Levon Stilson is a Political Science and History major with a Philosophy minor. He’s a father of three, a husband, an Army Veteran and now he’s hoping to add State Senator to his resume.
Levon grew up in Durango, Colorado and at the age of 17, he enlisted in the United States Army, where he served for 10 years before leaving in 2020.
Once he realized that he could not transfer his GI Bill to his children due to an update to Army policy, he decided to attend UCCS, where he landed in the Political Science department.
Stilson is now a senior and is running for the Senate District 11 house seat.
He credits his drive to run for office to two major factors: the UCCS Political Science Department and his time as Legislative Aide in the Colorado General Assembly.
“Being immersed in a political science department where we’re constantly discussing policy issues, theoretical governance — it got my wheels turning about how we’re being represented, and how that could be done better,” he said.
Stilson noted Josh Vandiver, an Assistant Professor of Political Science, as to how he got involved in the idea of running. He drew inspiration from political events he attended as a graded activity for Vandiver’s class.
He also credits the discussions in his Political Science courses, in which Stilson noticed that while students may disagree on the subject matter, neither side of the argument was achieving real results in the legislature. He said this drives him to apply his in-class experience to actual governance.
As a student, Stilson attended many Center for the Study of Government and the Individual (CSGI) events, during which he heard Constitutional Scholars, Economists, and Political Scientists speak on pressing issues in government, which further expanded his interest.
He is also involved in the Bastiat Scholars program, a scholarship program through the Center for the Study of Government and the Individual. The program provides additional lectures and seminars throughout the school year.
Before deciding to run for Senate, Stilson worked in the State General Assembly in Denver for Ryan Gonzalez, who represents House District 50.
He worked at the assembly full-time while a full-time student. Stilson gave insight into his time at the assembly and how it influenced his view on politics.
“My house district chair approached me. She said, ‘Would you consider running?’ And at first, I had far more apprehension than willingness … I just saw the way that our state was being managed, and I thought that it would be good for me to have a seat at the table to inform my children’s future.”
He credited his wife as his “biggest champion” and praised her for bearing some of the load while he balances school and his political campaign.
Stilson encourages everyone to get involved — whether in politics or movements they are passionate about — by attending local events, meeting representatives, asking questions, and being equipped with as much information as possible.
“I witnessed that real, meaningful political change can occur, and that meaningful political change won’t occur if you do nothing. The most you have to lose is a little bit of time.”
Levon Stilson. Photo by Connor Strange.