John Szemler

Democrat

CO-08 Primary · U.S. House

Non-Incumbent · Public Record

PIP Political Integrity Pledge · Political Integrity PAC

No Corporate PAC Money
Stock Trading Ban
Lobbying Ban for Former Members
Overturn Citizens United

Primary: June 2026 Last updated 2026-04-28

27.6%

Top negative drivers

T2 No statements on financial disclosure. No tax returns. FEC shows $0 raised. 0/4
T3 No statements on stock trading bans, blind trusts, or conflict of interest prevention. 0/4
T5 FEC shows $0 raised. No donor transparency tools or practices. 0/4

View all 25 criteria

T1 Campaign website states commitment to results and humility. No specific format, frequency, or geographic plan. 1/4
T2 No statements on financial disclosure. No tax returns. FEC shows $0 raised. 0/4
T3 No statements on stock trading bans, blind trusts, or conflict of interest prevention. 0/4
T4 Congress is corrupt, campaign finance reform is key to healthy democracy. No specific legislation named. 2.88/4
T5 FEC shows $0 raised. No donor transparency tools or practices. 0/4
T6 Website and Ballotpedia responses explain reasoning on tariffs and fiscal policy. Sporadic, not regular communication. 2.25/4
T7 Completed Ballotpedia 2020 survey. No 2026 debate appearances or non-aligned media documented. 1/4
T8 No endorsements found. No VoteSmart or 2026 Ballotpedia survey responses. 0/4
T9 Website exists. X/Twitter account inactive (0 posts, 6 followers). No regular communication channel. 1/4
T10 Not about Republicans vs Democrats, it is about what is good for America. Plain language on tariffs. Limited content volume. 2.88/4
T11 No statements on healthcare price transparency, surprise billing, or PBM disclosure. 0/4
T12 No statements on housing cost transparency or zoning transparency. 0/4
T13 Tariffs are a tax on consumers that will pay for Trump tax cuts. Addresses trade costs, single-sector only. 2.25/4
T14 References Trump tax cut adding $7.8T to deficit. No specific transparency dashboard or open data mechanism. 1/4
T15 Prohibit platforms from using bots for confirmation-bias recommendations; legislation for individual internet privacy rights. 2.88/4
T16 No statements on law enforcement accountability, body cameras, or oversight boards. 0/4
T17 Immigration as economic life blood and diversity as strength. No system transparency mechanisms named. 1/4
T18 No statements on education transparency, per-pupil disclosure, or outcome dashboards. 0/4
T19 Campaign finance reform emphasis implies electoral process reform. No redistricting or election audit proposals. 2.25/4
T20 Fiscal responsibility is not tax cuts for the wealthy; prudent and transparent government is good governance. 2.25/4
T21 No documented press interactions for 2026 campaign. Inactive social media. 0/4
T22 Tariff claim ($7.8T) cross-checks against CBO estimates. No false claims identified. No fact-checker coverage. 2.88/4
T23 No statements on whistleblower protections or IG independence. 0/4
T24 No statements on FOIA reform, open data, or proactive publication. 0/4
T25 Campaign finance reform consistent across 2020 and 2026. Party switch consistent with moderate framing. $0 raised limits comparison. 1/4

21.6%

Top negative drivers

E1 No proposals with evaluation mechanisms, sunset clauses, or benchmarks. 0/4
E11 No statements on healthcare system efficiency, drug negotiation, or PBM reform. 0/4
E12 No statements on housing supply, zoning reform, or LIHTC. 0/4

View all 25 criteria

E1 No proposals with evaluation mechanisms, sunset clauses, or benchmarks. 0/4
E2 References $7.8T deficit; MBA from University of San Diego; process improvement background. 2.25/4
E3 Prudent, coherent, transparent government is good governance. No specific evaluation methods. 1/4
E4 Campaign website exists. No community service or constituent engagement documented. 1/4
E5 Social media bot regulation; internet privacy legislation. Narrow area, not government IT modernization. 2.88/4
E6 Filed FEC paperwork. $0 raised. No fundraising, events, or campaign infrastructure documented. 1/4
E7 Former Republican "activating the Moderate Majority." No documented bipartisan collaboration or coalitions. 1/4
E8 20+ years manufacturing/lean consulting. Policy proposals lack implementation detail. 1/4
E9 20+ years as manufacturing executive and lean consultant; VP of APICS NOCO; Reliable Plant recognition. 2.88/4
E10 Campaign finance reform as central priority; lean manufacturing background implies process orientation. 2.25/4
E11 No statements on healthcare system efficiency, drug negotiation, or PBM reform. 0/4
E12 No statements on housing supply, zoning reform, or LIHTC. 0/4
E13 No statements on energy system efficiency or grid modernization. 0/4
E14 No processing efficiency, USCIS modernization, or visa streamlining proposals. 0/4
E15 No statements on education system efficiency or teacher investment. 0/4
E16 No statements on evidence-based public safety or violence intervention. 0/4
E17 No workforce development or apprenticeship positions documented despite manufacturing background. 0/4
E18 Fiscal responsibility is not tax cuts for the wealthy. References $7.8T waste. No specific audits or procurement reform. 2.25/4
E19 No statements on infrastructure delivery or permitting reform. 0/4
E20 No statements on national security cost-effectiveness. 0/4
E21 No statements on government processing speed or backlog reduction. 0/4
E22 Fiscal responsibility is not tax cuts for the wealthy. References deficit impact. No specific targets. 2.25/4
E23 No statements on acting on GAO/IG findings or audit recommendations. 0/4
E24 Party switch suggests willingness to change course. No specific reform proposals. 1/4
E25 No statements on agency oversight, IG independence, or performance reviews. 0/4

14.3%

Top negative drivers

A3 No affordability-focused constituent services documented. 0/4
A4 No statements on antitrust, competition, or market concentration. 0/4
A8 No statements holding corporations accountable for price increases. 0/4

View all 25 criteria

A1 Tariffs are a tax on consumers; references cost pressures on Northern Colorado. No local cost data or engagement events. 2.25/4
A2 References $7.8T deficit accurately. MBA background. No district-specific data or BLS/Census citations. 2.25/4
A3 No affordability-focused constituent services documented. 0/4
A4 No statements on antitrust, competition, or market concentration. 0/4
A5 Tariffs are a tax on consumers. No household cost analysis or quantified impact. 1/4
A6 Tariff critique addresses a cost driver. No legislative response or community resources. 1/4
A7 Implies redirection by opposing tax cuts for wealthy. No specific source and destination named. 1/4
A8 No statements holding corporations accountable for price increases. 0/4
A9 America that works slogan. Not consistently translated to household budget terms. 1/4
A10 Campaign finance reform, not affordability, is the demonstrated top priority. 1/4
A11 No statements on healthcare affordability, drug costs, or ACA. 0/4
A12 No statements on housing affordability or programs. 0/4
A13 No statements on education affordability or student loans. 0/4
A14 Fiscal responsibility is not tax cuts for the wealthy. Opposes Trump tax cuts adding $7.8T. No specific provisions. 2.25/4
A15 No statements on consumer protection, CFPB, or junk fees. 0/4
A16 No statements on minimum wage, PRO Act, or overtime. 0/4
A17 No statements on food costs, SNAP, or school meals. 0/4
A18 No statements on energy affordability, LIHEAP, or rate reform. 0/4
A19 No statements on transportation affordability. 0/4
A20 Campaign finance reform + fiscal responsibility + tariff opposition form loose cost narrative. Not a coherent strategy. 1/4
A21 No voting record. Party switch could reflect alignment. Insufficient actions to evaluate. 1/4
A22 No statements on protecting ACA, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, or SNAP. 0/4
A23 No statements addressing highest-need populations in affordability context. 0/4
A24 No proposals broad enough to evaluate breadth of benefit. 0/4
A25 No endorsements from affordability-relevant organizations. 0/4

Scored from publicly available information. Research in progress.

Platform research is in progress.

Non-Incumbent · Public Record

Scored on publicly available information only — platform statements, prior office, news coverage. Same criteria as the Questionnaire pathway, without direct candidate input.

Scoring Summary

Axis	Base	Pledge Bonus	Final
Transparency	27.6%	—	27.6%
Efficiency	21.6%	—	21.6%
Affordability	14.3%	—	14.3%
Overall TEA	Average of the three axes		21.2%

Read the full methodology →

Financial Breakdown

Financial detail — individual giving, PAC contributions, transfers, and personal finances — will appear here when FEC data ingestion ships. This tab is reserved so the layout stays consistent when the feature launches.