Following 30 years as a successful entrepreneur and small businessman, Dave Schultheis sensed a strong calling in 2000 to enter politics for two reasons:
1. To stand firm for the preservation of traditional values of faith, family and freedom, which have been under increasing attack for over 30 years, and
2. To use his combined knowledge and experience to create more opportunities for Coloradans to experience the "American Dream."

Dave, a true conservative in every sense of the word, is committed to valuing human life from conception to natural death, eliminating the negative effects of illegal immigration on Colorado's citizens, reducing government interference in our lives, creating more educational options for families, increasing health care options, and preserving and protecting our unique Colorado environment. He is committed to tough crime policies and the privatization of as many state governmental functions as possible. His frank and outspoken nature on a variety of issues is refreshingly-free from the bonds of political correctness.

Within two years of assuming elected office as a Colorado State Representative, Dave and a small band of other conservative Republicans, saw the long-term need to develop a caucus of Republicans within the legislature that were entirely committed to the ideals of the Republican Party's core values. This caucus, founded in 2004, of which Dave was its first Chairman, is named the Republican Study Committee of Colorado (RSCC). The RSCC, now over 20 members strong, is providing long range planning and continuity between legislative sessions, helping identify and prioritize content on issues supported by the RSCC, fostering better coordination with outside groups that support Republican core issues, and increasing the potential for national and state-to-state sharing and coordination of legislative information. Over 50% of the Republican legislators in the Colorado General Assembly are currently members.

Beginning in 2004, Dave was the first legislator to not only recognize the fast-growing negative impact of illegal aliens on Colorado's citizens, but to run legislation to counter this growing problem. With the help of others, he arranged a trip to the AZ border in the fall of 2005 to better understand the extent of the problem, organized and chaired a forum to gather ideas for solutions, and authored numerous bills and referenda on the subject, even calling for a Special Session of the legislature. Because of the negative impact of illegal aliens on all parts of Colorado's budget, Dave has dedicated over sixty percent of his time since 2004 to this single issue. As a result of his work, he is looked to by his peers in the General Assembly as the leader on immigration reform.

In addition to his work on illegal immigration, Dave has authored and co-sponsored numerous pieces of legislation to protect the unborn, reduce taxes and government regulation and protect our 2nd Amendment rights.

As a husband, father, and grandfather, Dave knows the benefits of a strong family. That is why one of the primary questions he asks when evaluating present laws and considering new ones is: "Does this legislation help to strengthen our families?"

"We owe it to our children and grandchildren to provide them with an even better Colorado than we have today...and one that encourages and nurtures the values of family, faith, and freedom. Fundamental to this is guaranteeing that our children are educated in the tried and tested principles that made this country great. In order to strengthen and preserve the freedoms we enjoy as citizens of Colorado, we need to educate our children in the founding principles of our great country and encourage them to grab hold of the best opportunities available for them to succeed and achieve above and beyond what they can even imagine."

As your state senator, of Senate District 9, Dave works hard to make Colorado one of the best states in America to live, work and raise a family.

Read Dave's response to the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Candidate Survey