State House District 20
I’m Arik Dougherty, and I’m running to be your next House District 20 representative. I am a husband and father to five amazing kids. I work in cybersecurity, helping many businesses protect their cyberinfrastructure, including tech giants like Microsoft, healthcare centers like the Mayo Clinic, and critical energy services. I have worn many hats within our Democratic Party and even served on the executive committees of our county party and Young Democrats.
My priorities include:
Education: We need to remedy the decades-long funding deficit. Teachers deserve better pay and working conditions. All students deserve an excellent education that gives them opportunities to learn and grow, no matter where they come from, what they look like, or how they express themselves.
Mental Health: Mental health challenges among children and youth are rising and have lasting effects on almost every aspect of their lives. Increasing access to mental health support services is the best way to combat these challenges.
Climate: The threat of climate change looms large over our generation. It’s not just about the environment; it’s about the health of our communities. We must prioritize eliminating pollution in the air, water, soil, and food that endangers our health.
Is there any aspect of the Colorado or El Paso County Democratic Party platforms that you do not agree or align with?
I wholeheartedly support and believe in the values of the Colorado and El Paso County Democratic Party platforms. These values include equitable access to education and healthcare, environmental stewardship through robust regulations, fair taxation to support social programs, comprehensive criminal justice reform focused on rehabilitation and community safety, and compassionate immigration policies. I am committed to advancing these principles in legislation and policies that prioritize the well-being and progress of all Coloradans. I believe in the Democratic Party’s mission to create a more just, inclusive, and prosperous society through responsible governance and policies that reflect our shared values of equality, opportunity, and justice for all.
What single issue/problem/situation will you address first if elected and how will you do it in the context of the position you will serve in?
As a father of five young children, education has always been my top priority. Education has faced decades of underfunding, and despite the strides we made to fund education this past legislative cycle, we need permanent solutions that prioritize keeping our public schools funded. In 2000, voters passed Amendment 23, a citizen-led initiative to restore the funding cuts experienced by schools. Still, our legislature failed to implement this initiative fully, and in the last 12 years alone, we have seen $10 billion withheld from Colorado’s schools. That deficit has resulted in larger class sizes, a narrower curriculum, reduced instruction time, and less student support and individual attention. I would work with fellow legislators and the state board of education to increase educational funding in line with the original intent of Amendment 23, which will keep our public schools funded for generations to come.
