Independent Bob Chew bets big on Colorado Senate bid
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Colorado Senate candidate Bob Chew. Photo: Bob Chew
Boulder independent Bob Chew is spending big to shake up Colorado’s U.S. Senate race ahead of the November election.
Why it matters: Chew is betting U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper's closer-than-expected Democratic primary win created an opening for a third-party challenger.
Zoom in: A former Navy nuclear submarine officer and engineer, Chew co-founded an engineering and technical services company with his wife in 1996.
- He grew up in Cleveland but long vacationed in the Boulder area and had business ties in the city.
- He moved to Boulder about 10 years ago and enjoys hiking in his free time.
Driving the news: Chew is not a big name, but has garnered some attention for pouring more than $1 million of his own money into an ad campaign.
- "What irritates me the most is when newspapers talk about the race in terms of Republican and Democrat," he said. "It was only by my willingness to put a lot of my own money into this race that people have suddenly paid attention."
Behind the scenes: Chew grew up in a moderate household and was a registered Republican until a year ago.
- But he said he "grew disenchanted" with both parties around 2016 and became involved with No Labels, a group that supports moderate Democrats and Republicans.
- Chew later registered with the Colorado Forward Party, an offshoot of Andrew Yang’s unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign that pitches itself as an alternative to the two-party system.
State of play: This is Chew's first time running for office.
- He chose this race because he believes the Senate offers him a platform to enact real change.
- "I figured if I can run as an independent … that maybe I can really make an impact," Chew told us.
Reality check: Chew said he's neither MAGA Republican nor a democratic socialist — rather, he's running to represent the political middle.
- His two guiding principles, he says, are defending the U.S. Constitution and supporting small business, free enterprise and limited government.
- Chew told us his focus would be on addressing the national debt, deficit spending and health care costs.
- "If we've solved that, a lot of other problems become a whole lot easier," he said.
The big picture: Chew believes independents could make waves this midterm election cycle, including some fellow veterans.
- He said even a small bloc of independents could wield "outsized influence" and "turn politics as usual on its head."
What’s next: Chew plans to poll the race soon to gauge where he stands against Hickenlooper and Republican challenger Mark Baisely, while pushing for forums and debates.