Today, we are pleased to announce 11 candidates running for statewide and local offices in November who’ve earned our support.
In statewide and congressional races, we are endorsing Michael Bennet for U.S. Senate, Brittany Pettersen for the 7th Congressional District, Jared Polis for Governor, Phil Weiser for Attorney General, and Jena Griswold for Secretary of State.
In state legislative races, we are endorsing Dylan Roberts for Senate District 8, Elizabeth Velasco for House District 57, Meghan Lukens for House District 26, and Julie McCluskie for House District 13.
At the local level, we are endorsing Ryan Gordon for Garfield County Commissioner and Aron Diaz for Garfield County Treasurer.
STATEWIDE AND CONGRESSIONAL RACES
Sen. Bennet has been an ally in the fight to protect reproductive rights, to pursue immigrant justice and to pull children out of poverty via his expanded federal Child Tax Credit.
Brittany Pettersen understands that inflation impacts communities of color at a disproportionate rate and promises to be a champion for policies that help the next generation of Coloradans build better lives. CD7 includes Lake County.
Gov. Polis has signed legislation to protect reproductive rights, make healthcare more affordable and accessible, expand access to higher education and provide new protections for mobile home owners.
Phil Weiser is a champion for social justice issues and already has a track record of defending the rights of Dreamers, immigrants and many other communities.
Jen Griswold wants every Colorado voter to have their voice heard in accessible and secure elections and worked to pass one of the largest democracy reforms in the nation.
LEGISLATIVE RACES
Dylan Roberts has served two terms in the Colorado House of Representatives, where he’s developed a track record as one of the most effective lawmakers, focusing on protecting our clean water, reducing health insurance costs, and fighting for working families and small businesses. SD8 covers all or parts of Moffat, Rio Blanco, Garfield, Routt, Eagle, Jackson, Grand, Summit, Gilpin, and Clear Creek counties.
Elizabeth Velasco’s election in HD 57 would be historic, as she would be the first Latina Representative from the Western Slope to serve in the Legislature. She is the daughter of two first-generation immigrants and the owner of a small business that focuses on language justice. She is committed to championing environmental justice policies, improving access to higher education for Latino students, and fighting to make our communities more affordable. HD 57 is a newly drawn Democratic-leaning district that includes all or parts of Garfield, Eagle, and Pitkin counties
Meghan Lukens is a public school teacher who grew up in Routt County. She will prioritize fighting the high cost of living in her district, fully funding public schools, and increasing the state minimum wage. HD 26 includes all or parts of Moffat, Rio Blanco, Routt, and Eagle counties.
Julie McCluskie has served two terms in the Colorado House of Representatives. Her track record has focused on fighting for Latino and immigrant communities by sponsoring legislation that expands healthcare coverage to more undocumented families and increases access to colleges and universities for undocumented students. She is running in HD 13, which includes Jackson, Grand, Summit, Lake, Park, and Chaffee counties.
LOCAL RACES
As a Garfield County Commissioner, Ryan Gordon promises new ideas and perspectives to address the issues facing the county, including those impacting Latinos like language accessibility, workforce housing, childcare and access to broadband services and technology.
As Garfield County Treasurer, Aron Diaz will work to remove language barriers to ensure all residents can access and understand the office's services. Diaz is a fourth-generation resident of Garfield County and a graduate of Rifle High School.
ABOUT OUR ENDORSEMENT PROCESS
Voces Unidas Action Fund proudly endorses candidates who align with our values and policy goals. Before we endorse, we do our homework. We test candidates -- in meetings, in interviews, and via our candidate questionnaires. Any candidate we’ve endorsed has gone through our process and answered questions about local, state and even federal issues like reproductive justice, immigration reform, and affordable housing.
As a local, community-created 501(c)(4) advocacy nonprofit organization, we invest our time, energy and resources to support our endorsed candidates. We volunteer, knock on doors, make phone calls, and raise money from local community members. We do this because we believe that when our neighbors and communities come together to support leaders who share our values, we can affect the change we need.
Learn more about our work at www.vocesunidasaction.org/elections.