Heidi Pitchforth
Republican | Colorado
Candidate Profile*
Conservative (Conditional)
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Heidi Pitchforth
Party
Republican
Election Year
2024
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 31
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
BYU, Provo, Bachelor's of Arts Degree in Elementary Education, 1985
Ricks College, Associate Degree, Sociology, 1979
WORK & MILITARY
Adams 12 Five Star Schools District, Licensed teacher/Substitute teacher, 18
Munich International School, Licensed teacher/Substitute teacher, 2
AFFILIATIONS
Adams County GOP, House District 31 Chairman, district captain, caucus manager, precinct Committee person,, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Relief Society President, Young Women President, Primary President, Sunday School, youth teacher, and children's teacher., The 17th Judicial District, Court Appointed Special Advocate (C.A.S.A.)
Organization of Parents and Teachers for The Academy of Charter Schools, President, District School Improvement Team (D.S.I.T) for Adams 12 Five Star School
Elected representative, The Academy of Charter Schools, Elected library committee chairman
The State of Colorado General Assembly, Legislative aide volunteer, Various Senior Living Centers
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
State Representative, 2022
State Representative for House District 31, 2024
ENDORSEMENTS*
CONSERVATIVE (1)
National Rifle Association (NRA) PVF
OTHER (1)
*NRA-ILA
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (2)
Linda Montoya, Mayor of Federal Heights
Jan Kuhlman, Mayor of Thornton
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (2)
Erik Aadland (2022)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2012)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
Rape, incest, or when the mother's life is at risk are times when an abortion could be allowed. When the pregnancy is the result of an act the mother had no choice in, I understand how the pregnancy can be a continual reminder of that traumatic event. The child had no say in this either and I would hope the mother will try to understand the independence of the child from the conceptual act. As an adopted child, I want the unwanted child to have a chance at life, like I did.
Chemical abortion drugs should meet essential safety standards (such as in-person consultation with a medical doctor) and require reporting to gather evidence on reactions and outcomes.
Strongly Agree
These drugs should never be mailed for home use without a medical professional being aware and involved in the process of an at home abortion. Partial abortions/hemorrhaging and unforeseen complications should not be dealt with by girls/women alone in a bathroom without a medical professional readily available whom they feel comfortable reaching out to.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
Abortion providers that provide medical procedures should be licensed and staffed by medical professionals who have hospital privileges. They should function as any other medical facility.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Disagree
I look to what has happened in Canada which passed assisted suicide laws and now people who are depressed can legally kill themselves with very little oversight. I think medical evaluations by more than one party, as well as a waiting period are vital to these laws not being used by people who are going through a very difficult time. Terminally ill patients in hospice are the only folks who should have access to 'aid in dying' laws.
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
These principles have influenced everything in America, from governance and legal systems to cultural values and social norms. Free enterprise and the right to private property are foundational principles upon which America was built.
What is your position on the minimum wage?
The minimum wage is a starting point for people getting into the job market and for unskilled workers honing their skills or language. I support providing programs to advance workers job skills so they can earn a living wage.
Should environmental and social issues, like ESG (environmental, social, and governance) ratings, be used as criteria in deciding where to invest public monies?
No
Merit, past performance, experience, and future potential, should be the criteria used in deciding where public monies are directed, not an ephemeral rating such as ESG.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
The government should never have the ability to close churches. It is a hallmark of separation between church and state and a constitutional right.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Businesses should not be forced to go against their moral or religious beliefs.
HEALTHCARE
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D) Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.
C. Private insurance, with Medicaid as the safety net and Medicare for seniors who have paid into the system for years should remain available. Connect For Health Colorado already provides a marketplace for reduced cost health insurance, which provides financial assistance for those in need.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
None. My body. My Choice.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
There are many documented cases showing the CCP stealing military, cyber, and intellectual property from the U.S. Economically, the U.S. should not rely on another country for products used in these areas nor for the majority of our pharmaceuticals. The U.S. reliance on another country puts America at risk.
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
Israel is one democracy in a sea of theocracies and dictators in the Middle East. We collaborate with them on military and intelligence matters, technology, and agriculture, which benefits both our countries. We share democratic ideals, and many Judeo Christian values. Our strong relationship impacts stability in the region and worldwide.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
I believe in legal immigration and went through the naturalization process personally. Right now, the flood of immigrants crossing our southern border effects our educational systems, medical systems, and our cost of living. Walls have value, as does electronic surveillance and more boots on the ground. Polls show citizens want a secure border and I support a secure border.
EDUCATION
The state should fund education by allowing dollars to follow the child through programs which protect parents' freedom to choose their child's school – public, private, or homeschool.
Strongly Agree
I am for all choices in education: neighborhood schools, charter schools, religious schools, homeschools. Children have different needs and parents should be able to decide where the best education is for their children and their tax dollars should follow their child to fund their direct learning. This shouldn't be a threat to our teacher unions or to public education.
VALUES
Children are the most vulnerable members of society and must be protected from abuse, including gender ideology, grooming, and bodily mutilation.
Strongly Agree
Children under 16 aren't given driver's licenses and it's not because they can't reach the pedals. There is a set drinking age for alcohol too. These restrictions are in place because of the decision-making capabilities of minors. Most still need help remembering chores and assignments at school, yet now they can decide to change their gender? The ability to make this decision should happen when they are capable of understanding the long term ramifications, and that ability comes with maturity.
Parents should have the right to make decisions for their minor children.
Strongly Agree
Parents should have the ability to guide their children’s decisions. In most cases, the parent cares more about a child than anyone else. In gender dysphoria cases, parents know if their child has been showing signs of gender dysphoria since they were 2 -5 years of age or if this is a socially induced decision.
Taxpayer funds should be used to provide gender transition services.
Strongly Disagree
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.
Strongly Agree
My neighbors, who are godparents to my five children, are in a same sex union, but even they say it's not a marriage. It's different, but they want and enjoy equal rights as a married couple for tax and medical purposes.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe in God, the Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit. I believe that we lived with our Father in Heaven as spirits before we came to earth and that we are His children. He provided a way for us to come back to Him. Through faith on Jesus Christ and his infinite atonement, all mankind can be saved and will be resurrected. My relationship with Christ is shown through how I treat people in thought, word and deed. As His child, I am to value all His other children, forgive them, and pray for them. I show my faith by following His commandments and His words, and I seek for His guidance through prayer and scripture reading.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
Photo ID is needed
States should join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact which makes the Electoral College irrelevant.
Strongly Disagree
I support each state having a meaningful voice in whom gets elected to govern all 50 states. If the states between Nevada through Kentucky and Idaho through Louisiana want to be completely irrelevant in an election and let New York and California voters determine who the president is, then vote for the popular vote compact.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
No. While racism still exists, it is not systemic. Those who believe America is operating under a systemic racist system in 2024 are not familiar with U.S history. The belief that systemic racism is alive and well in America is a threat to America's unity and domestic security. DEI and CRT programs have fostered racism instead of promoting unity by focusing on differences instead of the similarities that unite us.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
CRT is aptly named in that it critically highlights differences and supposed differences and assigns differences between races, instead of showing the commonality found between all races.
Biological males should not be allowed to participate in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, women's shelters, or prison.
Strongly Agree
I believe girls and women deserve safe spaces and deserve the right to compete against biologically equal opponents.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Which comes closest to your view? (Select all that apply) A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. B) Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost. C) Stricter environmental laws undermine U.S. energy independence and deter development of reliable electricity sources. D) Climate change is real and requires urgent policy action.
A,C In Adams and Weld county communities have lost millions of dollars because oil and gas companies have been driven out of the state. This has reduced vast amounts of money for schools, police, fire and first responders. Colorado has some of the cleanest oil and gas development/production laws. We can have clean oil and gas production.
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
We should available resources. We need to use oil, natural gas, nuclear, solar and wind. Oil and gas must be part of our energy portfolio because it produces cheap energy to fuel our homes and business. Without it, the cost of everything goes up.
ABOUT YOU
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
No
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
No
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
The purpose of government is to establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to the citizens, as outlined in the Preamble of the United States Constitution. Equality of opportunity should be afforded everyone, which is quite different from a guarantee of an equal outcome.
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Conservative
I seek to follow the U.S. Constitution.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
I support redirecting funds from police departments to community programs.
Strongly Disagree
I believe the police need all the funding they can get to ensure safety in the community. Community programs have a distinct role and should be separately funded.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
A history of violent crime or a crime committed using a gun within a set time period should disqualify a person from owning a gun. Criminals will always have guns and most gunowners have a gun for personal protection.
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
No
I wish resource officers could be in every school. That would go a long way to school safety. I don't think teachers should carry guns, but if a teacher was certified through specific training with the Police Dept. I could support a teacher having a gun in a locked case on school premises. No one but the police, principal and the teacher would know about the gun, and it would be hidden and locked away. But if there was an active shooter at the school, this strategy could save lives.
