Tom Sullivan (Colorado)
Tom Sullivan (Democratic Party) is a member of theColorado State Senate, representingDistrict 27. He assumed office on January 9, 2023. His current term ends on January 12, 2027.
Sullivan (Democratic Party) ran for election to theColorado State Senate to representDistrict 27. He won in the general election onNovember 8, 2022.
Biography
Tom Sullivan served in the U.S. Air Force from 1974 to 1977. Sullivan earned a degree in journalism and accounting from the Metropolitan State College of Denver in 1988. His career experience includes working with the United States Postal Service and the American Postal Workers Union. Sullivan served on the executive council of the Colorado American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).[1]
Committee assignments
2025-2026
Sullivan was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee,Vice Chair
- Transportation and Energy Committee
2023-2024
Sullivan was assigned to the following committees:
- Business, Labor, and Technology Committee
- Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee,Vice Chair
2021-2022
Sullivan was assigned to the following committees:
- House Business Affairs and Labor Committee,Vice chair
- Transportation, Housing, and Local Government Committee
2019-2020
Sullivan was assigned to the following committees:
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according toBillTrack50 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
2022
See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Colorado State Senate District 27
Tom Sullivan defeatedTom Kim andMatthew Snider in the general election for Colorado State Senate District 27 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tom Sullivan (D) | 54.9 | 39,861 |
 | Tom Kim (R)  | 45.1 | 32,757 | |
 | Matthew Snider (Colorado Center Party) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 21 | |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 72,639 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Colorado State Senate District 27
Tom Sullivan advanced from the Democratic primary for Colorado State Senate District 27 on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Sullivan | 100.0 | 13,240 |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 13,240 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Colorado State Senate District 27
Tom Kim defeatedJulieMarie Shepherd Macklin in the Republican primary for Colorado State Senate District 27 on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Kim | 70.2 | 11,215 |
| JulieMarie Shepherd Macklin | 29.8 | 4,772 | ||
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 15,987 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia 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 37
IncumbentTom Sullivan defeatedCaroline Cornell in the general election for Colorado House of Representatives District 37 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Sullivan (D) | 55.6 | 27,829 |
 | Caroline Cornell (R) | 44.4 | 22,242 | |
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 50,071 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 37
IncumbentTom Sullivan advanced from the Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 37 on June 30, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Sullivan | 100.0 | 14,160 |
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 14,160 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 37
Caroline Cornell advanced from the Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 37 on June 30, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Caroline Cornell | 100.0 | 7,608 |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 7,608 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for Colorado House of Representatives District 37
Tom Sullivan defeated incumbentCole Wist in the general election for Colorado House of Representatives District 37 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Sullivan (D) | 54.0 | 21,686 |
 | Cole Wist (R) | 46.0 | 18,451 | |
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 40,137 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 37
Tom Sullivan advanced from the Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 37 on June 26, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Sullivan | 100.0 | 7,624 |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. | Total votes: 7,624 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia 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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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 37
IncumbentCole Wist advanced from the Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 37 on June 26, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Cole Wist | 100.0 | 6,729 |
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. | Total votes: 6,729 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia 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
Sullivan was endorsed by theAurora Sentinel.[2]
2016
Elections for theColorado State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 28, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was April 4, 2016.[3]
IncumbentJack Tate defeatedTom Sullivan in the Colorado State Senate District 27 general election.[4][5]
| Colorado State Senate, District 27 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Jack TateIncumbent | 53.44% | 44,169 | |
| Democratic | Tom Sullivan | 46.56% | 38,489 | |
| Total Votes | 82,658 | |||
| Source:Colorado Secretary of State | ||||
Tom Sullivan ran unopposed in the Colorado State Senate District 27 Democratic primary.[6][7]
| Colorado State Senate, District 27 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Tom Sullivan (unopposed) | |
IncumbentJack Tate ran unopposed in the Colorado State Senate District 27 Republican primary.[6][7]
| Colorado State Senate, District 27 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Jack TateIncumbent (unopposed) | |
Endorsements
2016 presidential endorsement
✓ Sullivan endorsedHillary Clinton for the Democratic primary in the 2016 U.S.presidential election.
- See also:Endorsements for Hillary Clinton
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also:Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Tom Sullivan did not completeBallotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Tom Sullivan did not completeBallotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Sullivan, whose son was killed by James Holmes in a mass shooting at an Aurora movie theater in 2012, launched his campaign on February 23, 2016. During the announcement, Sullivan named gun control, paid family leave and economic inequality as campaign themes. He also criticized incumbentJack Tate (R) for voting for a 2015 bill that would declared the killing of a fetus as a homicide, which Democrats struck down due to concerns over abortion rights.[8]
In addition, Sullivan's campaign website highlighted the following issues:[9]
| “ |
We need to promote economic development that brings good-paying jobs for working Coloradans. The minimum wage should be a living wage and earned paid sick and family leave should be a part of all employee packages.
We need to do everything we can to support our teachers so that every child can get a quality education. We need to get more resources into our public school classrooms, and take measures to make college more affordable.
We need to work on moving to more clean energy sources, like wind and solar energy, while preserving jobs for Coloradans in the energy industry.
We need to repair and update our infrastructure, particularly unsafe roads and bridges, while also easing flow of traffic through our busiest areas, like the Arapahoe Road and I-25 interchange.
Tom believes that people should have a choice to use marijuana if they wish, but that we also need to carefully monitor and maintain strong regulations of that use.[10] | ” |
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 theFEC website. Clickhere for more on federal campaign finance law andhere for more on state campaign finance law.
| Year | Office | Status | Contributions | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Colorado State Senate District 27 | Won general | $269,991 | $264,245 |
| 2020 | Colorado House of Representatives District 37 | Won general | $170,156 | N/A** |
| 2018 | Colorado House of Representatives District 37 | Won general | $146,202 | N/A** |
| Grand total | $586,348 | $264,245 | ||
| Sources:OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). | ||||
| ** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle | ||||
| Note: Totals above reflect only available data. | ||||
Scorecards
Ascorecard 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 toeditor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, theColorado State Legislature was in session from January 10 to May 8.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, theColorado 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, theColorado 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, theColorado State Legislature was in session from January 13 to June 8.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, theColorado State Legislature was in session from January 8 to June 15.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, theColorado State Legislature was in session from January 4 through May 3.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the 72ndColorado State Legislature was in session from January 10 through May 9.
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See also
2022 Elections
External links
Candidate Colorado State Senate District 27 | Officeholder Colorado State Senate District 27 | Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑Sullivan for Colorado, "Meet Tom," accessed May 9, 2023
- ↑Aurora Sentinel, "SENTINEL ENDORSEMENTS: Considering integrity, transparency, health care, gun safety and education, our state House picks for 2018," October 18, 2018
- ↑Colorado Secretary of State, "Elections & Voting," accessed October 6, 2015
- ↑Colorado Secretary of State, "General election candidates," accessed August 16, 2016
- ↑Colorado Secretary of State, "2016 General Election results," accessed December 14, 2016
- ↑6.06.1Colorado Secretary of State, "2016 Primary Election Candidate List," accessed May 3, 2016
- ↑7.07.1Colorado Secretary of State, "June 28, 2016 Primary Election," accessed August 22, 2016
- ↑Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedus - ↑Sullivan for Colorado, "The issues," accessed September 19, 2016
- ↑Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Chris Kolker (D) | Colorado State Senate District 27 2023-Present | Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by Cole Wist (R) | Colorado House of Representatives District 37 2019-2023 | Succeeded by Ruby Dickson (D) |
- 2018 challenger
- 2018 general election (winner)
- 2018 primary (winner)
- 2020 general election (winner)
- 2020 incumbent
- 2020 primary (winner)
- 2022 challenger
- 2022 general election (winner)
- 2022 primary (winner)
- Colorado
- Colorado House of Representatives candidate, 2018
- Colorado House of Representatives candidate, 2020
- Colorado State Senate candidate, 2022
- Current member, Colorado State Senate
- Current state legislative member
- Current state senator
- Democratic Party
- Former member, Colorado House of Representatives
- Former state representative
- Marquee, general candidate, 2018
- State House candidate, 2018
- State House candidate, 2020
- State Senate candidate, 2022
- State house candidates
- State senate candidates
- 2016 presidential endorser
- 2016 challenger
- State Senate candidate, 2016
- 2016 primary (winner)
- 2016 general election (defeated)
- 2018 general election
