David Ortiz (Colorado)
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David Ortiz (Democratic Party) was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives, representing District 38. He assumed office on January 13, 2021. He left office on January 8, 2025.
Ortiz (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Colorado House of Representatives to represent District 38. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Biography
David Ortiz was born in Rapid City, South Dakota. Ortiz served in the United States Army from 2008 to 2015. He earned a bachelor's degree in international affairs and business administration from the University of Saint Thomas. Ortiz's career experience includes working as a legislative liaison with the United Veterans Committee of Colorado, a public speaker with the Craig Hospital Foundation, and program director with the VFW Post 1.[1][2]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at:[email protected].
2023-2024
Ortiz was assigned to the following committees:
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2021-2022
Ortiz was assigned to the following committees:
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Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2024
David Ortiz did not file to run for re-election.
2022
See also: Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for Colorado House of Representatives District 38
Incumbent David Ortiz defeated Jaylen Mosqueira and Brandon McDowell in the general election for Colorado House of Representatives District 38 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | David Ortiz (D) | 54.5 | 25,765 |
 | Jaylen Mosqueira (R)  | 43.2 | 20,394 | |
| Brandon McDowell (L) | 2.3 | 1,103 | ||
| Total votes: 47,262 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 38
Incumbent David Ortiz advanced from the Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 38 on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | David Ortiz | 100.0 | 9,757 |
| Total votes: 9,757 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 38
Jaylen Mosqueira advanced from the Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 38 on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jaylen Mosqueira | 100.0 | 9,678 |
| Total votes: 9,678 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2020
See also: Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for Colorado House of Representatives District 38
David Ortiz defeated incumbent Richard Champion in the general election for Colorado House of Representatives District 38 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | David Ortiz (D) | 55.6 | 31,504 |
| Richard Champion (R) | 44.4 | 25,191 | ||
| Total votes: 56,695 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 38
David Ortiz defeated Candice Ferguson in the Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 38 on June 30, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | David Ortiz | 65.3 | 12,153 |
| Candice Ferguson | 34.7 | 6,448 | ||
| Total votes: 18,601 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 38
Incumbent Richard Champion advanced from the Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 38 on June 30, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Richard Champion | 100.0 | 10,064 | |
| Total votes: 10,064 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
To view Ortiz's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
David Ortiz did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
David Ortiz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ortiz's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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My name is David Ortiz. I am a wounded veteran and lifelong public servant running for the Colorado State House in HD38. I am a third-generation US Service Member on my dad's side and first-generation American on my mom's side. I began serving others when I graduated from college by resettling evacuees after Hurricane Katrina. I continued my service when I was selected to fly helicopters for the US Army. In June of 2012, while deployed to Afghanistan, I survived a catastrophic helicopter crash that left me paralyzed from the waist down. I advocated and fought my way to Craig Hospital in Colorado and knew I finally found a home. Because I had access to quality and affordable healthcare, I regained my independence and continued serving in the nonprofit space and as a lobbyist and advocate for veterans at OUR State Capitol in Denver. My work includes legislation passed for higher education reform, criminal justice reform, and affordable/attainable housing. I am proud of my lifetime of service and excited to work hard to EARN the privilege of serving the people in HD38 as their next CO State Rep. I am David Ortiz, We are HD38.
- I would NOT have been able to regain my independence and continue serving the community in my nonprofit work and as a lobbyist/advocate for veterans at our State Capitol in Denver if I didn't have access to quality and affordable healthcare. Healthcare is a right!
- Public education and dedicated teachers are how my family went from sharecroppers and migrants to pilots, service members, and now a candidate running for public office. We need to support and fully fund Public K-12 Education.
- Our community has been impacted in a serious way by gun violence. Columbine High, Arapahoe High, and STEM School are neighbors or within HD38. As a combat veteran and a responsible gun owner, I recognize that we in HD38 have a unique perspective and responsibility when it comes to curbing gun violence, supporting gun safety legislation, and promoting responsible gun ownership.
All of the policies that I've worked on and nonprofit work that I do is for the purpose of empowering others to help them maximize their opportunities and potential. One of the greatest issues of our day is Climate Change. We only get one spaceship Earth and we have to work together NOW to turn the tide of the impact that we are having on our planet. I want to empower Colorado to support a thriving renewable energy industry here, while also making sure that it is union members and Colorado working families that will benefit from the solar and wind farms we are and will be constructing here. The biggest expenses that a family incurs are healthcare and housing. Healthcare is a right! I want my life to be an example of what can happen when we all have access to quality and affordable healthcare. One of the greatest crises in our country is the lack of affordable housing. We also need to work with municipalities to support housing opportunities that are both affordable and attainable. Public education has been the means that has allowed my family to advance. We need to support a fully funded K-12 education, support public educators, and close the achievement gap. These are just some of a whole host of issues that I will fight for. If it empowers the individual and community to make the most out of the opportunities we have in this country, then I will be pushing for it.
It's difficult for me to pick one person. Who I look up to the most is the team I find in my mom and dad (David and Evelia Ortiz). My mother migrated from Mexico when she was 15 years old, leaving everything she and her family knew behind. She wanted to graduate high school on time, despite the language barrier. With the help of her teachers, she was able to achieve that goal. Her fearlessness, love of education, and big heart are what I think of most when I think of her. My father is a 2nd generation service member. His father served infantry in WWII. He worked hard in school and earned a slot at the US Air Force Academy. He graduated class of 1979 and flew B-52s and B-1s in service to this great nation. Life as an Air Force brat takes you all over the US. The shortest time we spent in one location was less than a year. The longest was four years. The constants that we had in our nomadic lives were each other, our faith, and the values that David and Evelia instilled in myself and my three siblings. These core values ranged from education, wisdom, and knowledge to hard work, tenacity, and endurance. At the heart of everything was love: love of family, love of neighbor, love of country. I didn't get to choose them, but I would if I did get the choice. This is why my whole life has been dedicated to service. I carry them with me everywhere I go. I carry their lessons, their wisdom, and their love.
The most important characteristics of ANY leader is first and foremost integrity of values and character. That must be combined with and tempered by the ability and desire to always listen and learn.
I am a lifelong public servant that is a tenacious fighter who values his integrity above all else and, yet is willing to always listen and learn. I have experience working on ballot initiatives, drafting resolutions, lobbying for veterans, helping to rewrite legislation that eventually became law at our State Capitol, getting items added to our state budget in support of our community, working in the nonprofit space supporting our vulnerable communities, and fighting to improve standards of care for our veterans at VAs across the country. Having been a combat aviator, I can deal with high-stress situations and work with anyone to get a job done. Living with a disability, I understand how to adapt and fight for improved access and equity at the same time.
I would like to leave a legacy that puts community before personal ambition and career. I would also like to leave a legacy that promotes cooperation and collaboration. One that would have us see ourselves as belonging to the same American family. It sounds naive and idealistic but, as a service member and now veteran, I belong to a brotherhood and sisterhood that knows how to put their differences aside to put the mission first.
Anton Myer's "Once an Eagle" is my favorite book. I call it the American version of War and Peace. It is an archetype story of two different leaders and follows the lives and military careers of Sam Damon and Courtney Massingale, starting from WWI, culminating in the WWII Pacific campaign, and ending with the Vietnam War. Courtney Massingale, who attended West Point Academy, puts his career and his superiors first. On the other hand, Sam Damon who always accomplishes the mission but he always puts his soldiers first. It is much deeper than that, touching on human truths behind love, parenting, nationalism, fascism, sacrifice, friendship, and MUCH MORE. It is truly an EPIC that will elicit moments of great reflection and emotion.
Santiago from Paulo Cohelo's "The Alchemist". Santiago leaves his comfortable life in search of his personal legend and life's treasure. He encounters mentors and guides along the way that help him move forward and prepare him for his journey. He also encounters obstacles and setbacks that seem to almost derail him from reaching his goals, but actually are a critical part of him getting there. To a certain extent, I believe I am living that life. I would not be where I am without teachers and mentors that have helped prepare me for this journey. Even perceived setbacks like almost dying in a crash in service to this nation have actually strengthened me and armed me with the tools I need to truly reach my life's purpose; serving others.
The last English song that was stuck in my head was "Don't Stand So Close to Me" by The Police. I blame this on COVID19. The song that's currently stuck in my head is a Spanish song by Natalia Lafourcade called "Hasta la Raiz".
Transitioning from military service and combat can be difficult for ANY service member and veteran. When you compound that journey with recovering from a helicopter crash where you have been paralyzed from the waist down and you have to recover, regain your independence, rebuild your life, redefine yourself, and redefine a new normal, it made for one of the most difficult, character-building and, still, rewarding journeys in my entire life.
Besides that, I have struggled with racism that comes with being a first-generation American (on my mom's side) and a part of the Latinx community. Additionally, living with a disability and being who you are in that life presents its own challenges as we, as a group, are continually overlooked in access and equity. Our very own State Capitol is NOT accessible. We have never had a wheelchair user elected to the Colorado State Legislature, which is why it is NOT fully accessible. What other group in this country can not get onto the chamber floor because of who they are?
The differences range from the culture of each chamber to the philosophical differences that each chamber represents.
There are fewer state senators than there are house members in Colorado (35 Senators vs 65 Representatives). The fact that Senate Districts are fewer and represent a larger geographical area guarantees that rural areas are not disenfranchised by populated urban areas. This also can act as a check and/or tempers the political platform of any senator in that they have to represent a group of communities that might include urban, suburban, and rural areas of their districts. In contrast, there are more house districts, representing smaller geographic areas. House representatives can truly represent the specific culture, struggles, and beliefs of their smaller districts and communities.
Another large difference is the fact that the Senate serves in 4 year terms, with only half the Senate up for re-election at any given time. In contrast, EVERY member in the State House is up for reelection every two years. Because there is less potential for change in the Senate in any given election period, the Senate seems to speak toward greater continuity and stability. On the other hand, the House has the greater potential to represent the rapid changes that can and have occurred in our state every two years.
In my work as a lobbyist for veterans, I have found the Colorado State House more rowdy and varied.The greater number combined with the potential of a greater variety of personalities and perspectives makes for a vibrant environment. Despite political differences, The jokes and good natured ribbing are frequent around the House of Representatives. The Colorado Senate, on the other hand, is a little more focused and serious in tone and attitude.
Together, both chambers in the legislature provide for and represent both longevity
and quick change. Together, both chambers ensure that varied and specific voices are heard and represented.
I absolutely know that it is beneficial for a state legislator to have previous experience in government and in politics, especially for a Colorado House Representative. A Colorado House Representative has term limits of 8 years and is up for reelection every 2 years. As a lobbyist for veterans, I have gotten bipartisan legislation passed out of both chambers. I have experience working with fiscal notes and getting them removed. I also have experience working on the state budget, which will be critical during a time of COVID19, when facing a $3.3 billion shortfall. I have gotten both chambers in the Colorado State Legislature to compromise and agree on an amendment the CO Senate added to a bill that passed unanimously without it from the CO House. Learning that process and working with different leaders to induce a compromise was a difficult but enriching learning experience. I still have plenty to learn BUT these experiences will make me a more effective and efficient legislator for my district.
During a time of COVID19, where we have a $3.3 billion shortfall, our greatest challenge will be balancing our budget while still funding critical programs like education, transportation, and healthcare. We are put in a more difficult position here in Colorado because of TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights) law, which does NOT allow us to save for a rainy day fund. No other state in this country, blue or red, has a law like TABOR.TABOR does not allow us to be responsible stewards of taxpayer funding nor does it allow us to fully fund critical programs like public education, transportation infrastructure, and healthcare. TABOR prevents us in Colorado from being fiscally responsible, especially during times of crisis. We are seeing that now and we must work together to ensure we make the necessary changes so we can learn the hard lessons from COVID19 and not repeat them.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Colorado scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].
2024
In 2024, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 10 to May 8.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on issues relevant to the mission of the Centennial Institute and the strategic priorities of Colorado Christian University.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes.
- Legislation is scored on its "reduction of taxes, regulation, and spending accountability."
- Legislators are scored on their stances on animal issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills about Colorado's climate, land, water, and communities.
- Legislators are scored on their votes related to public health issues.
- Legislators are scored on votes related to "the principles of individual rights, free markets and limited government."
- Legislators are scored on their votes related to mental health issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 9 to May 8.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 12 to May 11.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 13 to June 8.
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See also
2022 Elections
External links
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Candidate Colorado House of Representatives District 38 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 10, 2020
- ↑ LinkedIn, "David D Ortiz," accessed December 28, 2020
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Richard Champion (R) |
Colorado House of Representatives District 38 2021-2025 |
Succeeded by Gretchen Rydin (D) |
