My decision to run for Congress came from a deep concern about the direction of our country. After Donald Trump was reelected in November 2024, I felt a responsibility to step up. I wanted to fight for the values and way of life that matter to the people of Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.

This district is my home. My family’s story in CD3 began in 1893 when my great-grandfather immigrated to Trinidad, Colorado, to work in the coal mines. In the years that followed, my family built businesses and put down roots in southern Colorado. During the Great Depression, my grandfather founded Kelloff’s Food Markets in the San Luis Valley. 

Public service has always been a part of my family’s values. My father has worked for the federal government for nearly 60 years and still goes to work every day at age 83. He taught me a lesson that has stayed with me my entire life: do well so that you can do good. 

As for myself, I attended public schools and spent 30 years building a successful career in telecommunications. But in April 2025, I decided it was time for a new chapter. I stepped away from the career where I was doing well and launched this campaign to do good because our district needed someone willing to advocate for the people who call CD3 home.

Over the last 13 months, I have traveled throughout CD3 talking with voters in small towns, farming communities, mountain communities and cities. I’ve since launched the By The People Tour. Rather than traditional rallies, these were workshops where neighbors come together to share ideas and help build a plan for the future of our district. People are worried about rising costs, access to healthcare, the future of our public lands and whether the next generation will have the same opportunities that previous generations enjoyed. 

Those conversations continue to shape this campaign and will guide my work in Congress.

I will fight to strengthen the foundations that allow communities to grow and prosper. That means protecting Medicaid, supporting public education, ensuring veterans receive the care they have earned and investing in infrastructure. 

Families are feeling squeezed by the cost of gasoline, diesel, groceries and other essentials. Rural hospitals face serious financial challenges, and some are being forced to reduce services that local residents and veterans depend on. Schools are being asked to do more with less. At the same time, proposals continue to surface from the federal administration that could weaken protections for our public lands and the people who manage them.

I will focus on protecting the resources and investments that help rural communities succeed. Public lands and water are central to life in CD3, and I oppose efforts that threaten them, including Jeff Hurd’s Productive Public Lands Act.

I am also grateful for the support I have received from trusted voices across Colorado, specifically those who know CD3 the best and know what it takes to win the district. Former Congressman John Salazar, current state legislators, local elected officials, community leaders and organizations such as the National Organization for Women and Voces Unidas have endorsed my campaign. 

People who work hard should be able to afford a home, support a family, and build a future in the communities they love. I support tax reforms that require everyone, including large corporations, to pay their fair share while encouraging investment that creates jobs and expands economic opportunity throughout the district.

I also believe Congress must reclaim its role as a co-equal branch of government. Oversight and respect for the rule of law are not partisan issues, they’re essential to democracy.

Sixteen months after Donald Trump and Jeff Hurd took office, many people in this district believe our country is headed in the wrong direction. I entered this race over a year ago because CD3 deserves strong and engaged representation that puts local communities first. We need someone who leads from the front and is running to represent CD3 for the right reasons. 

Now I am asking for the opportunity to take that work to Washington and fight for the future of this district. I would be honored to earn your support and your vote.

Alex Kelloff is a candidate in the Democratic primary for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.