Meet the minor party and write-in candidates running for Colorado's Fifth Congressional District, which covers western El Paso County, including Colorado Springs, Security-Widefield and Monument.
Christopher Mitchell, American Constitution Party
On his website, Christopher Mitchell identifies himself as a former Republican and attacks the Colorado GOP as “a perpetually desolate house divided against itself without strong Conservative leadership.” On the site he quotes both the New Testament and Ronald Reagan. Mitchell ran for this seat two years ago, getting nearly 3,400 votes. He also ran for mayor of Colorado Springs in 2023. According to its website, the American Constitution Party “favors a government based on a strict interpretation of the U.S. Constitution and the principles expressed in it by the Founding Fathers.” Mitchell is an electrical engineering contractor working in the aerospace field.
Christopher Sweat, Forward Party
Christopher Sweat grew up in Colorado Springs and is currently a non-traditional student at CU Boulder, where he’s studying political science. Sweat has a background in interchange and IT technology. On his site, he supports more control of the southern border and dramatically reduced federal spending, and says he would work to attract jobs to the district that won’t be disrupted by the spread of artificial intelligence and other technologies. According to the Forward Party’s website, it’s “building a party that puts the power back in the hands of the American voter.”
Michael Vance, Libertarian
Michael Vance is the legislative director for the Libertarian Party of Colorado. He believes in “the idea that violence violates the rights of peaceful people” according to the Collaborative History of the Libertarian Party. The Libertarian Party is against government interference in people’s “personal, family and business decisions,” according to its website.
Joseph Gaye, Unaffiliated
Joseph Gaye retired from a career in astronautics at Lockheed Martin and is now pursuing a seat in Congress as an independent. According to his website, Gaye believes that the border is broken, climate change is real, the country’s debt and deficit are unsustainable and that these are all threats to national security. He moved to Colorado Springs with his wife and two sons in 1995.
Marcus Murphy, Unaffiliated write-in
Marcus Murphy ran in the Democratic primary for the district in 2018, garnering 38 votes. He also ran for the seat in 2020 as an independent. According to his Facebook account he lives in Colorado Springs and is from Amarillo, Texas.
