The Republican candidate for District 7, Sergei Matveyuk, is a Polish Immigrant who says his main focus is keeping the American Dream alive.
According to his website, his top three priorities are to lower the cost of living, ensure safe neighborhoods and protect farmers and ranchers. Reducing government regulations and protecting water and property rights are also a part of Matveyuk’s plan.
He believes in parents’ right to control their children’s education, and in the need to protect the First and Second Amendment.
According to his LinkedIn, Matveyuk owns Serge' silver & fine arts in Golden. He became a U.S. Citizen 35 years ago and earned his degree from Colorado Christian University. He’s running for congress because the country is on a "slippery slope toward socialism," according to his website.
CPR News is part of Voter Voices, a statewide effort to ask Coloradans what issues matter most to them in this election. We used those responses to develop the questionnaire CPR sent to major party candidates. Archuleta’s answers are below.
Sergei Matveyuk on the economy and cost of living
What would you do, as a member of Congress, to address the cost of housing?
The price of housing has increased as supplies which are used to build houses have increased, as interest rates have more than doubled, as local taxes have increased, and as more people are seeking housing.
I have three children and my oldest, my daughter, has begun to think about moving out and even started to think about owning her own home. As we looked at apartments, it became clear that rents are so high she would have to have several roommates to be able to afford rent. Buying her own home is a very distant dream. Our children’s ability to build their American dream could be limited if housing remains too expensive.
Part of the solution is lowering government spending so demand for basic supplies is driven down and interest rates can decline. I will work with other representatives to help drive down the spending that will help reduce costs of basic building supplies and interest rates which have more than doubled in the last three years. I will also work when appropriate to support projects which increase the number of homes being built. Increasing housing supply will also help make housing more affordable.
What can Congress do to address inflation, particularly around the cost of food?
The number one driver of inflation is skyrocketing government spending. When government spends too much, everyday people do not live well because the demand government spending creates drives up prices. This leaves everyday Americans stuck paying higher prices. My wife and I have seen the cost of our groceries double. What we bought for $150.00 three years ago is now over $300.00, even finding deals and using coupons.
Because I lived under communism where they tried to control the costs of goods by having government set prices, I know that this will lead to shortages and will not help everyday Americans. Instead, I will go to Congress and fight to reduce government spending, not just slowing the growth of government spending but actually reducing government spending. This will drive down inflation without limiting supply, so the price of my groceries and your groceries will go down.
What are your views on raising tariffs on foreign goods?
Raising tariffs on foreign goods is one tool that could be used to help American companies be more competitive and can help with national security. Some goods coming into America are price-supported by foreign countries to drive up demand in America. That means a foreign
the government supports their manufacturers to get Americans to buy their products. That puts our manufacturers at a disadvantage which isn’t good for increasing American jobs. Sometimes this is also done so the foreign government has more control over what Americans buy.
Tariffs can make this unfair equation fairer for Americans. Tariffs can also increase the price of goods, with the prices of goods so high now that isn’t what Americans need. Considering using tariffs must be done thoughtfully and strategically to ensure the results are good for Americans.
Sergei Matveyuk on democracy and good governance
What are your top three ideas for reforms to make Congress work better?
To make Congress work better the budgeting process should be changed. There should be a requirement to pass a balanced budget bill each year, eliminating the continuing resolutions and requiring Congress to set priorities and make funding tradeoffs.
The budgeting process should begin with a zero budget for each department, so funding is no longer allocated starting with the budget they use today and grow from there. This will help ensure that projects that no longer meet their original intent and/or aren’t good for Americans can be unfunded.
Second, bills should be required to be single subject, simple-to-read bills so that Americans know what is in bills and representatives can read the bills and understand them before they vote on them. This will also help ensure that many complicated topics aren’t buried in bills.
The third reform I’d recommend is to require representatives to spend time with members from different parties getting to know each other’s humanity and cut down on divisiveness.
If control of the federal government remains divided between the parties after the election, how do you plan to be effective for your district?
Whether the government remains divided by parties or not I will work to reduce the divisiveness.
Our country is in crisis, and we must all work together to bring back civility and fight for our Republic. I will work with members from any party who want to protect the American Dream. I will do this by building relationships.
Because I am not a career politician, I am not beholden to any special interests. I am free to build relationships and get to know other members and their humanity. I will find our common ground and work together just as I do when working to make our community stronger. Getting to know many other members of Congress will help ensure that I am able to help pass legislation that is good for CD7.
There is an initiative on Colorado’s ballot to do away with party primaries and institute ranked choice voting. How will you vote on it and why?
It is critical to ensure that there is trust in our election process. Over the last couple of election cycles trust in our election process has eroded. In 2016, Mrs. Clinton found it hard to accept she had lost the election. In 2020 President Trump found it hard to believe he lost the election. Many on all sides of the political isle believe there is massive cheating in elections, while many others believe our elections are not rigged.
Other locations that have implemented rank choice voting have found it to be a very complicated process that decreases voter confidence. Ten states have banned ranked choice voting. In Colorado the Democrat Party voted to oppose the ballot initiative while Governor Polis has endorsed the measure. The Colorado Republican Party is also opposing the ballot initiative. I do not support this initiative as it will not build confidence in our elections.
Do you trust the current electoral system in Colorado? What about the rest of the country?
There was just a story in the news that some voting machines in Colorado that are not supposed to have access to the internet were purchased with cards that allow them to be internet connected. Investigations are continuing to determine if the machines were connected to the internet during the election cycle.
Others report that voters are intimidated and prevented from turning in ballots. Recent surveys show many minority voters don’t believe everyone who is eligible to vote will be able to vote. These are among the things that make people question the current electoral system. With this level of distrust, we must do everything we can to improve the process and create a system that is transparent, accountable and in which voters have confidence.
Context: Yes, older voting machines have Wi-Fi cards in them. Here’s why election workers say that’s not cause for concern (CPR News)
Sergei Matveyuk on immigration
How should the U.S. Congress address current and future waves of people crossing at the border?
My family and I waited decades to be able to come to America legally. My father and grandfather were both sent to the gulag for opposing communist tyranny in our country. In fact, my uncle was killed; the government took the family farm, flour mill and last cow. This left my grandmother alone with no resources to feed her children. She thankfully survived. Despite all the rational fear in which my family lived and potential to be killed, it was still years before we could come to America legally.
Our current system puts those who come here illegally ahead of those who are waiting in their countries to come legally. How is that fair? The U.S. Congress must first pass legislation and allocate funding that closes our borders stopping the flow of drugs, criminals and immigrants with no background checks into America.
They should work to reinstate policies which kept those trying to immigrate illegally in Mexico and other countries. Congress must then pass comprehensive immigration reform to set the rules for legal immigration. We must act quickly to help ensure our communities are safe and our social service systems are not overwhelmed.
Name one aspect of the current legal immigration system the U.S. Congress should reform or abolish, and why?
A part of the legal immigration system Congress needs to reform is the asylum and humanitarian parole processes. So many people are coming to America under these processes that their cases aren’t scheduled for years. When people come to this country under these programs, they should be able to be processed quickly so that we know those in the country are not a risk to our neighbors. They should also be entitled to be processed quickly so they are not living in uncertainty.
What should the U.S. do about people who have lived in the country for a long time without documentation, including so-called Dreamers?
In 2012 then President Obama issued a memorandum implementing Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA) which allows “Dreamers”, immigrant youth who were brought to the
U.S. undocumented, some legal protections. DACA status isn’t available to all “Dreamers”, and it must be renewed every two years.
While this has provided some benefits to those who were brought as minors to the U.S. undocumented, it leaves those in this status still living in uncertainty as their status might not be renewed. Some version of this legislation has been introduced every year since 2001 but has failed to pass. If DACA status should be provided to all “Dreamers,” or to a subset that haven’t broken American laws, and if it should be made permanent should be a subject evaluated as part of comprehensive immigration reform.
There have been so many coming across the border illegally over the last three years that new
discussions need to be had in communities across the country. Immigration reform should be
looked at comprehensively so that fair decisions can be made for all.
Sergei Matveyuk on climate and natural resources
What is the most pressing environmental or natural resource issue facing Colorado?
As I speak to residents across CD7 the environmental issue that worries most residents is the increase in fires that are happening across the state. From the Marshall fire in Superior to fires across CD7, residents are concerned about the loss of life and property caused by wildfire. People also tell me they are very worried about the environmental impacts of fires and the effect they have on natural resources.
What are the most urgent steps the country should take to address climate change, if any?
Individuals should do what they believe is appropriate to address their beliefs about climate
change.
Should the federal government take steps to limit new oil and gas production on public lands?
The federal government’s first responsibility is the protection of America. Being energy
independent is a national security issue. When America is forced to buy energy from countries
not friendly to America, it puts us all at risk. I support all types of energy policy. If it is
appropriate to allow new oil and gas production on public lands to ensure America is energy
independent and the price of energy is reasonable, I’d support allowing new oil and gas
production on public lands.
