Jon Caldara

Jon Caldara is an American libertarian activist who serves as the president of the Independence Institute. He is a radio host and hosts a current events show, Devil's Advocate with Jon Caldara, that airs on KBDI-TV PBS 12 in Denver, Colorado.

Early life and education
Caldara was born in Trenton, New Jersey. His family moved to Colorado when he was six years old. He graduated from Heritage High School in Littleton, Colorado, and then the University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder. As a University of Colorado Boulder student, he drew a comic strip called B Street. After college, Caldara worked as a roadie setting up stage equipment for rock bands. He later started a stage lighting business.

Career
Caldara was elected to the board of directors for the Regional Transportation District, and eventually became its chairman. In 1998, he replaced Tom Tancredo as president of the Independence Institute, a Colorado think tank.

When the Colorado legislature relaxed voter registration requirements to allow people to register in a jurisdiction if they declared their intent to move there, Caldara objected. He then tested the law by declaring his intent to move to Colorado Springs, in order to vote in a recall election there. In September 2013, Caldara cast a blank ballot, but never moved to Colorado Springs, although he sublet a room there for a brief time.

Colorado Attorney General John Suthers investigated Caldara for voting fraud, but chose not to prosecute him. Suthers called the incident "suspicious," and said that it was questionable that Caldara ever intended to become an El Paso County resident. Suthers noted "arguable ambiguity” in the same-day voter law, and took no action. In January 2014, Caldara said, "I told you what I did was legal, neener-neener-neener."

From 2016 through 2020, Caldara wrote a weekly column for The Denver Post.ref>

Personal life
Caldara is the father of three children, one of whom died of cancer when she was one year old. His son has Down syndrome.