Saundra Larsen

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

Saundra Larsen

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

June 25, 2024

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Air Force

Years of service

1990 - 1992

Personal

Birthplace

Anchorage, Alaska

Religion

Christian: Nondenominational

Profession

Business owner and president

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

Personal Twitter

Personal Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Saundra Larsen (Republican Party) ran for election to the Colorado State Board of Education to represent Colorado's 4th Congressional District. She lost in the Republican primary on June 25, 2024.

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

Biography

Saundra Larsen was born in Anchorage, Alaska. Larsen's career experience includes working as a business owner. She served in the U.S. Air Force from 1990 to 1992. Larsen has been affiliated with Heart of Worship Ministries, Pikes Peak Botanical Garden, Colorado Springs Republican Patriots, and Parker Conservatives.

Elections

2024

See also: Colorado State Board of Education election, 2024

General election

General election for Colorado State Board of Education District 4

Kristi Burton Brown defeated Krista Holtzmann in the general election for Colorado State Board of Education District 4 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kristi Burton Brown (R)	60.5	263,234
		Krista Holtzmann (D)	39.5	171,565

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 434,799
= 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Colorado State Board of Education District 4

Krista Holtzmann advanced from the Democratic primary for Colorado State Board of Education District 4 on June 25, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Krista Holtzmann	100.0	45,458

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 45,458
= 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 Board of Education District 4

Kristi Burton Brown defeated Saundra Larsen in the Republican primary for Colorado State Board of Education District 4 on June 25, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kristi Burton Brown	53.4	56,540
		Saundra Larsen	46.6	49,244

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 105,784
= 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 Larsen in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Saundra Larsen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Larsen'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 moved to Colorado in 1999 with my husband to raise our children. I served in the USAF during the first Iraq war, Desert Storm and Desert Shield, also the Bosnian conflict. I was a substitute teacher and para for DOD and Charter Schools. I home schooled my children for 9 years. I taught Sunday School for many years to children ages 4-10. I worked with and taught youth groups and small groups. I volunteered to help with the High School musicals for several years. I am a minister, wife, mother and grandmother of school aged children. I am a precinct leader and a strong voice in my community. I am a small business owner as well.

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 want to get politics out of the classroom and return to education. We need to attract excellent teachers and make it easier for them to transfer from other states. We also need to make it easier to remove teachers who are not a good fit. Our students are falling behind.
• I want to make sure rural schools are not forgotten. Rural schools make up 87% of all Colorado schools yet are somehow treated like second class citizens. We need to make sure they have what they need financially to give an excellent education for their students.
• People in power want to remove parents choices. In the name of uniformity they want to make it difficult for charter schools to form and survive. Home school groups are also on the chopping block. I want to retain parents rights to choose what's best for their child.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Title IV identifies sexual violence as including voyeurism and exhibitionism. We can't protect our kids from either with coed locker rooms. If someone is confused or suffers gender dysphoria we can treat them lovingly without compromising the safety of others. Evidence shows that the curious and the predator who prey on the innocent will adapt to get what they want. We cannot allow this door to remain open in the name of inclusion. It has also been proven that many school libraries have inappropriate materials such as books that would be rated pg13 in an elementary and those which would be rated R or N17 in middle school. The sexualization, gender confusion and mutilation of our children must stop.

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

I am a Christian so my answer is Jesus. He exemplifies integrity, honor, peace, and strength.

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

Art Club Movie

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

Integrity first of all. Financial responsibility. Accountability. Must be approachable. Must be steadfast in their commitments.

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

I am a very hard worker who is used to volunteering. I am a person of integrity and willing to fight for the parents and educators to save our schools.

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

To make sure the children are safe, the parents are heard and the excellent teachers are rewarded. The job description includes making sure laws are followed, finances are adequately dispersed and standards are upheld.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Schools of all types working together to provide the best education for our students where they can thrive, create find their path forward for a great future.

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

Elvis Presley died but It didn't really bother me. I was working in middle school at the commissary when the space shuttle went down. It was a very sad moment for me and it taught me that even though you thoroughly plan accidents can still happen.

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

Summer hire program at Ramstein AFB Germany working in the JAG office. I answered the phone, made carbon copies and redid the filing system at just 12 years old. When the summer ended I started pushing carts at the commissary and eventually ended up as a bagger.

Who are your constituents?

The parents and the educators who live in my district although the decisions that the State Board of Education make will affect the whole state.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

I would start by listening to them. They are tired of the secrecy and steam rolling of woke ideas has enraged many to remove their children and themselves from the whole system. Then, I would look at each area individually because city school districts are going to have different needs than rural schools.

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

I am currently working to visit all 21 counties I will represent. I am attending local festivals, parades, events and when invited going to meet and greet events.

What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?

The students need to be taught critical thinking. They need to know how to find the answers. Memorization is important but so is problem solving. No more teaching the test! No more politics in school. No more woke ideologies.

In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?

Absolutley! We need to give the students options. If they are planning on being a doctor then they should take the path towards college but they also need to have the option of trade schools and tech schools. I love that students can attend college classes in HS but very few schools have programs that encourage the trades. I think they are very important.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

We protect our banks, airports and courthouses but not our schools. What we value we protect! I believe in armed guards even teachers as long as they are skilled at handling a weapon and they can keep it secured during class.

What existing district policies would you like to change, or what new policies would you like to implement?

I would make every classroom hang the flag once again. I would reinstate the pledge as well. American tax dollars are paying for this education. If you don't like it then don't attend our schools.

Describe your ideal learning environment for students.

There is not one! Children have different needs. At a minimum though it would include much time outside, investigating, exploring, exercising and getting fresh air. Creativity is also very important as well as home economics.

How do you feel like your school district handled the coronavirus pandemic? What, if anything, would you do differently in the future?

Terrible! I would not enforce masking or many of the ridiculous things that were implemented. The over reaction of the schools caused great trauma and a loss of learning. Teachers had no right to see the child's home in online learning and demand they remove items in the background. The school was using the parents home for free and needed to just be thankful that the parent allowed it.

What will you do to build a relationship with parents in the district?

Due to the vast size of my district I would set up a zoom meeting and keep parents up to date with what is before the board.

What are your preferred strategies for faculty, staff, and administration recruitment?

I believe we should make it easier to transfer in teachers from other states. Currently it is easier to high someone from a fast food chain with no experience or training than it is to transfer a licensed teacher from another state. I believe teachers need higher pay and that the many levels of organization should be streamlined to help pay for it.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I believe you must have financial transparency and accountability. However, I do not believe the government needs to be in every aspect of our lives. Parents deserve a choice and the right to choose the best education for their children. I believe in local control of the schools as well. Parents, educators and school boards can work together to do what's best for the families in their area.

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 website

Larsen’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Accountability Educators should be accountable to standards, not politics. Fewer than half of Colorado's students meet grade-level expectations in core subjects. Divisive ideologies are distracting students, obstructing their learning, and undermining parents. I will work to get political activism out of the classroom and out of the curriculum. Parents' Rights & School Choice From curriculum and materials that sexualize our children, to legislation that allows school officials to withhold information from parents about their own children, activist educators seem hell-bent on creating policies that create division between children and their parents. We're also facing legislation to make it difficult for charter schools to form and survive, with homeschools also on the chopping block. Teachers are not surrogate parents. I will fight for policy that recognizes parents' decision making authority in their children's educations without unnecesary obstacles or outside interference. Rural Schools Matter Of all school districts in Colorado, 86% are considered rural. But too often, budgeting decisions treat rural schools like second-class citizens. I will be a strong rural voice to represent rural families and make sure our values are not disregarded.	”
—Saundra Larsen’s campaign website (2024)

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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Saundra Larsen campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Colorado State Board of Education District 4	Lost primary	$10,471	$10,521
Grand total			$10,471	$10,521
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

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Colorado State Board of Education District 4

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