After college, Tipton co-founded a pottery company called Mesa Verde Indian Pottery with his brother, based in Cortez, Colorado.[4] The Tiptons sold the company to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in 2014.[5]
In 2011, it was reported that he spent over $7,000 on vendors that did business with his nephew's company.[8] In 2012, he violated House rules when his office used taxpayer resources to promote a campaign event.[9]
A super PAC, funded by oil and gas driller SG Interests, is registered at the address of Tipton's campaign attorney and run by a law clerk in his office. Tipton's attorney said: "I have specifically put up Chinese walls to make sure Charlie (law clerk) is in no way involved with the Tipton campaign, and I'm in no way involved with the Colorado Future Fund."[10]
Colorado House of Representatives
2008 election
On February 5, 2008, he announced his candidacy for the Colorado House seat representing District 58. The announcement came shortly after the incumbent, Ray Rose, announced he would retire in 2008. He had no opposition in the Republican primary,[11] but faced Democratic candidate Noelle Hagan in the November 2008 general election. Hagan's candidacy was endorsed by the Denver Post[12] and the Montrose Daily Press.[13] Tipton won the election with 59 percent of the vote.[14]
Tenure
With Representatives Laura Bradford and Frank McNulty, Tipton planned on re-introducing a version of Jessica's Law to establish minimum sentences for child sex offenders,[15] sponsoring bills to create a full-time judge position in Montrose[16][17] and to simplify water rights filing.[18] The attempt to introduce a version of Jessica's Law was unsuccessful, it died in committee.[19]
Committee assignments
For the 2009 legislative session, Tipton was named to seats on the House Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources Committee and the House Local Government Committee.[20]
In the Republican primary, he defeated Bob McConnell 56% to 44%.[22] He again challenged Salazar in Colorado's 3rd congressional district. Libertarian Gregory Gilman and independent Jake Segrest were also on the ballot, with independents John W. Hargis, Sr. and James Fritz qualified as write-in candidates. He decided to retire from the Colorado House of Representatives to run for Congress in 2010, again challenging Salazar.[23] In the general election, he defeated Salazar 50.1% to 45.8%.[24]
In 2012, he was challenged by Sal Pace, a Democratic state representative from Pueblo. His re-election campaign was aided by $1.3 million in advertising against Pace, funded by the Grover Norquist led, Americans for Tax Reform.[25] SG Interests, an oil and gas company from Texas, that sought to drill in the Thompson Divide area, also campaigned against Pace.[26] On election night, Tipton defeated Pace and two third party challengers with 53.3% of the vote.[27]
In 2018, Tipton held off Democratic former state representative Diane Mitsch Bush, Independent Mary Malarsie, and Libertarian Gaylon Kent in his closest challenge since he was first elected to Congress, receiving 51.2% of the vote.[30]
In what was considered by many media outlets to be a shocking upset, Tipton was defeated in the Republican primary by restaurant owner and gun rights activist Lauren Boebert. He received 45.2% of the vote to Boebert's 54.6%.[31][32][33][34]Dick Wadhams, a Republican political consultant from Denver, says that Tipton had several hundred thousand dollars in the bank for his primary against Boebert, but he chose not to use it for TV/radio ads, mailings, or social media, ceding the debate to Boebert, who inspired a much higher Republican turnout than in 2018.[35] Boebert went on to win in a general election.
Tenure
Tipton voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[36] According to Tipton, the bill fixes a "broken tax code" and "puts the needs of the American people before special interests."[37] Tipton touts that the act "supports families, graduate students, homeowners, and small businesses," and is "a victory for Coloradans and all Americans."[38]
Tipton has said, "we have a problem with reckless spending across the board at the federal level."[42] He has signed Grover Norquist's Taxpayer Protection Pledge,[45] and a pledge sponsored by Americans for Prosperity promising to vote against any Global Warming legislation that would raise taxes.[46] He has also supported the Ryan Plan, having twice voted for it.[47]
In February 2017, he voted against a resolution that would have directed the House to request 10 years of Trump's tax returns, which would then have been reviewed by the House Ways and Means Committee in a closed session.[48]
In 2016, Tipton wrote a draft bill on oil and gas drilling in the Thompson Divide that contained large sections taken "word for word" from a proposal offered by a SG Interests, a Texas-based energy company and its lobbying firm. Tipton's draft legislation (which he described as a "starting point") was criticized because of Tipton's receipt of $39,000 in campaign contributions from SG Interests over the course of his career.[52]
In January 2017, Tipton voted in favor of legislation that would make it easier to sell federal public lands. Tipton was criticized by conservation groups for his vote.[53]
Water rights
Tipton introduced the Water Rights Protection Act into the House on September 26, 2013. The bill would prevent federal agencies from requiring certain entities to relinquish their water rights to the United States in order to use public lands.[54] Tipton said the bill was needed because it "provides critical protection for water rights' holders from federal takings by ensuring that federal government agencies cannot extort private property rights through uneven-handed negotiations."[55] Tipton argued that the bill "prohibits federal agencies from pilfering water rights through the use of permits, leases, and other land management arrangements, for which it would otherwise have to pay just compensation under the 5th Amendment of the Constitution."[55]
Foreign policy
He has criticized the Obama administration for inaction in the Middle East: "President Obama and Secretary Clinton's inaction in the Middle East has emboldened Syria, Iran and Russia and led to the death and displacement of millions of Syrian civilians."[42]
Tipton has said, "I strongly oppose amnesty or any special benefits for illegal immigrants".[59] He criticized President Obama for his executive order allowing up to five million illegal immigrants "to come out of the shadows" and work openly in the country.[59]
Tipton takes a "hardline stance" on the refugees of the Syrian Civil War and opposes the admission of Syrian refugees to the United States.[60] He has clashed with Governor John Hickenlooper about the resettlement of refugee families in Colorado.[60]
Personal life
Tipton and his wife, Jean, have two daughters and three grandchildren.[citation needed]