Interview with Eric Mulder candidate for US Congress Colorado
Mr. Eric Mulder Thank you for this interview. My readers do not know you. Could you tell us about yourself? And specifically your run for US House Colorado District 6;
I have been active at the local level of politics since 2016, am I running for the US House as a Libertarian in order to address federal level issues that can’t be solved locally- including reducing our military spending, closing down Guantanamo Bay, ending the US government’s aggressive “strategic bombing” campaigns abroad in nations we aren’t at war with, shrinking our national debt, and closing the deficit gap in order to restore confidence and strength in our dollar, which will do more to improve the cost of living then perpetually chasing inflation.
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Mr. Mulder, as US House Colorado District candidate. Tell people about yourself.
I have been a registered Libertarian since 2012, prior to that I was an independent. I have been the chair of the Libertarian Party of Arapahoe County since 2018 and am also a veteran of the United States Army, where I spent six years from 2010-2016, to include 11 months in Afghanistan.
In 2018 I ran for Arapahoe County sheriff as the Libertarian nominee on a platform of police demilitarization, standing up to federal agencies who violate the constitution, opposition to the war on drugs, and reducing spending. I intend to elevate these goals to the federal level.
Mr. Mulder, what made you go into politics?
It mostly started for me shortly after my deployment to Afghanistan, when I got back in 2012.
The government the US was backing up over there was corrupt all the way to the core, and that corruption severely hurt the people of Afghanistan, on top of a policy of “acceptable civilian casualties” which made it very easy for the Taliban to recruit locals against US efforts.
I received my absentee ballot (since I was stationed away from my home-state at the time), had to take a shot of Jack Daniels to mark my ballot for who I thought was “the lesser of two evils”, then registered Libertarian the next day, telling myself I would never vote that way again.
Mr. Mulder, what distinctions your campaign or policies versus your opponent?
The greatest distinction between myself and my opponent (who currently represents my district) is that while we are both veterans, I use my experience to speak out against our disastrous War on Terrorism while my opponent uses his military experiences to imply endorsements from military officials in his campaign, having to include department of defense disclaimers in his messaging. I am proud that I do not need such disclaimers, because I actively denounce what the Department of Defense does wrong.
Mr. Mulder, what are you happiest you have accomplished in politics so far and how will that
influence you?
My happiest achievement in politics was back in 2019, when the Libertarian Party of Arapahoe County joined a broad coalition of criminal justice reform advocates and organizations to oppose a local ballot measure that was attempting to raise taxes to expand the county jail. That measure was decisively voted down by the county voters and it was all due to this coalition working together to denounce the ineffectively and costly practice of mass incarceration.
Taking that coalitional approach I believe is key to creating better policy- convincing fellow legislators we don’t have to be friends or even like each other, we just have to pass what matters when it counts.
Mr. Mulder, while you are a candidate for US House Colorado District, what would change about the current policies from the current representative?
“Reaching across the aisle” needs to be far more substantive than the publicity stunts the current representative sees them as. His approach to outreach to his Republican colleagues has not created better grounds for negotiation, nor has it motivated Republicans to denounce their caucus members who tell bigoted jokes about their colleagues or drawn cartoons of themselves murdering their colleagues.
Neither the passing of fluff pieces of legislation nor spending time taking publicity photos at a brewery with legislative colleagues is improving the working environment of the US House, nor is it getting either party to cross lines for what truly matters. “Reaching across the aisle” needs to be about policy, not maintaining a clearly false appearance of mutual respect.
What have you done for the state, city or county that would make people think of you as a US House Colorado District candidate for your county?
I’ve campaigned for a wide variety of issues in Colorado including the amendment to abolish slavery from the constitution (passed), the amendment to oppose raising property taxes to expand the Arapahoe county jail (passed), and the initiative to decriminalize psilocybin (ie magic mushrooms) use in Denver (passed).
I spent two years on the Veterans Affairs Commission with the city of Aurora, promoting public events in support of Aurora’s veterans.
Follow up, Mr. Mulder, what have you done for Coloradans?
I have testified before the Aurora city council in favor of allowing low-income housing/apartments, and have testified before Colorado State House Committees against the Red Flag Bill that sought to restrict firearms ownership, and for the rights of homeless people to share food with others publicly.
The Libertarian Party of Arapahoe County has regularly collected supplies in partnership with a local homeless advocates organization (these advocates in particular shun government grants aren’t afraid to confront government agents for harassing or mistreating people).
Mr. Mulder, have you talked to other third party candidates to help each other coordinate both rallies, and potential voters?
As of December 1st, I am currently the only third party candidate that has filed to run in this district (an independent has filed to run, but I have not been able to find any means of communicating with them)
What policy outside those stated above do you think will help the most people?
Ending the war on drugs by abolishing the Controlled Substances Act, or at least removing Cannabis from Schedule I would go a very long way in preventing the incarceration of so many people who’s sole offense is the use and possession of a simple plant. We also have numerous federal restrictions on critical transportation jobs due to federal restrictions on cannabis, despite more and more states decriminalizing its use. We need to get the federal government to end this needless restriction once and for all.
How would you do it? And how will you support another elected official in doing so?
Repealing the Controlled Substances Act through legislative means would have to be a multistep process starting with the US House and ensuring I can find enough colleagues to sponsor and co-sponsor the legislation, then waiting for it to receive a committee assignment and from there if it passes the house it needs to go on to the Senate. Most support for this measure would come from the Democratic side, although I have noticed a very small handful of Republicans do get onboard with government limiting legislation of this form.
What one thing can you say you have done that has helped people the most?
I would say having been a long time supporter of various causes through either financial support or through volunteering, providing any support you can to someone no matter how small you think it may be, makes a whole difference.
What outside of politics are you doing during the lockdown?
I have rediscovered my love of drawing, it’s an activity that I find very enriching on a personal level ever since I was a little kid.
What long-term goal other than winning the US House Colorado District are you looking to accomplish?
I am looking to see the abolition of the War on Drugs- nearly every organization that has studied its effects have concluded it has failed in its objectives and has led to a mass incarceration epidemic in the US.
What question do you wish I had to ask? And what is that answer
I was interested in environmental questions because the biggest way to reduce harm done to our environment isn’t being talked about by either party- and that’s reducing the size of our military. The US could cut spending on the Department of Defense by 50% and still have the largest military in the entire world, more than capable of defending the United States from threats. And by reducing the size of our military, we cut back one of the largest polluting entities on the planet.
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