Karen Gordey, an unaffiliated candidate running for Lakewood City Council, announced this month that she has signed the Libertarian Party of Colorado’s Liberty Pledge for County and Local Candidates. The pledge outlines policy commitments aligned with the party’s stated principles.
In a dedicated section on her campaign website, Gordey said she signed the pledge on October 18, the same day the Libertarian Party of Colorado met in Denver for its rescheduled state convention. Gordey, the vice chair of the Lakewood Advisory Commission and an entrepreneur who owns a local painting company, is running for Lakewood City Council’s Ward 5 seat on a platform of bringing “common sense, transparency, and accountability back to our local government.”
Gordey included a copy of the signed pledge, committing to 20 policy priorities held by the state party. Among them are promises to audit the city government, make public spaces available for home and charter schools, support a ban on red light cameras, and oppose mandatory vaccine requirements.
The news was also picked up by the Chainsaw Caucus, a limited-government advocacy group formed by former Libertarian Party of Colorado leadership. It later shared an X statement quoting Gordey about her decision. “As an unaffiliated candidate, I’ve made it clear from the start that I’m not beholden to any political party or special interest,” the statement read. “Signing the Liberty Pledge doesn’t change that — it reinforces it. These are principles I’ve always stood for: protecting taxpayers, preserving property rights, defending TABOR, and ensuring government remains accountable to the people of Lakewood.”
Her campaign has also noted that she has not accepted funding or endorsements from any political party or interest group this cycle, with the exception of the Chainsaw Caucus, which is led by former Libertarian Party of Colorado chair Hannah Goodman. Gordey further states on her website that she has so far turned down endorsements and backing from seven other local groups.
The Liberty Pledge was originally created in 2023 by the Libertarian Party of Colorado under Goodman as a way to negotiate with other state political parties. Earlier this year, the party released several amended variations of the pledge focusing on different levels of government and specific policy priorities. The first candidate to sign the pledge this year was Hope Scheppelman, who is running in the Republican primary for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.
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