I’ve always been an independent, raised by my liberal Democratic mom and my Republican father, in a home where Ms. magazine and the American Rifleman sat side by side on our coffee table. Political discussions were open and free, and taught me that the role of government is to protect the rights of citizens, and that compromise is the essence of political discourse.  

My folks demonstrated that conservatism and liberalism are necessary balances to one another.  

This used to be true for the two parties as well.  Conservative Democrats worked with liberal Republicans and moderates of both parties to craft bipartisan legislation that moved society forward while protecting individual liberties.  Discourse could be contentious, but civil.  

Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. Instead of compromise and consensus, we have stark partisan divides.  Ideas are weaponized, and nuance is lost to political purity.  Rather than looking for areas of overlap, the parties focus on division.  Governance has been replaced by ideological trench warfare, and every two years all attention is focused on winning ground from the other side; if one “team” can control all three branches of government, then change can be forced on the other side. 

For me this came to a head in in 2016.   Instead of presenting the best of America, the two parties ran incredibly damaged candidates.  

I felt politically homeless and began to look at data.  I was shocked to learn that instead of being alone as an independent, we outnumber registered Democrats or Republicans at all levels in Colorado.  I was angry that as the “majority” we had no representation.  In 2018, I decided as an ordinary citizen to run for office. I registered my campaign with the Secretary of State’s Office and jumped into politics.  

Along the way, I met the folks at Unite Colorado and earned their endorsement.  I obtained enough signatures to get on the ballot. I was the first independent candidate to be endorsed by the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry and the first independent candidate to be invited to the Club 20 debates in Grand Junction.

I talked to hundreds of people throughout the district, and with few exceptions Republicans, Democrats and independents alike expressed frustration with the two-party system and a desire to see an alternative on the ballot.  It was an amazing, uplifting experience that reaffirmed my belief in our system, my community and my hope for my kids’ future.  

House District 59 is a 6,000 square mile gerrymandered district that includes the southern part of Gunnison County and all of Hinsdale, Archuleta, La Plata, San Juan and Ouray counties.  I was in a heads-up race against an incumbent Democrat, with no Republican in the race. 

I ultimately lost the race, but did win 44% of the vote, taking the lead in Gunnison, Hinsdale and Archuleta Counties. I was the only non-Democrat to win any race in Gunnison County. 

Until recently, I was confident that I had made a difference, and that we would see more independent candidates on the ballot in the future.  Then, during the 2019 legislative session, the Democrats rewarded the overwhelming support independent voters gave them last election night by passing HB 1278 and limiting independent candidates’ access to the ballot. 

The bill more than doubled the number of signatures necessary for an unaffiliated candidate to petition onto the ballot for races like mine, and it increased the number of signatures for an unaffiliated to run for governor and U.S. Senate by nearly 1,000%.  Unfortunately, while well-financed, well-staffed organizations may field enough volunteers and paid staff to get necessary signatures and to defend them in court, campaigns like mine can’t.   

Independents have always been taken for granted.  I believe my race and Thea Chase’s independent run in House District 54 showed both parties that independent candidates in two-way races pose a threat to the status quo and will be a challenge in the future.  So, they changed the rules to make it harder for independent voices to be heard.  

However, if the parties don’t change their ideologies, the numbers of independent voters will continue to grow.  We will have to work harder, be more organized, more responsive and more vocal, but we will eventually prevail.

Paul Jones, a retired game warden and wildlife biologist in Gunnison, ran as an unaffiliated candidate in 2018 for the seat representing House District 59.