About Tom
Tom Lucero is a small business owner who was raised in a working-class household by a single mom – he will bring real world perspective to a Congress that is increasingly out of touch. Tom is a Colorado native who has always called this amazing state home. As a father of three children who are all still being raised and educated here, he has a deep and vested concern for the future of our state and country, and in particular our educational system. For that reason, he has served on the Colorado University Board of Regents for eleven years—and developed a national reputation as an outspoken leader in education.
Personal background
Growing up in a working-class family, Tom knows first-hand the struggles faced by mainstream American families. He was raised by a single mother—who witnessed the death of her husband in a racially motivated roadside shooting while she was still pregnant with Tom. Despite this horrible tragedy, Sally Lucero did not want to start down a path of dependence on government handouts. Instead, she dropped out of college to attend cosmetology school so she could start earning a living immediately. She sacrificed a great deal to stay true to her principles and to raise a son on her own; her example of hard work, determination and self-reliance remains imbedded with Tom and his core values today. These are the values Tom is committed to representing in Congress to honor his mother, and ensure this country does not lose these ideals. These lessons in life also taught Tom that family is absolutely the most important part of life. Sally still lives nearby, and now attends college to complete the degree she put on-hold so many years ago.
Conservative from a young age
Despite being surrounded by an extended family of active Democrats, it was neighborhood friends who taught Tom to hunt and fish at a young age and whose values resonated with him immediately. 
He was drawn right away to their principles of personal freedom, gun rights, patriotism, and family values. Combined with growing up Catholic, by highschool Tom knew these were also his.
Small business owner
Tom owned and operated restaurants in Fort Collins and Greeley and understands first-hand the challenge of operating a business amidst the complex laws, regulations and oppressive tax policies confronting those who drive job creation and innovation. Just one example is that even the smallest business must hire an accountant due to the complexity of the tax laws. Tom and his partner both also recall the cost of one of their primary ingredients, flour, going up 40 percent when the initial big push for ethanol subsidies kicked in. This is a perfect example of unintended consequences. Tom has experience in real estate, financial services, and has raised capital to start his own businesses. Most recently, he is a founding partner of a new software company.
Education is paramount to Tom—it is the very foundation of our Republic. In eleven years of service on the Board of Regents, Tom has been a staunch advocate for fiscal responsibility, standards and accountability, and expanding the teaching of American history, values, and texts. Motivated to run by his own personal experience as a student at CU, Tom has been elected twice as Regent from the 4th C.D., the second time with 72% of the vote.
While the most widely publicized decision of the board during Tom's service was to fire Ward Churchill, Tom had already been highlighting the lack of accountability and standards for some time.
On the Board, Tom has served as the chair of the Academic Planning Study Session; served on the Advisory Committee on Tenure-Related Processes (the first in the nation); and, was instrumental in founding the Center for Western Civilization on the Boulder campus in order to foster a critical understanding of the events that have shaped Western civilization, and to ensure the teaching of American history, texts and foundations. The Center for Western Civilization began offering courses this past fall after a six-year struggle for approval.
During his K-12 years Tom attended both public and private Catholic schools, and witnessed firsthand the contrast between a school with discipline, structure, and rigorous academic standards compared to one without and with little accountability.
Tom has developed a national reputation within higher education and has spoken around the country at events such as the National Academic Freedom Conference, Intercollegiate Studies Institute Conferences, American Council of Trustees and Alumni Conference, National Association of Scholars, and to Colorado’s 4th Congressional District Convention.
More on Tom's leadership in education. . .
Communicator
In addition to this range of experience that includes both practical work as a small businessman and the political savvy of serving for over ten years to
elected office, Tom is a particularly adept communicator, and has the energy, enthusiasm, and ability to connect with citizens and voters to win back the 4th C.D.—and to be an effective and reliable representative.
Family
Tom’s three children are truly the joy of and first priority in his life. He has three children, two boys ages 10, 12 and a girl age 16; two attend Ridgeview Charter School in Fort Collins and the other attends St. Johns Catholic School in Loveland.
He married and became a father just after college. It is partly because of this unplanned, early fatherhood that Tom is 100% pro-life. Despite his first marriage having ended, both parents are close friends, Julie Lucero supports the campaign, and they raise their kids in constant communication and with both placing their children first.
A resident of Northern Colorado for over twenty years, he currently resides with his wife Tammi in Berthoud.
Tom is an avid outdoorsman who loves to fly fish, hunt, hike, and camp with his family. He believes there is simply nothing like the tranquility and peacefulness one finds in the beautiful, clear mountain lakes and streams of Colorado. His time in the outdoors and being a sportsman make Tom especially sensitive to protecting our environment and a staunch supporter of our second amendment rights.
Duty to serve
An optimist at heart, Tom believes we as Americans are lucky beyond belief to live in this great country, we each have a duty to preserve the ideals on on which it was founded, and that we will preserve as Ronald Reagan so eloquently stated, "this last best hope of man on earth." That same speech contains a call to action for all of us:
"If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done." -- Ronald Reagan, A Time for Choosing, 1964
