Michael Colombe

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Michael Colombe

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last convention

July 15, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Trident University International, 2007

Graduate

Trident University International, 2009

Other

Portland State University, 2014

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Navy

Years of service

1987 - 1995

Service / branch

U.S. Air Force

Years of service

1996 - 2008

Personal

Birthplace

Little Falls, Minn.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Advisor to the Director U.S. Bureau of Land Management

Contact

Personal LinkedIn

Michael Colombe (Republican Party) ran for election for President of the United States. He lost as a write-in in the Republican convention on July 15, 2024.

Colombe filed to run as a Republican candidate for Dolores County Commissioner District 2 in the November 2024 election.

Biography

Michael Colombe was born in Little Falls, Minnesota. He served in the United States Navy from 1987 to 1995 and in the United States Airforce from 1996 to 2008. Colombe received a bachelor's degree from Trident University International in 2007, a graduate degree from Trident University International in 2009, and a degree from Portland State University in 2014. His professional experience includes being a senior-level advisor to the Director of U.S. Bureau of Land Management—Oregon/Washington Operations and working for the U.S. National Park Service and U.S. Department of Defense. He has been affiliated with the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, the El Paso County Medical Reserve Corps, the El Paso County Parks/Rec., the Mountain Rescue Association, the Future Farmers of America (FFA), the Pararescue Association, the USAFA Equestrian Center, and the USAF Air Space Museum.

Elections

2022

See also: Colorado's 5th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Colorado District 5

Incumbent Doug Lamborn defeated David Torres, Brian Flanagan, Christopher Mitchell, and Matthew Feigenbaum in the general election for U.S. House Colorado District 5 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Doug Lamborn (R)	56.0	155,528
		David Torres (D)	40.3	111,978
	Submit photo	Brian Flanagan (L)	2.5	7,079
		Christopher Mitchell (American Constitution Party)	1.2	3,370
	Submit photo	Matthew Feigenbaum (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	9

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 277,964
= 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

• Ryan Thompson (Unaffiliated)
• Alax Jones (Independent)
• Patrick O'Brien Faley (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5

David Torres defeated Michael Colombe in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5 on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Torres	54.7	24,413
		Michael Colombe	45.3	20,237

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 44,650
= 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

• Jeremy Dowell (D)
• Orlondo Avion (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5

Incumbent Doug Lamborn defeated Dave Williams, Rebecca Keltie, and Andrew Heaton in the Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5 on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Doug Lamborn	47.3	46,178
		Dave Williams	33.5	32,669
		Rebecca Keltie	12.9	12,631
		Andrew Heaton	6.3	6,121

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 97,599
= 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

2022

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released November 4, 2021

Michael Colombe completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Colombe'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 have been a proud Coloradan since 1992, and this state is my favorite place on Earth. My priorities and goals for our district have been informed by a lifetime of military and public service.

I had distinguished careers in both the US Navy and the US Air Force. First as an Aviation Search and Rescue Swimmer from 1987 to 1995, and then as a Pararescue Specialist from 1996 to 2004. After working in Iraq for a year on a U.S. State Department–Counter Terrorism Special Operations Force (CTSOF), I joined the Department of Defense as a Pararescue/Combat Rescue Officer Instructor, where I served until 2008.

My work in the public sector began in the U.S. Department of the Interior from 2008-2017 as a Health and Safety Officer in the National Park Service at Grand Teton National Park. I also worked in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as the Supervisory Regional Health and Safety Manager for Oregon and Washington State BLMs where I managed: forestry, wildlife management, wildland fire (smokejumpers), Law Enforcement Rangers–water and air operations, mountain rescue, EMS dispatch centers, fire brigades, science and resources, recreation and planning, road maintenance, facility maintenance, and water treatment facilities.

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?

• I believe that our district deserves a representative who will fight for the voters that put them there.
• The solutions to the major issues that we face should be based in our district, for our district.
• This campaign is about taking Colorado voices to Washington, instead of the other way around.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Environment: Coloradans are currently facing the immediate dangers of wildfires, severe heat, water insecurity, and drought. Climate change and environmental destruction are existential crises–we cannot delay our efforts to address them. Immediate action is needed to protect our communities and our way of life from these existential threats, and as your Representative, I will address these issues with legislation that provides the opportunity for incredible economic growth in our district.

Health care: Health care is a fundamental right, and Coloradans deserve better access to care. The Affordable Care Act made major improvements, but the cost of treatment remains completely unaffordable for many folks in our communities. Today, 360,000 Coloradans are without health insurance. In the richest country on Earth, no person should go without care due to the high cost of treatment.

Education: One of the strongest ties we share as Coloradans is our hope for a brighter future for our children. Colorado has a strong history of supporting public education. We know that an investment in education is an investment in the future of our community.

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.

Note: Colombe submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on June 1, 2022.

Show past responsesHide past responses

November 4 submission

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m a father of two sets of twin daughters that are 5 years apart who are grown and on their own. I’m also a new Grandpa of a beautiful grand-daughter named Elsie and I’m soon to be blessed again with another grand-daughter named Rosalie that are from the older twins.

I have a Bachelors Degree in Health Science & a Masters Degree in Emergency Management from Trident University. I currently work many hours volunteering for our community advising and examining policy decisions for the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments/ Community Advisory Committee.

I semi-retired from the U.S. Department of Interior; Bureau of Land Management in 2017 and moved back to Colorado. I’ve lived in Colorado on & off since 1992 and it is my favorite place. I served in; the U.S. Navy as an Aviation SAR Swimmer from 1987-1995, the U.S. Air Force as a Pararescue Specialist from 1996-2004. After working in Iraq for a year on a U.S. State Department – Counter Terrorism Special Operations Force (CTSOF) contract, I became a Department of Defense employee as a Pararescue/Combat Rescue Officer Instructor

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?

• Reliable - prior federal government manager creating policy for people & environment
• Consistent- forward thinking policies & out listening to people
• Accessible- regular townhalls, district work weeks collaborating with constiuents

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Population Growth

Environment/Water
Housing
Transportation
Wildland Urban Interface
Emergency Management
Military Liaison

Rural/Urban Disparities

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

Abraham Lincoln- Great speaker, full of humility & strength

Theodore Roosevelt- Work on the National Park System, historian, conservationist- wrote 'Man in the Arena"
John F. Kennedy- civil rights, people's president, democracy
Martin Luther King Jr.- civil rights, spiritual, historian, democracy
Dwight D. Eisenhower- 'Military industrial complex farewell speech', great military general, stationed on the USS Eisenhower CVN-69
General Patton- bold, daring, efficient, leader
General McArthur- dedicated, intelligent, compassionate, leader

General Colin Powell- Secretary of State, decent & humble person, leader, intelligent, fair

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

www.michaelcolombe.com

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

Intelligence

Compassion
Diplomacy
Integrity
Trust

Accessible

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

Experienced federal government manager

USAF Pararescue 1997-2008 Dedicated Special Operations Veteran (https://www.specialwarfaretw.af.mil/About-Us/Pararescue/
Father of two sets of twin daughters
Community Activist/Volunteer

Servant attitude

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

Provide reliable leadership, consistent communication through town halls & district work weeks, and be accessible to constituents of COlorado CD5.

What legacy would you like to leave?

For the people!

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Sunday, July 4, 1976 Bicentennial-I was 6.

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

McGinnis Farms- Every summer x3

What is your favorite book? Why?

Where the red fern grows? I put myself in the character

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

are you gonna go my way?

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

spending most of my adult life in wars around the world.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The authority to serve the people & their needs

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

National Security

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Armed Services

Homeland Security

Natural Resources

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

I cannot definitively say having not served in this position yet. When I was a senior level advisor USDOI, it took me 2 years to pass a departmental regulation.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

There necessary

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Diana DeGette - Colorado CD1
Joe Neguse- Colorado CD2

Both sitting representatives 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?

Yes, people complaining about the current CD5 representative not doing his job. Everyday!

Tell us your favorite joke.

The captain stopped the Sgt. to ask how the 2 'new guys' were working out. Sgt. said this one is shit hot, the other is 40 watt. Huh? said the captain, Sgt. said "not too bright, but gets the job done'

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

yes, necessity never made a good bargain

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

exercise fiscal responsibility

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.

Note: Colombe submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on November 4, 2021.

See also

2022 Elections

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Government

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Footnotes

[show]

Colorado's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Michael Bennet (D)

John Hickenlooper (D)

Representatives

District 1

Diana DeGette (D)

District 2

Joe Neguse (D)

District 3

Jeff Hurd (R)

District 4

Lauren Boebert (R)

District 5

Jeff Crank (R)

District 6

Jason Crow (D)

District 7

Brittany Pettersen (D)

District 8

Gabe Evans (R)

Democratic Party (6)

Republican Party (4)