2026 Primary Election: Candidates for Secretary of State

In 2013, as State Director for America Votes, I coordinated the coalition of County Clerks, voting rights organizations, progressive organizations and more, that crafted and passed HB13-1303, the Voter Modernization Act that established the gold standard voting system we have today. I will do everything in my power to protect these voting systems and registration systems. After all, I don't just know them, I helped build them. During my time in the legislature, I continued to improve these critical systems. I passed the Automatic Voter Registration law. I also passed other measures to continue to improve access to the polls, such as Voter Access for Voters with Disabilities. In this time of constant threats from Trump, I will always communicate with voters clearly and consistently what their rights are, and how to access the polls. I will continue to follow legislation through the rulemaking process with an eye toward voting rights, as I have during my time in the legislature and before. I have excellent relationships with the County Clerks across the state, and will continue to work hand in hand with them through the coming years to provide them with the support they need to facilitate and administer elections on the ground. I am the only candidate in this race with a 12-year record of protecting and advancing voting rights for all Coloradans, including LGBTQ+ people.

As Colorado’s Secretary of State, I would use every tool of the office—rulemaking, oversight, guidance, and public leadership—to ensure that all eligible voters, including LGBTQ+ people, can safely register, vote, and have their ballots counted. As Colorado’s first out Secretary of State, I would bring both professional expertise and lived experience to this work. I identify as queer and bi, and I understand firsthand how government systems can either affirm people’s dignity or create fear and exclusion.

Through rulemaking and guidance, I would continue to remove unnecessary barriers to participation while protecting voter privacy. LGBTQ+ people should never be afraid to register to vote out of concern that their personal information, name history, or identity could be misused or made public. I would prioritize strong privacy protections, clear limits on data disclosure, and voter-centered policies that ensure election systems respect voters’ names, identities, and lived experiences. I have already worked on administrative changes that allow trans voters to update records without being subjected to invasive or demeaning processes, and I would expand and standardize that work statewide.

Oversight of county clerks must be rooted in partnership and accountability. As someone who has run elections in one of the largest counties in Colorado, I know that consistent guidance, training, and expectations are critical. I would support clerks while holding firm against discrimination, voter intimidation, and targeted misinformation—particularly when LGBTQ+ communities are being singled out.

Finally, public leadership matters. The Secretary of State must be a visible defender of democracy. I would use the platform of the office to protect election workers, counter lies, and affirm clearly: LGBTQ+ people belong in our democracy, and their voices will be protected.

I will continue to support LGBTQ+ voters, including transgender Coloradans, as I have through my entire time in office. I will always work with organizations like Rocky Mountain Equality, as well as transgender individuals across the state, leaders, and experts, to listen and understand any barriers to voting for transgender and LGBTQ+ Coloradans. I will work to clearly understand ideal changes, and then partner with the coalitions, County Clerks, Party leadership, and lawmakers (as necessary) to implement critical changes. Empowering the community to drive the conversation is important so that the issues are correctly identified and the ideal outcome/goals are achieved. This has been my approach as a lawmaker for years. After we understand the issues, I will work directly with County Clerks and other local officials to address any issues - including the ones listed above (names, pronouns, gender markers and mismatched records or IDs).

Ensuring that election policies and practices are welcoming to LGBTQ+ voters—especially transgender and nonbinary voters—requires clear standards, consistent training, and strong leadership from the Secretary of State.

As Secretary of State, I would begin by setting clear, statewide guidance for county clerks and election officials that affirms voters are never required to disclose their gender identity, explain name changes, or present documentation beyond what the law requires in order to register or vote. I would use rulemaking and formal guidance to reinforce that name changes or outdated records are not grounds to question a voter’s eligibility or dignity.

Training is critical. I would work directly with county clerks to ensure that election judge and staff members have access to training that includes LGBTQ+ competency, including respectful use of names and pronouns, privacy protections, and de-escalation when voters experience confusion or harassment. This training must be practical, scenario-based, and updated regularly.

I would also strengthen polling place and ballot-issue resolution practices to protect privacy. That includes guidance on how conversations about identity or documentation are handled discreetly, ensuring voters are not “outed” in public spaces, and reinforcing that any eligibility questions are resolved without stigma or unnecessary scrutiny. I would convene clerks, advocacy organizations, and community members—including LGBTQ+ groups—to regularly review policies, flag emerging issues, and share best practices.

As the only candidate who has administered elections and partnered with clerks across Colorado, I know collaboration works best when expectations are clear and support is real. I also know that the majority of Clerks come from a conservative background and that this work won’t be easy.

Finally, accountability matters. When policies are ignored or voters are mistreated, the Secretary of State must act swiftly to protect voters’ rights. Inclusive elections are not a courtesy, they are a legal and moral obligation.

Currently, our system is set up in a way to protect vulnerable voters from the public accessing certain private information. These are critical steps that ultimately assist surivors, immigrants, public figures, and others, in maintaining personal safety for themselves and their families. I will protect these systems, and work to improve them as needed.

As Secretary of State, I would treat privacy and safety as core components of election and records integrity—because transparency should never come at the cost of putting people in danger. The goal is a system where the public can hold government accountable without making it easy to target LGBTQ+ people, survivors of violence, immigrants, or other marginalized communities.

First, I would expand and modernize address confidentiality protections. Survivors and others at risk should not have to navigate a maze to keep their information safe. I would work to simplify enrollment in confidentiality programs, improve coordination across state systems, and ensure county clerks have clear, consistent guidance and training to process protected records accurately and quickly.

Second, I would apply a safety-first lens to public records and campaign finance systems. Where the law allows, I would pursue rules and system design choices that reduce the risk of outing, doxxing, or harassment—such as limiting unnecessary exposure of home addresses or other identifying information in high-risk situations, improving takedown and dispute processes, and building privacy-by-design features into online portals.

I would also prioritize clear public guidance so people understand what information is public, what protections exist, and how to access them without fear or confusion. Too often, lack of clarity itself becomes a barrier to participation.

Finally, transparency must be paired with leadership. As Colorado’s first out Secretary of State, I would bring lived experience to decisions about data, safety, and disclosure, and I would be clear that accountability does not require exposure. We can protect public trust while protecting people—and the Secretary of State has both the authority and responsibility to do exactly that.

Voters deserve to know who is funding campaigns and ballot measures, especially when those efforts seek to roll back civil rights or target LGBTQ+ communities. As Secretary of State, I wil use the full authority of the office to ensure Colorado’s campaign finance laws are enforced aggressively, consistently, and transparently.

As Secretary of State, I would use the authority of the office to ensure that campaign finance laws are enforced consistently, transparently, and without fear or favor—because voters deserve to know who is trying to influence their votes, especially when LGBTQ+ rights are on the line.

First, I would prioritize strong enforcement. The Secretary of State has the responsibility to investigate violations, impose penalties, and ensure compliance with disclosure requirements. I would direct enforcement resources toward patterns of abuse that undermine transparency, including coordination between candidates and outside groups, misuse of issue committees, and efforts to conceal the true source of funds. Enforcement must be timely and credible to deter misconduct, not years after an election has passed.

Second, I would improve how information is presented to the public. Transparency is only meaningful if people can actually understand it. I would work to modernize campaign finance systems so disclosures are searchable, user-friendly, and accessible to everyday voters—not just lawyers or insiders. Clear summaries, standardized reporting, and better public-facing tools help expose dark money tactics and make funding relationships easier to spot.

Third, within the rulemaking authority of the office, I would pursue clear guidance that closes loopholes and reduces ambiguity. When rules are vague, they are exploited. Clear expectations protect compliant campaigns and make it harder for bad actors to hide behind technicalities.

Finally, public leadership matters. The Secretary of State should be willing to name the problem of dark money and explain how it harms democracy and vulnerable communities, including LGBTQ+ people. I would use the platform of the office to educate voters, support accountability, and reinforce that transparency is not partisan—it is fundamental to fair elections and informed consent of the governed.

As I launched my campaign in July, I set out on a statewide listening tour. During these meetings, there have been many discussions about how the department can continue to improve services for consumers accessing the nonprofit and business sides of the Secretary of State's office. I have collected ideas, and concerns, from many different people. I will work directly with individuals and leaders to identify ways to streamline filings, make services more accessible, and improve services to businesses and organizations across the state. I will empower the talented staff throughout the department to understand the issues facing the community, and work with them to address them. Throughout my entire career, I have worked with under-represented people and will continue to dedicate my service to breaking down barriers and improving critical services.

As Secretary of State, I would approach business and nonprofit services with the same equity lens I bring to elections: government systems should be easy to navigate, respectful, and designed for the people who actually use them. For LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and community organizations, accessibility and affirmation is essential.

First, I would ensure that systems and forms are inclusive by design. That means reviewing business and nonprofit filings to eliminate unnecessary gendered language, ensure name fields work for people whose legal names may differ from older records, and make sure online systems do not force users into inaccurate or exclusionary categories. Technology should reduce barriers, not create them.

Second, customer service matters. I would prioritize training for Secretary of State staff focused on cultural competency, inclusive communication, and trauma-informed service—so that LGBTQ+ people and others from under-represented communities can interact with the office without fear of being misgendered, dismissed, or treated with suspicion. Clear escalation paths and accountability are essential when issues arise.

Third, I would invest in outreach and education. Many barriers stem from lack of information, not lack of capacity. I would partner with LGBTQ+ chambers of commerce, community nonprofits, rural organizations, and immigrant-led groups to provide clear guidance, workshops, and multilingual resources on starting and maintaining businesses and nonprofits in Colorado.

Finally, leadership sets the tone. As Colorado’s first out Secretary of State, I would use the visibility of the office to affirm that LGBTQ+ people belong in Colorado’s economy and civic life. When government shows up as competent, welcoming, and fair, it helps organizations not just start—but thrive.

Through my years with America Votes, and my 11+ years in the legislature, I have built strong relationships with LGBTQ+ communities. I have sponsored legislation such as the Marriage Equality Act, that was community-driven, and relied on honest and genuine collaboration. I have been so priveleged to work alongside LGBTQ+ leaders and communities, and will take that experience into my new role as Secretary of State. Engagement with LGBTQ+ communities must be ongoing, structured, and tied directly to decision-making; not limited to election cycles or one-time meetings. As Secretary of State, I will make community engagement a core part of how the office sets priorities and develops policy. I will establish regular, standing channels for input from LGBTQ+ community-based organizations across Colorado. I will ensure that proposed changes are shared with impacted communities for review and comment, alongside county clerks and election administrators. That means actively seeking feedback on how policies will affect voters, small businesses, and nonprofits in practice, and adjusting guidance when concerns are raised.

Meaningful engagement with LGBTQ+ communities must be ongoing, resourced, and designed to shape real decisions—not just check a box. That is how I already lead, and how I would govern as Secretary of State.

In my current role, I created a first-of-its-kind advisory group focused on equity, transparency, and modernization to inform policy, operations, and public-facing services. That model works, and I would encourage other counties to adopt it. As Secretary of State, I would establish standing advisory councils that include LGBTQ+ advocates, community-based organizations, rural leaders, and people with lived experience navigating election, business, and nonprofit systems. These groups would be consulted early—before rulemaking and guidance are finalized—and revisited regularly to assess what is working and what needs to change.

My engagement with LGBTQ+ communities is not new or transactional. One of my first internships in law school was with The Center, and I have spent years working alongside LGBTQ+ organizations on voting access, civic participation, and inclusive government services. Last year, I was honored as a Colorado LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce 40 Under 40, reflecting my commitment to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders. In my current office, I have also publicly stood with the LGBTQ+ community—especially when visibility and leadership mattered most (https://www.coloradocommunitymedia.com/archives/jeffco/news/local-government/article_638251a4-4b24-52b6-9a7a-4759a4f5910f.html)

Beyond formal advisory structures, I would prioritize regular listening sessions across the state, partnerships with trusted community organizations for voter and business education, and clear feedback loops so communities can see how their input shaped outcomes.

As Colorado’s first out Secretary of State, I would lead with both lived experience and accountability—ensuring LGBTQ+ voices are not only heard, but reflected in policy, practice, and public trust.

I am open to any ideas of reform, including ideas from community leaders, those with experience, and expertise on the ballot initiative process. I will commit to strengthening relationships with the other members of the Board, to ensure the greatest level of communication, transparency and understanding of the OLLS positions and those of the AG's office. I commit to working with community voices, like those of Rocky Mountain Equality, on specific reforms to improve the process for Colorado electors. The ballot must be clear and accurate so that voters are able to make informed decisions during the signature gathering phase, as well as when issues qualify and appear on the ballot.

As Secretary of State, I would approach the Title Board’s work with the understanding that clarity, fairness, and consistency are not technical details—they are foundational to voter trust and democratic legitimacy. Voters cannot make informed choices if ballot titles are confusing, misleading, or inconsistently applied.

First, I would insist on rigorous, even-handed application of the single-subject requirement and title clarity standards, regardless of the political popularity of a measure. The rules must be applied consistently across all initiatives, with a clear focus on whether a reasonable voter can understand what the measure does and who it affects. That consistency protects voters and protects the integrity of the process.

Second, transparency matters. I would support practices that make Title Board reasoning easier for the public to understand, including clearer explanations on the record for why titles are approved or rejected and why certain language is chosen. When voters and proponents can see how decisions are made, trust in the process increases—even when people disagree with the outcome.

Finally, I would prioritize voter-centered clarity. Titles should accurately describe material impacts, including fiscal effects and impacts on rights or communities, without advocacy or minimization. I would work with my designee to ensure titles avoid euphemisms, jargon, or framing that obscures real-world consequences, particularly for historically marginalized communities.