Greg Lopez is a businessman, former mayor of Parker and former official with the Small Business Administration. He is the Republican nominee in the special election being held June 25 for the 4th Congressional District. The winner of the race will replace Rep. Ken Buck as Congressman until the seat is filled in the November election. Buck left office in March, months before his term was set to end.
Lopez says his goal is to serve “not as a placeholder, but to serve as a principle-holder.” He is not running in the November election, so he will serve only six months if he wins the special election in June.
According to his resume, he is president of LCMG, a small business consultancy, and has worked in medical equipment logistics. Previously, at age 27, he was elected mayor of the fast-growing town of Parker.
In the early 1990s, Lopez and his wife both pleaded guilty to harassment following an alleged domestic violence incident; both spouses later said it was the result of a “mistake” from which they’ve grown. Lopez also was charged with driving under the influence in 2003, which he said he would not do again.
In 2020, the Department of Justice pursued a civil case against Lopez, alleging that he had improperly tried to influence former Small Business Administration colleagues with an email asking for a “favor.” Lopez said he was only trying to help a real-estate developer, while a former U.S. attorney said the case was about “serious violations of the rules for former federal officials.” Lopez paid $15,000 to settle the case.
Lopez’s parents and grandparents traveled the U.S. as field workers, with Lopez himself sometimes pitching in as a small child. He joined the U.S. Air Force out of high school and using military benefits to pay for an associate’s degree in business administration from New Mexico State University — Alamogordo.
Lopez stayed in the military for four years and left active service after sustaining significant hearing loss from airfield work. He and his wife, Lisa, moved from his home state of Texas to Colorado in 1987, soon after buying a home in Parker. He was a Democrat but switched affiliations in the 1990s. He also was previously the leader of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in the state, among other positions.
Lopez previously ran for governor in the 2022 Republican primary. Lopez didn’t respond to an interview request, though this article will be updated if he does so.
On democracy and good governance
Information about Lopez’s current stance on this issue wasn’t available. In a 2022 interview, he skirted questions about whether Joe Biden was legitimately elected president, but ultimately expressed doubt.
It “wouldn't surprise me if we find out that there was something that wasn't done correctly and we do have the wrong person in office,” he told CPR’s Ryan Warner.
“But we're not going to go back and change it. We're not going to go back and say, ‘You don't belong.’ We learn from that. I'm not here to tell you that we need to remove the president from his position,” Lopez said. “I think he needs to serve out his term. I think we need to go to the next election, and we need to see what happens at the next election.”
He describes himself as a fiscal and social conservative who favors less spending and smaller government.
On the economy and cost of living
Lopez has generally highlighted his business experience and his small-government beliefs. He blames “politically guided COVID policies” for hurting small businesses.
On climate and immigration
As mayor of Parker, and in recent years, Lopez has called for slower growth and development.
“I truly believe Colorado right now is growing out of control. It's not smart growth,” he told CPR in 2022, citing water supply concerns. “I'm not looking to eliminate (growth). What I'm looking to do is minimize it.”
His campaign website reiterates a call for conservation and “smart growth” and “forests free from fires,” among other priorities.
On immigration, Lopez has referred generally to “enforcing our laws and protecting our borders.”
