Ryan Armagost

Ryan Armagost

Republican Party

Colorado House of Representatives District 64

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

2

Predecessor

Richard Holtorf

Compensation

Base salary

43,977/year for legislators whose terms began in 2023. $41,449/year for legislators whose terms began in 2021.

Per diem

For legislators residing within 50 miles of the capitol: $45/day. For legislators living more than 50 miles from the capitol: $237/day.

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Valley High School

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Marine Corps

Years of service

1995 - 2017

Personal

Birthplace

Greeley, Colo.

Religion

Agnostic

Profession

Law enforcement

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal Facebook

Personal Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Ryan Armagost (Republican Party) is a member of the Colorado House of Representatives, representing District 64. He assumed office on January 9, 2023. His current term ends on January 12, 2027.

Armagost (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Colorado House of Representatives to represent District 64. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Armagost completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Ryan Armagost was born in Greeley, Colorado. Armagost served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1995 to 2017. His career experience includes working as an instructor with Team America Tactical, a close protection specialist with 5D Shield, and an officer with the Larimer County Sheriff's Office. Armagost has been affiliated with the NRA, the VFW, the American Legion, the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, and Disabled American Veterans.

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at:editor@ballotpedia.org.

2023-2024

Armagost was assigned to the following committees:

• House Business Affairs and Labor Committee
• House Judiciary Committee
• State, Civic, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee

Elections

2024

See also: Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Colorado House of Representatives District 64

Incumbent Ryan Armagost defeated Mark Matthews in the general election for Colorado House of Representatives District 64 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ryan Armagost (R)	63.5	34,463
		Mark Matthews (D)	36.5	19,810

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 54,273
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 64

Mark Matthews advanced from the Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 64 on June 25, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Matthews	100.0	4,245

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,245
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 64

Incumbent Ryan Armagost advanced from the Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 64 on June 25, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ryan Armagost	100.0	8,922

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,922
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

To view Armagost's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Armagost in this election.

2022

See also: Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Colorado House of Representatives District 64

Ryan Armagost defeated Richard Webster in the general election for Colorado House of Representatives District 64 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ryan Armagost (R)	62.7	25,216
		Richard Webster (D)	37.3	15,033

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 40,249
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 64

Richard Webster advanced from the Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 64 on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Richard Webster	100.0	5,035

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,035
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 64

Ryan Armagost advanced from the Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 64 on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ryan Armagost	100.0	10,714

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,714
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Ryan Armagost completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Armagost's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am your Representative for House District 64, holding Colorado's values in public safety, mental health, affordability, veteran benefits, constitutional rights, parental rights, protecting our kids, etc. I am a Northern Colorado native, retired military, retired law enforcement, parent, firearms and safety trainer, and all around patriot. All of my legislation is bipartisan and holds true to values of my constituents. I hope to earn your vast majority vote again this election to continue serving Colorado in House District 64!!!

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I will continue to address public safety in a state majority that does not want to hold criminals accountable by raising penalties. I will continue to push for stronger penalties for violent criminals, pedophiles, gun thieves, etc.
• I will continue to address mental health and mental illness with addiction issues with treatment and addressing the root issues in our criminal offenses.
• I will keep our kids as a priority with parental rights in protecting their kids as well as strengthening our security and safety for our kids at schools and otherwise by making sure we have the appropriate security and technology at our schools to keep them safe from any threats to our most vulnerable population.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public safety, mental health, veteran support, kids, parental rights, constitutional rights.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Theodore Roosevelt, as a true leader, American soldier, war hero, statesman, conservationist, naturalist, and writer that even led the Roughriders before he became President.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

"Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs" by LtCol Dave Grossman

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Transparency, accessibility, strong voice for constituents, effective at elected role, approachable, prioritization, works hard without excuses, etc.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I consider myself a strong voice in American values, a statesman, and life-long public servant with a genuine concern to better our state, with a long life of experiences and adversities that have led me to where I am today at middle age in being a change agent.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Find issues from constituents, address issues with resources and/or legislation, become the most strong and effective voice for your constituents, keep your constituents informed and involved. Work until there is no work to do for your district and find more work to do in the meantime. Always be busy for your district and state.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I work hard, fight strong, and hold values on what I was elected to fulfill.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

When my son was born. I was 27 at the time.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

First job was delivering pizza before I joined the Marine Corps at 18. I did that for two years from when I started driving at 16.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

God Bless America

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Not being able to change the direction that our state has been going since I was younger in Colorado.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The Governor should oversee legislation from his office as to what will come to his desk if passed. The Governor can provide feedback and/or support but should otherwise be removed from legislation. He can have "legislative priorities" but should not have any influence on committee/floor debates.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Public safety, taxes/income, mental health, child safety and parental rights.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes and no. I think every walk of life has value in legislation. I also believe that there are certain people that get into legislation for the wrong reasons to simply be obstructionists. I believe in lived experience being a strong component in healthy debate for legislature. Not everyone needs law experience, but use their strengths where they fit best.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Absolutely. It is crucial to have a united party in legislation, but also have allies across party lines with those that aren't extremist or obstructionists. I have a great history of passing most all of my bills and all of them have been bipartisan.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Hugh McKean, Gabe Evans

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No, I plan to term out from state legislature and officially retire once and for all.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I had local residents/friends in my district that had two of their vehicles stolen from their driveway within 24 hours when there was no reasonable penalty for vehicle theft, but thankfully we passed a minimum felony penalty for auto theft.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Yes, this shouldn't lie solely in the Governor's power. That is not appropriate unless the people's house gets to approve it.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

I would continue to pass bills that I have passed the last two years as you can see on my website.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Colorado Fraternal Order of Police, County Sheriffs of Colorado, Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police, NRA, Colorado Oil & Gas, Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado Chamber of Commerce, Colorado Home Builders, Colorado Advocates for Rural Electrification, Colorado Medical Society, Colorado Mortgage Lenders Association, Colorado Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Alliance, Colorado Contractors Association, etc.

What committees interest you?

I am on Judiciary, Legislative Oversight Committee, Business & Labor, Jail Standards, Opioids and Other Substance Use Disorders, Workplace Harassment

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Absolute transparency and accountability.

Do you support or oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process? If so, what kind of changes would you consider?

I think that our legislative committee that oversees ballot issues should be equally split in bipartisanship, so that we can make sure that there is no confusion or issues with language in ballot measures.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

Ryan Armagost completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Armagost's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in LaSalle, CO. I joined the Marine Corps after graduating high school and then came back to Colorado after completing 4 years of Active Duty and 2 years of reserve. I joined the Colorado Army National Guard and completed 22 years in the military before retiring in 2017. I deployed 4 times with two to Iraq and one to Guantanamo Bay. During that time I spent 2 years as a volunteer firefighter in Evans and 10 years with Larimer County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy. I am a single dad and small business owner teaching defensive firearms tactics and concealed carry now that I am retired. I currently am working in executive protection while also volunteering for veteran organizations and politics.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• We need to focus on law and order, with criminals held accountable and kept off our streets where they can reoffend.
• Colorado is in need of more long-term treatment facilities to treat those suffering from mental illness and addiction. Without a local facility, jail and streets become home to those needing treatment.
• I swore under multiple oaths to protect and defend our constitution, and those oaths will never expire.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

We need to focus on law and order, with criminals held accountable and kept off our streets where they can reoffend.
MENTAL HEALTH/ADDICTION TREATMENT FACILITIES
Colorado is in need of more long-term treatment facilities to treat those suffering from mental illness and addiction. Without a local facility, jail and streets become home to those needing treatment.
VETERAN PROGRAMS
We need to offer more resources to those that have served to protect our country and communities.
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

I swore under multiple oaths to protect and defend our constitution, and those oaths will never expire.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I am a servant, spending my life in public service and military service. I am not a politician, I am not an elite, I am a working class patriot. I have no interest in being titled as a politician. I believe in selfless service and working for my fellow American patriots.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Honor, Courage, Commitment, Integrity, Selfless, Strong-Willed, Ethical, Proud

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Selfless service to the people in our state and districts.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Create a better state, country and world for the generations that will carry forward after we are gone.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The governor should be respectful of the deliberation and decisions made by state legislators instead of putting his/her own agenda in signing bills. The governor is not a "ruler" of the people, but should be a respectable servant of the people, just as the legislators should be for their respective districts.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Putting a common sense governor in office and balancing out the general assembly to help create non-partisan bills that will better our state rather than push political agenda that benefit politicians rather than the people of our state.

Tell us your favorite joke.

A lawyer, a politician, and a car salesman walk into a bar...

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Yes, we should not have legislators that are lockstep in their political agenda. We should have legislators that are able to be the voice of their constituents and work together for the betterment of Colorado.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Ryan Armagost campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Colorado House of Representatives District 64	Won general	$33,931	$40,517
2022	Colorado House of Representatives District 64	Won general	$34,334	$33,734
Grand total			$68,265	$74,251
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Colorado

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Colorado scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

2024

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show].

In 2024, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 10 to May 8. Centennial Institute Legislators are scored on their votes on issues relevant to the mission of the Centennial Institute and the strategic priorities of Colorado Christian University. Colorado AFL-CIO Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes. Colorado Consumer Health Initiative Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes. Colorado Union of Taxpayers Legislation is scored on its "reduction of taxes, regulation, and spending accountability." Colorado Voters for Animals Legislators are scored on their stances on animal issues. Conservation Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes on bills about Colorado's climate, land, water, and communities. Healthier Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes related to public health issues. Liberty Scorecard Legislators are scored on votes related to "the principles of individual rights, free markets and limited government." Mental Health Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes related to mental health issues. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

2023

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show].

In 2023, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 9 to May 8. Colorado AFL-CIO Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes. Colorado Consumer Health Initiative Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes. Colorado Union of Taxpayers Legislation is scored on its "reduction of taxes, regulation, and spending accountability." Colorado Voters for Animals Legislators are scored on their stances on animal issues. Healthier Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes related to public health issues. Liberty Scorecard Legislators are scored on votes related to "the principles of individual rights, free markets and limited government." Mental Health Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes related to mental health issues. The Arc of Colorado Legislators are scored on votes related to intellectual and developmental disability legislation. Women's Lobby of Colorado Legislators are scored on their stances on women's issues.

See also

2024 Elections

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Candidate

Colorado House of Representatives District 64

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Colorado House of Representatives District 64

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Richard Holtorf (R)	Colorado House of Representatives District 64 2023-Present	Succeeded by -

[show]

Current members of the Colorado House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Julie McCluskie

Majority Leader:Monica Duran

Representatives

District 1

Javier Mabrey (D)

District 2

Steven Woodrow (D)

District 3

Meg Froelich (D)

District 4

Cecelia Espenoza (D)

District 5

Alex Valdez (D)

District 6

Sean Camacho (D)

District 7

Jennifer Bacon (D)

District 8

Lindsay Gilchrist (D)

District 9

Emily Sirota (D)

District 10

Junie Joseph (D)

District 11

Karen McCormick (D)

District 12

Kyle Brown (D)

District 13

Julie McCluskie (D)

District 14

Rose Pugliese (R)

District 15

Scott Bottoms (R)

District 16

Rebecca Keltie (R)

District 17

Regina English (D)

District 18

Amy Paschal (D)

District 19

Dan Woog (R)

District 20

Jarvis Caldwell (R)

District 21

Mary Bradfield (R)

District 22

Kenneth DeGraaf (R)

District 23

Monica Duran (D)

District 24

Lisa Feret (D)

District 25

Tammy Story (D)

District 26

Meghan Lukens (D)

District 27

Brianna Titone (D)

District 28

Sheila Lieder (D)

District 29

Shannon Bird (D)

District 30

Rebekah Stewart (D)

District 31

Jacque Phillips (D)

District 32

Manny Rutinel (D)

District 33

William Lindstedt (D)

District 34

Jenny Willford (D)

District 35

Lorena Garcia (D)

District 36

Michael Carter (D)

District 37

Chad Clifford (D)

District 38

Gretchen Rydin (D)

District 39

Brandi Bradley (R)

District 40

Naquetta Ricks (D)

District 41

Jamie Jackson (D)

District 42

Mandy Lindsay (D)

District 43

Robert Marshall (D)

District 44

Anthony Hartsook (R)

District 45

Max Brooks (R)

District 46

Tisha Mauro (D)

District 47

Ty Winter (R)

District 48

Carlos Barron (R)

District 49

Lesley Smith (D)

District 50

Ryan Gonzalez (R)

District 51

Ron Weinberg (R)

District 52

Yara Zokaie (D)

District 53

Andrew Boesenecker (D)

District 54

Matt Soper (R)

District 55

Rick Taggart (R)

District 56

Chris Richardson (R)

District 57

Elizabeth Velasco (D)

District 58

Larry Suckla (R)

District 59

Katie Stewart (D)

District 60

Stephanie Luck (R)

District 61

Eliza Hamrick (D)

District 62

Matthew Martinez (D)

District 63

Dusty Johnson (R)

District 64

Ryan Armagost (R)

District 65

Lori Sander (R)

Democratic Party (43)

Republican Party (22)