Arapahoe County

Incumbent State Rep. Meg Froelich has a long history of activism for women’s rights, children’s welfare, education, community leadership, and environmental protection. Since being appointed to the District 3 seat in 2019, she has co-sponsored and passed bills on issues ranging from public-sector collective bargaining to accountability in law enforcement to expanding Medicaid. She used her position on the Energy and Environment Committee to introduce legislation that efficiently manages Colorado’s natural resources, and she has supported the economic balance of development that complements open spaces. In an interview with the Englewood Herald last year, Froelich said she commended the legislature’s work to ban anti-LGBTQ “conversion therapy” and helping create true ID documents for transgender folks and that she would continue to work on issues like paid family leave and protecting the new full-day kindergarten program.

Froelich’s experience as a successful legislator, dedication to the people of Colorado, and progressive policy platform make her the preferred candidate in this race.

Taking her on in this race is Republican Dean Titterington. Titterington is the owner and president of a property management company and a longtime charter school advocate. He recently replaced Bill Klocek as the Republican on the ballot, but Titterington has made no public statements on what he would do if elected to the state legislature. He seems to have no campaign social media presence or even a website. Progressive voters should reelect Froelich to a full term in the Colorado House.

Incumbent State Rep. Emily Sirota, who was first elected to the statehouse in 2018, has been described by former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb as a “progressive with strong roots in her community and deep experience in government, social work, and education.” Before joining the legislature, she helped run an early learning center; worked for the Colorado Progressive Coalition, where she organized support for paid sick leave policy; and has been an aide to a U.S. senator, a congressman, and a governor.

In her first term, Sirota passed critical legislation to end tax breaks for special interests to help fund K-12 education and give relief to working families, enact sweeping reforms to early childhood programs as well as mandating the teaching of the Holocaust and genocide in public schools, place contribution limits on campaigns for county elections, and have Colorado join the National Popular Vote Compact. Sirota also carried a bill for a task force to analyze how much money Colorado could save by going to a health-care-for-all system.

Sirota is the clear progressive choice.

Challenging her for the seat is Republican Larry Braig, a retired Denver firefighter who is running on a typical conservative platform. He fully supports the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) and protecting the Electoral College instead of moving to a national popular vote. Most disconcerting, however, is a July post Braig shared on his campaign Facebook page saying that the Black Lives Matter movement “supports black genocide” because it favors abortion rights and “supports white supremacy” because “it only addresses when a white man kills a black man” and not “black on black crime.” With this racist line of thinking, we strongly recommend against voting for Braig.

Also on the ballot is Libertarian Wes Pinchot. His platform is widely unknown.

Incumbent State Rep. Mike Weissman is running for a third term in District 36. He has been a progressive voice the last four years and has the record to prove it. On his extensive, bilingual campaign website, he backs a wide range of issues — from evidence-based criminal justice reform to transparent government to bringing Colorado schools out of the bottom of national ranking for state funding. And he has an outstanding record on issues like conservation, battling climate change, and consumer protection.

Weissman has sponsored bills concerning energy efficiency in new residential construction and changing how police and courts handle criminal defendants with mental health issues. His latest legislative session report is strong in sponsoring measures to boost veteran resources, bring counseling and behavioral health services to schools, increasing transparency in medical bills, investing in public resources like transportation, and more. He also does his best to connect with constituents.

The plain choice for progressive representation in District 36 is Weissman.

Republican Dustin Bishop is also vying for the seat. Bishop’s campaign priorities range from instituting a “flat tax rate for everyone, with no deductions” and revoking daylight saving time in Colorado. Of course, Colorado already has a flat income tax rate, and anyone running for the state legislature should already know that. In a stark stance against gun safety laws, he believes, in his own words, that “Americans have the constitutional right to own guns, and this should not be restricted by the type of gun, or the number of rounds that it can hold.” Bishop lacks the political experience and knowledge to successfully represent Coloradans. Instead, reelect Weissman.

Incumbent State Rep. Tom Sullivan was first elected to District 37 in 2018. After his son was murdered in the Aurora movie theater mass shooting, he became involved in politics by advocating for victims’ rights and testifying during committee hearings for stronger gun safety laws.

Sullivan’s platform emphasizes supporting and strengthening middle-class families by stimulating a healthy economy, promoting good jobs, and fighting for affordable health care, education, and housing. While in office, he has fought for the working families of Colorado and successfully sponsored a monumental red-flag gun regulation bill signed into law last year. The bill gained strong opposition from Rocky Mountain Gun Owners (RMGO) and Kristi Burton Brown, vice chair of the Colorado Republican Party, who organized a recall effort against Sullivan. Prominent progressive leaders from across the nation including Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren rallied their support for Sullivan’s agenda, the recall failed, and the bill was signed into law.

Sullivan deserves to continue to represent this district with the support of progressive voters.

Challenging him for the seat is Republican Caroline Cornell, who is a career coach and education volunteer in the Centennial area. Her campaign website contains some generic platitudes like supporting the economy, wanting more money for fixing roads, and supporting the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR). But don’t look for any specifics from Cornell. She seems to use her social media pages largely for kids’ entertainment and proving she has door-to-door selfie skills instead of informing people about her specific views. Not only that, but she seems more interested in getting kids out of quarantine than protecting families during a pandemic. If these are the highlights for her to talk and post about in public, then progressive voters should be worried about what Cornell isn’t saying. 

David Ortiz’s experience as a military veteran, public affairs professional, community and media liaison, advocate, and lobbyist proves he will fight to make equality of opportunity and economic recovery priorities as a representative for District 38.

After college, Ortiz volunteered in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and worked at the Houston mayor’s Office of International Affairs and Development. Ortiz was selected to train as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army, and he survived a near-fatal crash while deployed in Afghanistan in 2012. He was left paralyzed from the waist down and has dedicated his life as a public servant to advocating for veterans, service members, and people with disabilities. He has successfully helped to secure resources for veteran services, served in numerous leadership positions at nonprofits, and worked as a legislative liaison.

Ortiz has demonstrated his commitment to progressive issues through his work on several pieces of legislation on higher education, the criminal justice system, mental health, and housing. He is the clear choice in this race.

He is taking on incumbent State Rep. Richard Champion, an energy businessman and diehard right-wing conservative who toes the party line instead of representing his constituents. Champion was nominated to the seat by a select group of Republican activists after his predecessor joined the Trump administration. He is apparently more angry about stay-at-home orders and mask mandates than about the failed federal response to the coronavirus in the first place. He tends to make up his own facts about reforming health care, resulting in conservative ideas that actually take health care away from people. Champion is the kind of backwards-thinking conservative we don’t want representing us anymore.

Democratic candidate Naquetta Ricks, a Liberian immigrant and longtime resident of Aurora, brings 18 years of business and financial management experience to her bid to represent District 40. She has worked in the transportation, informational technology, and real estate sectors and owns a small business.

Citing the hardships and tragic consequences of gun violence, Ricks has said she’s committed to increasing public safety by supporting legislation on gun safety. She’s also a strong advocate for affordable and attainable housing, knowing well the difficulties buyers face in the market. She is dedicated to developing legislation that moves Colorado toward rent caps and housing programs for low income and fixed-income residents. Among her other priorities are education and economic development.

Ricks is the recommended candidate in this race.

Also vying for the seat are Republican Richard Allen Bassett and Libertarian Robert Harrison. Bassett doesn’t seem to have much true political presence, but his campaign social media is pretty telling of his stances. Amid his general anti-progressive posts are ones with conspiracy theories about COVID-19 data and criticism that the legislature has let the governor run Colorado unchecked. He also strongly opposes stricter gun safety laws.

Harrison, or “Dr. Rob,” is a system architect for UCHealth. He previously ran for office and lost in District 28. His campaign page indicates his priorities are not in line with progressives: He wants to repeal red-flag gun safety laws, objects to joining the National Popular Vote Compact, and asserts “health care bureaucrats” have no authority to make COVID-19 guidelines.

Iman Jodeh has spent the last several years working at the Capitol and in the community advancing several progressive causes. She currently is the community advocate and liaison for Interfaith Alliance of Colorado and is the founder and executive director of Meet the Middle East, a nonprofit dedicated to building relationships between Americans and Middle Easterners. She is also a board member for Colorado’s Women’s Lobby and has taught at the University of Denver.

The Colorado native has a passion for education that’s often tied to elevating public policy. She helped to pass in-state tuition measures for refugees and immigrants who served alongside our troops. She also has advocated for a more inclusive historical narrative for our public school students. Her work on civil rights has aimed to boost voting rights, which she seeks to expand with more opportunities for automatic voter registration and multilingual ballots. Jodeh has said she plans to bring progressive bills to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk and is excited to help him reach his goals of a fully sustainable Colorado by 2030 and preserve our open spaces for the next generation.

Jodeh is the clear choice in this race.

Also seeking the seat is Republican candidate Robert Andrews, who has a straightforward conservative platform. His priorities are passing anti-abortion rights legislation, repealing gun safety laws, and protecting what he calls “a traditional family structure.” He opposes Black Lives Matter protests, characterizing protesters as turmoil-seeking vandals. Andrews doesn’t go into depth on what political plans he has besides stating that Colorado is safer if the public votes Republican. We disagree wholeheartedly and recommend Jodeh for state representative.

State Rep. Dominique Jackson is the incumbent for District 42 and faces no opposition. Her legislative successes since being first elected in 2016 include battling housing discrimination, increasing fines for air and water quality violations, and trying to lower prescription drug costs. We look forward to more of her good work in office.

Maria-Vittoria “Guigi” Carminati is a fearless advocate for women and marginalized communities, including survivors of police brutality and domestic violence. An activist and civil rights attorney, she has worked for the Texas ACLU and started her own law firm, The Woman Lawyer.

Carminati is the co-author of several books and articles in space law, is experienced in commercial and civil litigation, and has fought against family separation at the border. On top of that, she has taught at the University of Houston Law Center and helped vulnerable populations seek equity and fair treatment in the face of injustice. These are testaments to her ability to deliver on a progressive vision that prioritizes accessible housing and healthcare, public education, and criminal justice reform.

Carminati will ignite change in her district and at the Capitol, putting “progress back into progressive policy” if elected. She is the clearly preferred candidate.

She is running against Republican incumbent State Rep. Rod Bockenfeld, who was elected in 2019. Bockenfeld has a background in banking and finance. His staunch defense of law enforcement earlier this year during a debate on a police accountability bill shows he will not support progressive criminal justice reform in light of recent protests demanding change. Bockenfeld was also the lone vote against banning the so-called “gay and trans panic defense,” a measure with strong bipartisan support that protects LGBTQ folks from violence and hate crimes.

Kevin Gulbranson is also seeking the District 55 seat. He has served as outreach director of the Libertarian Party of Colorado and Arapahoe County. Gulbranson’s positions on mental health show he prioritizes individual rights and free markets. Policy stances other than those that align with the Libertarian Party are not widely known.

Incumbent State Rep. Julie McCluskie has represented District 61 since being elected in 2018. McCluskie’s background assisting local schools with mental health and community engagement has informed her important work at the Capitol, where she has helped pass numerous education bills, including a renewal of the READ Act. As a key part of the joint budget committee, she helped prioritize critical services during the Covid-19 pandemic. McCluskie’s stances on health care, education, and opportunities for working families are reflective of a progressive vision for the future of her district, and she is the clear recommended candidate in this race.

Republican Kim McGahey is challenging her for the seat. He is a former real estate broker, citizen’s advocate, and volunteer in Breckenridge. McGahey’s emphasis on fiscal conservancy and constitutional freedoms reflect conservative stances that are likely to obstruct progress in Colorado. Additionally, his virulent opposition to economic shutdowns earlier this year reflects a disregard for public health and safety.