Friend,
I;m writing to you not just as a candidate, but as someone whose life has been shaped by struggle, loss, second chances, and a deep belief that every person deserves a future worth fighting for. Many people know me as a working dad and an engineer, but my story goes much deeper than that. If you visit my website you'll learn that I did not grow up expecting to run for office. Politics did not call me. My life experiences pulled me into this work because I learned early that the systems meant to protect us often fail the people who need them the most.
I grew up in rural America, the grandson of a farmer and the son of a carpenter and a nurse. My dad got sick when I was young, and our entire family felt the weight of that struggle. Watching my parents try to hold our family together taught me what real strength looks like. Watching my dad fight through illness taught me how fragile stability is for working families. These years shaped my understanding of resilience, compassion, and responsibility long before I understood politics.
But life hit harder as I got older. I struggled. I stumbled. And like far too many Americans, I fell into opioid addiction after a life changing car accident when I was 19 years old. The pain was overwhelming. The prescriptions were easy. And before long, I was losing pieces of myself that I feared I might never get back.
My recovery was built on community support and relentless determination.
My family refused to give up on me. Friends stood by me when I did not feel I deserved it. I rebuilt my life one difficult day at a time. That journey taught me something I now carry into public service. People do not heal through punishment. They heal when they are given dignity, opportunity and a path forward.
That belief pulled me directly into criminal justice reform. I began advocating for second chance programs, diversion programs, and practical reforms at the state, local and national level. I spoke with lawmakers, worked with grassroots groups, and stood beside people fighting to reclaim their lives because I had lived the same reality. Over time, my activism expanded into environmental advocacy, workers rights, pro democracy reforms, and community organizing. I learned that leadership does not come from having a title. It comes from showing up, listening, and fighting for the people who are too often ignored.
And that is exactly why I am running now.
I'm running this campaign while raising a family in the same uncertain economy everyone else is trying to survive. Nothing about our lives is theoretical. The bills on our kitchen table are real. The medical costs are real. The stress of watching prices climb while paychecks stay the same is real. And every parent I meet tells me they feel the same pressure, that constant question in the back of their mind about how to keep their children secure in a world that feels more fragile every year.
What keeps me grounded, what keeps me fighting, is my family.
They are my strength and my compass. My kids remind me every day why this work matters. My wife reminds me what resilience and partnership look like. Every step I take in this campaign is built on the foundation they give me. And when I look at them, I see every family in this district trying to hold life together through hard work, sacrifice and hope. That is who I am fighting for.
This campaign is not about political theater or chasing headlines.
It is about the families who have been pushed aside by a system that serves insiders first.
It is about rural communities whose voices have been drowned out for far too long.
It is about protecting our democracy at a moment when extremism and fear are being weaponized against the American people.
It is about proving that ordinary citizens know how to lead with courage when the country needs it most.
This year alone, we have traveled more than 12,000 miles on our family vehicle to meet people in every corner of Colorado’s 4th District. I have sat at kitchen tables, coffee shops, fire halls and community centers. And everywhere we go, the message is the same. People feel unheard. People feel forgotten. People want a leader who understands hardship, not political theater.
That is why this movement matters.
It is powered by people who believe in second chances, in justice, in fair opportunity, and in a government that answers to the people, not the wealthy few. We refuse corporate PAC money. We refuse mega donor networks. We refuse to let wealthy insiders drown out the voices of working people who deserve to be heard.
We have an opportunity to build something rare in politics today… a campaign rooted in honesty, lived experience and the voices of working people. If you believe this district is ready for new leadership, I hope you will join us in that effort.
Your contribution helps ensure we have the resources to meet voters where they are, challenge extremism and offer a vision grounded in dignity and fairness. It fuels real conversations, real organizing and the kind of people powered movement that Washington cannot ignore. When we stand together, we prove that democracy still belongs to all of us.
Thank you for walking this road with me.
The future is ours to build.
Chip in now to help us meet voters where they are, push back against extremism and deliver the honest representation this district has been waiting for.
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Let us show that a grassroots movement built on honesty, lived experience and working-class values can rise above fear, division and the politics of the powerful.
John Padora
Working Dad • Fighter • Engineer
Candidate for Congress in CO 04
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