12, 2015
- ↑ KNUS, "The Jon Caldara Show," accessed July 28, 2025
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