THE PEACEKEEPERS: Fence Sitters

These Democrats typically toe the party line, but their leadership often feels lackluster when it matters more. They prioritize maintaining good standing within the party and avoid ruffling feathers. But when the moment calls for bold action, they fall short. At other times, their words and actions don’t align, as they try to cater to both sides and end up pleasing no one.

Judy Amabile (D – Boulder)

Represents: Colorado State Senate, District 18

Status: Focusing on Policy and Finance

Overview:

Judy Amabile brings a steady hand to the legislature, using her legal background to advance thoughtful, finance-focused protections. While she avoids overt political confrontation, her legislative record shows a consistent, if quiet, commitment to vulnerable communities.

Moments of Resistance:

Sponsored SB25-308 which pushes back on Medicaid cuts, defending access to care through budget policy

Co-sponsored targeted protections for immigrants and LGBTQIA2+ residents

Moments of Surrender:

Steers clear of naming federal threats or challenging Trump-era policies directly

No major public leadership on controversial national issues

Focuses on consensus-friendly topics like Mental Health Month Awareness

Jared Polis (D)

Office: Governor of Colorado

Status: Doing Nothing Special

Overview:

Governor Polis talks a good game and acts when it’s convenient but too often, he sides with corporations over Coloradans. He’s willing to act but will rarely risk much.

Moments of Resistance:

Led a multi-state lawsuit with AG Weiser to block Trump’s tariffs, citing harm to businesses and Americans. This comes off the back of his vow “to prevent tariffs that are bad for businesses and all Americans”

Issued an executive order to cut Colorado’s greenhouse emissions by up to 50%, countering federal climate inaction

Moments of Surrender:

Governor Polis is on track to break his veto record often rejecting legislation that would expand rights or protections.

Vetoed HB24-1008: Would have combatted wage theft in construction.

Vetoed HB24-1010: Would have curbed “white bagging” to give patients more pharmacy access.

Vetoed SB25-005: Would have made Union organization easier

Veto criticized as anti-worker.

Vetoed HB25-1291: Would have required new safety features for ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft.

Constituent Feedback: “There’s a lot going on nationally and I think people want to know that their governor is going to protect the things that are currently being threatened” Colorado Elementary School Paraprofessional, Rose Quinlan

Elliott Hood (D)

Office: CU Regent At-Large

Status: Keeping his head down

Overview:

Elliott Hood has positioned himself as a quiet bureaucrat. While he has supported legal challenges and faculty autonomy, his record is marked by a reluctance to confront controversy. Critics say he’s more concerned with preserving institutional calm than amplifying student voices or taking a principled stand in turbulent times.

Moments of Resistance:

Joined 21 universities in suing the federal government over research restrictions

Urged faculty to remain independent and resist external pressure

Issued statement supporting international student rights, but stopped short of committing to concrete action

Moments of Surrender:

Undermining free speech and academic protest at BU

Been asleep at the wheel as racial tensions escalated over a controversy involving Regent Wanda James and a CU anti-marijuana campaign, failing to address concerns from either side or defend a colleague facing what many call a racist smear campaign

Generally silent on the many big issues effect both the nation and higher education

Joe Neguse (D – North Central Region)

Represents: Colorado House, District 29

Status: Talks Progressive, Votes Moderate, Stays Silent When It Counts

Overview:

Neguse is a prolific legislator, ranked the second most effective Democrat in the 118th House but he’s remained silent on many of the issues his constituents care about most. From Palestine to affordable housing, his record shows caution where courage is needed.

Moments of Resistance:

Supported bills to protect air quality, firefighters, and public lands

Co-sponsored the American Teacher Act to raise teacher pay

Supported moderate reforms like the Keep Americans Safe Act

Moments of Surrender:

Co-sponsored a pro-Israel bill and ignored repeated calls from constituents to speak out against the genocide in Gaza and only issuing a vague statement calling for peace.

Has taken a backseat on Reproductive Rights. He co-sponsored basic access bills, but avoided leading on abortion rights or broader protections.

No major bills centered on Housing or Economic Justice

Co-sponsored rural tax perks, but ignored affordability and inequality.

Constituent Feedback: “He ignores people on issues that are difficult. He takes easy wins, like condemning Trump, but avoids the issues that matter most to the people who put him in office.” – Darren O’Connor

Lesley Smith (D – West Boulder)

Represents: Colorado House, District 49

Status: Concerned with E-Bikes, Not Emergencies

Overview:

Smith plays it safe. While she’s taken a few progressive votes, her legislative focus is overwhelmingly local and non-controversial. Her record reflects a reluctance to challenge national right-wing rollbacks or show bold leadership on broader justice issues.

Moments of Resistance:

Voted for bill to expand funding for immigrant services

Co-sponsored protections for transgender individuals

Moments of surrender:

Lesley’s priorities don’t align with meaningful resistance to the current administration.

Her 2025 bills have focused on issues like e-bike sales, landscaping, leak detection, and muffler regulations

Lesley has a hyperlocal agenda that sidesteps urgent national fights

Kyle Brown (D – East Boulder County)

Represents: Colorado House, District 12

Status: Bold on Trans Rights, Quiet Elsewhere

Overview:

Brown has been a leader in legislation to protect trans rights, but beyond that, his record leans bureaucratic not revolutionary. He has avoided direct confrontations with the federal administration and remained silent when it mattered most.

Moments of Resistance:

Prime sponsor for bills protecting access to gender-affirming care and ensuring death certificates reflect preferred pronouns.

Legislative focus on bureaucratic improvements like insurance regulation and health cost transparency.

Moments of Surrender:

Most other bills focus on non-controversial Health & Human Services issues.

No strong public stance against federal overreach

No press releases, no mention of the administration on Instagram since January and little to no Facebook presence.

Jenny Willford (D – Thornton)

Represents: Colorado House, District 34

Status: Staying the Course While the Stakes Rise

Overview:

Willford is quietly shaping strong, forward-looking legislation on public safety, environmental reform, and workers’ rights. But while her policy record is solid, she’s yet to channel that leadership into bold resistance to federal threats or visible advocacy on national crises.

Moments of Resistance:

Sponsored HB25-1291, targeting sexual assault prevention in ride-sharing apps

Sponsored HB25-1300, expanding access to medical care for injured workers

Co-sponsored bills expanding access to gender-affirming care and improving public education

Moments of Surrender:

None of her six prime-sponsored bills directly confront federal overreach

Silent on Trump-era authoritarianism and federal policy threats

No public leadership on resistance efforts or racial justice legislation

Brittany Pettersen (D – Jefferson County)

Represents: Colorado House, District 7

Status: Talking Big, Delivering Small

Moments of Resistance:

Publicly condemned Trump and Elon Musk’s USAID power grab as “unprecedented” and “unhinged.”

Pledged to “do everything I can” to fight back but has only introduced low-impact bills stuck in committee.

Moments of Surrender:

Focused on symbolic resolutions over substantive policy

Has continued to accept donations from AIPAC and resisted discussion of the genocide in Gaza

No major legislative accomplishments to date

THE PEACEKEEPERS: Radio Silent

Missing Action, and staying out of the fray: A different flavor of peacekeeper that tends to be either engaged with smaller easier issues, or not engaged at all.

Sonya Jaquez Lewis (D- Lafayette–Longmont–Erie)

Represents: Colorado House, District 17

Status: Waving the White Flag

Overview:

Resigned Feb. 17, 2025

Lewis’s sudden departure left Longmont-Lafayette without representation during a critical legislative stretch. Her resignation followed an investigation into her treatment of aides, and it dealt a blow to the communities she represented as a member of both the LGBTQ and formerly the Democratic Latino caucuses.

Jason Crow (D – Central Colorado)

Represents: Colorado House, District 6

Status: Playing It Safe with Patriotic Posturing

Overview:

Crow leans on his credibility with veterans and anti-corruption rhetoric but shies away from louder, riskier fights. He talks tough in town halls, yet his public record shows a preference for consensus and silence on divisive issues.

Moments of Resistance:

Strongly condemned Trump’s move to dismantle USAID, asserting it exceeded presidential authority.

At a 2025 town hall, promised to defend the community against any political threat “with every ounce of my being.”

Introduced a bipartisan bill to strengthen VA health benefits for veteran firefighters.

Moments of Surrender:

Prioritizes bipartisan, non-controversial issues.

No press releases addressing Trump since his return to office.

Condemned Hamas, but silent on Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Shannon Bird (D – Broomfield)

Represents: Colorado House, District 29

Status: Steady and Strategic

Overview:

Bird is a Democrat who balances the party line, doing consistent and meaningful legislative work without stepping into controversy. She’s a respected advocate for education, criminal justice reform, and equity but stays out of the national spotlight and avoids direct confrontation with federal overreach.

Moments of Resistance:

Sponsored HB25-1278, which shortens and expands access to state tests, updates accountability rules, and improves education equity.

Sponsored HB25-1146, which ensures sufficient juvenile detention capacity in line with annual projections.

Prime sponsor on a variety of bills advancing social justice and equity

Moments of Surrender:

Minimal direct pushback on federal policies beyond HB25-1321, which opposes federal funding cuts.

No public statements or social media criticism of Trump or federal overreach.

No public opposition to Trump policies or direct call-outs on social

Lindsey Daugherty (D – Westminster)

Represents: Colorado Senate, District 19

Status: Picking her Battles

Overview:

Daugherty has taken a safe and calculated approach—passing broadly supported bills while steering clear of controversy. Despite representing a district with one of the highest Hispanic populations in the state, she has mostly avoided immigration issues, focusing instead on symbolic reforms and tech-friendly legislation.

Moments of Resistance:

Supported tech focused initiatives.

Sponsored SB25-298: removes “homosexuality” from the Colorado Criminal Code, a symbolic but meaningful step.

Moments of Surrender:

Sponsored or co-sponsored 30 bills, but only cosponsored a single bill related to immigration despite representing a district that’s 25% Hispanic.

Moderate, quiet stance on economic justice and structural inequality

Manny Rutinel (D – Adams)

Represents: Colorado House, District 32

Status: All Optics, No Opposition

Overview:

Rutinel stays visible in the district but avoids hard stances. Despite representing a heavily immigrant community, he’s chosen silence over confrontation and symbolism over substance.

Moments of Resistance:

Prioritizes being active in the community through regular office hours and local engagement

Voted yes on a modest pro-trans bill, his lone step into contentious territory

Moments of Surrender:

No pushback on Trump via social media, press releases, or legislation

Sponsored just four bills mostly low-risk and uncontroversial topics

Silent on immigration, despite high-need demographics

William Lindstedt (D – Broomfield/Brighton)

Represents: Colorado House, District 33

Status: Missing in Action

Overview:

Lindstedt has stayed quiet while federal threats mount, offering little in the way of legislation or advocacy.

Moments of Surrender:

No bill sponsorships directly challenging federal overreach or Trump-era priorities.

Rarely engages publicly minimal social media presence or statements.

Legislative focus centers on low-conflict consumer protection and tax incentives, including marijuana licensing reforms and business tax credits

KISSING THE RING: Political Prowess Over The People

Jacque Phillips (D – Thorton)

Represents: Colorado State Senate, District 31

Status: Cracking down on Protestors

Overview:

Jacque Phillips isn’t just absent; she’s actively alienating her base. While she avoids public accountability and stays silent on national threats, her legislative energy has gone toward sponsoring a bill that would increase criminal penalties for refusing to leave property when ordered by police, a move constituents say would chill peaceful protest and protect state power over civil rights

Moments of Surrender:

Sponsored HB25-1142 which would have raised penalties for protest-related trespassing, widely interpreted as a direct threat to First Amendment rights

Has not publicly addressed criticisms. deflects questions to private emails or ignores them in public forums

Constituent Feedback:

“Every time I have seen someone question her about this in a public forum, she tells them to email her privately about it. She’s in a Facebook group called Thornton for Progress and her response there was a nightmare.” – one local wrote on Reddit

“These people know they can’t just straight up outlaw protesting, so they make laws around it to essentially make it illegal.” – another resident commented

John Hickenlooper (D)

Represents: United States House

Status: Compromising with Extremism

Overview:

From backing Trump-era cabinet picks to aligning with GOP foreign policy, Hickenlooper has chosen comfort over confrontation even as Colorado voters push for progressive leadership.

Moments of Resistance:

Called Trump’s tariff policies “reckless,” citing their damage to Colorado’s small businesses.

Co-sponsored bipartisan bills protecting medicated abortion access (e.g., Mifepristone).

Supported legislation to combat climate change and address Western wildfire

Moments of Surrender:

Voted against a resolution condemning U.S. aid to Israel during its assault on Gaza.

Confirmed 8 of Trump’s 21 cabinet picks, second highest among Democrats.

Voted with the Trump agenda on ~25% of roll calls, the highest rate in the Democratic caucus.

This despite the fact he is representing a state that chose Harris by 11% in the 2024 election

Michael Bennet (D)

Represents: United States Senate

Status: Giving Performative Pushback

Overview:

Bennet talks like a bold advocate for change but votes like a centrist in crisis. While he occasionally criticizes the party’s failures, he’s been more useful to Trump than Coloradans might expect, from backing fossil fuel allies to voting in lockstep with cabinet confirmations.

Moments of Resistance:

Publicly expressed being “furious” over Democratic inaction against Trump.

Doesn’t often go beyond party line progressive

Moments of Surrender:

Voted “Nay” on a resolution to halt U.S. aid to Israel during its assault on Gaza.

Confirmed 10 of Trump’s 21 cabinet picks —the highest rate of any Democrat.

Co-endorsed alongside Hickenlooper fracking executive Chris Wright for Energy Secretary, defying environmental priorities of Colorado voters.

Champions bipartisanship, even when it waters down resistance.

Constituent Feedback:

“I don’t feel represented, and it’s frustrating to see them not standing up for their constituents and their communities. I would like to see them take more of a stand against the administration and not bow down.” Northern Colorado Resident, Zara Noonan

Barbara Kirkmeyer (R – Larimer and Weld County)

Represents: Colorado State Senate, District 23

Status: Falling in Line

Overview:

Barbara Kirkmeyer talks bipartisanship but consistently defers to federal GOP priorities. She has actively discouraged resistance to Trump-era overreach, embracing a political strategy of appeasement masked as cooperation.

Moments of Surrender:

Backed Trump’s immigration crackdowns and supported federal budget cuts

Dismissed local resistance, telling Colorado not to “poke the bear”

Opposed welfare expansion and criticized COVID-19 prevention efforts

Frequent bipartisan co-sponsor, but votes in line with federal GOP goals

Dan Woog (R – Boulder and Weld County)

Represents: Colorado House, District 19

Status: Quietly Crusading Against Progress

Overview:

Dan Woog is a reliable voice for GOP orthodoxy, pushing a tough-on-crime, anti-climate agenda while avoiding public scrutiny. He actively blocks progressive policy and leans into right-wing priorities, without ever challenging Trump’s platform or legacy.

Moments of Surrender:

Helped kill a greenhouse gas disclosure bill by voting to “indefinitely postpone” it

Backed legislation defending natural gas usage and resisting decarbonization efforts

No public criticism of Trump, aligning instead with standard GOP talking points

Loud on law enforcement, silent on climate, consistently backing pro-GOP staples like economic growth through deregulation and carceral expansion

Gabe Evans (R – Adams & Weld County)

Represents: Colorado State Senate, District 8

Status: Bootlicking

Overview:

Gabe Evans has made a name for himself as a loyal enforcer of the Trump agenda, backing policies that expand federal control and erode local protections. He avoids constituent engagement while pushing legislation that aligns Colorado more closely with anti-immigrant and authoritarian federal tactics.

Moments of Surrender:

Sponsored the UPLIFT Act, gutting Colorado’s sanctuary policies and forcing local compliance with federal immigration enforcement

Refuses to hold in-person town halls, shutting out constituent voices

Mobilizes federal resources to expand local policing power

Praised Trump’s Justice Department lawsuit against CO in a press release

Publicly endorsed Trump’s tariffs, calling them “fair trade”

Silent on Trump-era rollbacks of climate protections and civil rights

Cast the deciding vote to defund Medicaid in the House budget reconciliation bill

Analysis – The Stakes for Colorado

As Trump’s administration escalates attacks on environmental protections, voting rights, and immigrant communities, Colorado’s political response has been uneven—and at times, underwhelming. While leaders like Sen. Jodeh and Rep. Joseph have set a new standard for bold, unapologetic resistance, others remain stuck in a loop of performative gestures and political caution.

“If you’re a representative under Trump, you need to be bold,” says organizer O’Connor.  “Representatives like Neguse are careful and calculating and that does not serve constituents.”

A geographic fault line is clear: Denver-area lawmakers lead the fight, while many suburban and rural Democrats sidestep confrontation. In Boulder, some leverage policy expertise to push back quietly while others fall disturbingly silent, especially on international crises impacting local communities.

Three Distinct Camps Emerge

The Revolutionaries: Driving proactive legislation, showing up in communities, and calling out injustice directly.

The Peacekeepers: Cautious moderates who resist selectively, avoid controversy, and stay inoffensive.

The Ring-Kissers: Deferring to power, hiding behind bipartisanship, and putting career over constituents.

What This Means for Colorado

With the 2026 midterms on the horizon, voters in Colorado face a critical choice: reward bold resistance or settle for political safety. As one Westminster resident put it bluntly at a recent town hall:

“Democracy is under threat. Can we afford representatives who won’t fight for us?”

The answer could define not only Colorado’s political future but the resilience of resistance across the country.

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