Democrats in the Colorado State House

Representative Jeanne Labuda | House District 1

Committee Assignments:

  • Finance -- Vice-Chair
  • Legal Services
  • State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
Representative Mark Ferrandino | House District 2

Mark Ferrandino is the state representative for House District 2 in Denver and, since November 2011, the leader of the Democrats in the Colorado House of Representatives.

After being elected to the leadership position by his House colleagues, Rep. Ferrandino resigned his post as the ranking Democrat on the Joint Budget Committee, which writes the state’s annual budget and has had the unenviable task of trimming more than $5 billion from state expenditures since the Great Recession struck in 2008. Rep. Ferrandino had served on the JBC since 2009.

Representative Daniel Kagan | House District 3

Daniel Kagan has been serving House District 3 in the General Assembly since 2009. Since taking office, Daniel has been a strong advocate for creating well-paid jobs, good schools, and healthy, safe communities.

Daniel is a successful business owner, father, husband and dedicated public servant.

Representative Dan Pabon | House District 4

Dan Pabon grew up in the same community he is serving in the Colorado State House.

The son of working class parents, his mom a nurse, his dad a Medicare benefits specialist, Dan attended Holy Family from preschool to high school. As the first in his family to have access to preschool, Dan is living proof that early childhood education is a means to close the educational achievement gap in our Colorado schools.

Representative Crisanta Duran | House District 5

Representative Crisanta Duran is a proud native of Colorado. Rep. Duran's family has owned a ranch just West of Trinidad going back six generations. Rep. Duran credits her parents for instilling the importance of public service in her from a very early age - to making a difference by encouraging economic opportunity and access to the American dream.

Representative Lois Court | House District 6
  • Elected to the Colorado House of Representatives serving House District 6 in 2008.
  • American Government and Political Science Adjunct Instructor Red Rocks Community College.
  • Served as Denver Mayor Wellington Webb's Director of Administration, General Services Department; Director of the Mayor's Office of Volunteerism; and Director of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Response.
  • Over 20 years experience as a Public Issues Consultant.
Representative Angela Williams | House District 7

Angela Williams is the current Representative to the Colorado House of Representatives for House District 7. She is also the Agency Principal of the Angela Williams Insurance Agency Inc., an Allstate Insurance Company affiliate. Williams is an active community leader devoting her efforts towards: working families, small business growth; mentoring & leadership development; and ethnic, racial, & gender equality.

Representative Beth McCann | House District 8

Representative Beth McCann is serving her Second term as the Colorado State Representative for District 8 in Denver. She is a member of the House Finance Committee, as well as the House Health and Environment Committee.

Rep. McCann is Deputy Attorney General in charge of civil litigation and employment law at the Colorado Attorney General's office. A former Denver prosecutor, she was Denver's first Manager of Safety in the early 1990s under Mayor Wellington Webb.

Representative Paul Rosenthal | House District 9

Paul Rosenthal is a community activist in Southeast Denver. He is a special education, Economics, Civics, Geography, and U.S. History teacher at a youth correctional facility. For the past seven years, he has been an appointee by former Mayor Hickenlooper and now current Mayor Michael Hancock to the Denver Community Corrections Board, and he serves as Vice Chair. The board decides which offenders from prison may re-enter the community through Denver’s half-way houses. Rosenthal helped found and is still on the board of the University Hills Neighborhood Association. For five years he served on the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Allied Jewish Federation.

Representative Dickey Lee Hullinghorst | House District 10
  • Serves on House Appropriations and Executive Committee of the Legislative Council
  • Majority Leader
  • Intergovernmental Relations Director, Boulder County (1985 - 2007)  Directed intergovernmental relations, multicultural and public affairs, policy analysis and constituent services.
  • Senior Vice President, Herrick S. Roth Assoc., a public policy consulting firm.
  • Legislative Affairs Director, Colorado Open Space Council (COSC), currently named the Colorado Environmental Coalition (CEC).
Representative Jonathan Singer | House District 11

Appointed to the State House in January of this year to serve out newly appointed County Commissioner Deb Gardner’s term in office, Representative Jonathan Singer jumped in with both feet. He is a member of the Economic and Business Development Committee.

With a commitment to a representative and transparent government, Rep. Singer has conducted regular town hall meetings, has regularly attended community events, and has maintained an open line of communication.

Representative Mike Foote | House District 12

Mike Foote is a well-respected and experienced Deputy District Attorney with the Boulder County District Attorney’s office. Since 2004, he has prosecuted major white-collar and other criminal cases in the Boulder office, winning justice for victims of embezzlement fraud, Ponzi schemes, arson and other violent crimes. He also served as a prosecutor in the Durango District Attorney’s office.

Representative Claire Levy | House District 13

I grew up in Indiana and, after college in Minnesota and law school in Ohio, moved to Colorado in 1982 to begin practicing law. I lived in Denver for four years, first in the Capitol Hill neighborhood and then in the Congress Park neighborhood east of downtown. I immediately became involved in Denver politics and made friends with whom I am still close to this day.

I moved to Boulder in 1986, and have lived in south Boulder ever since, first in Martin Acres, then in Table Mesa, and now on Shanahan Ridge. I have two daughters, ages 18 and 22.

Representative Tony Exum | House District 17

Tony Exum is someone who spends a lifetime in public service making our community a better place to live. A retired Battalion Chief from the Colorado Springs Fire Department, Thomas “Tony” Exum, Sr. spent thirty-five years making our community safer. Whether it is running into a burning building, bringing different people together to solve problems, officating high school basketball, or training the next generation of firefighters to follow in a tradition of public service, Tony has put our community first for decades.

Representative Pete Lee | House District 18

My wife, Lynn, and I have lived in Colorado Springs for over 37 years. This is where we raised our three children, Amanda, Rob and Brian. Having been a practicing lawyer, small business owner and executive at a NYSE listed corporation, as well as serving as a volunteer board member at numerous community non-profits, I bring a diverse background and varied experience to  my position as a State Legislator.

Representative Max Tyler | House District 23

I came to Colorado in 1965 for a good education and an overpowering desire to learn, live, hike and contribute to this beautiful state. In the years after graduating from the University of Denver, I founded a successful small business from scratch, met my wife, Susan, and bought a house in Lakewood where we raised our son, Roger. We’ve lived, worked, volunteered and played in the Lakewood area for 24 years.

Representative Sue Schafer | House District 24

Sue Schafer is a career educator, small business owner, mother, grand-mother, and has worked as an educational consultant to improve low-performing schools. Her diverse professional background in both the public and private sectors enables her to understand the needs and hopes of all Colorado citizens.  This has helped her to serve as House District 24's State Representative at the capitol since 2009.

Representative Diane Mitsch-Bush | House District 26

Born in St. Paul Minnesota February 17, 1950
She earned her BA degree in Sociology, Summa Cum Laude (1975) and her PhD (1979) in Sociology and Social Policy from the University of Minnesota. She moved to Routt County in 1976 because she loves to ski. From 1982 to 1993, she commuted from Routt County to Fort Collins to teach at CSU. She was awarded tenure at CSU by a unanimous Sociology Department vote in 1984. Diane strongly believes in community collaboration and public service to make our world a better place.

Representative Brittany Pettersen | House District 28

I know what it is like to struggle and survive in tough times. I know and Lakewood families know what it means to persevere. They deserve to know we have a state government that listens to them, that works together to get our economy moving and invests in Lakewood classrooms and local small businesses.

I am a lifelong Democrat, but understand the need for a collaborative government that works together to improve our schools, supports technology innovation and finds job-creating solutions.

Representative Tracy Kraft-Tharp | House District 29

With over 25 years of experience in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, Tracy Kraft-Tharp has dedicated her life to serving the people in our community that need help the most. Whether running her own small business or through her experience in social work, nonprofit management, teaching, and legislative advocacy, Tracy’s experience, passion for service, and commitment to community make her the right person to represent the people of House District 29 in the Colorado House of Representatives.

Representative Jenise May | House District 30
  • Former Deputy Director of the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS)
  • Oversaw more than 2,000 employees within CDHS
  • Managed a $500 million plus budget
  • Championed several state nursing home initiatives
  • Integrated CDHS core values into day-to-day functions
  • Fostered growth and advocated for job retention
  • Started as entry-level county employee and worked up to director level
  • Acted as official spokesperson for CDHS
Representative Joe Salazar | House District 31

When I was growing up, I would dream about what it would be like to be raised on the farm in Colorado’s San Luis Valley or on the ranch in northern New Mexico. My family has been farmers and ranchers there for numerous generations. But, my parents made the decision to raise my brother and me in Thornton because they wanted us to have every opportunity life could offer.

Representative Dominick Moreno | House District 32

My foremost interest is serving the community that raised me and shaped my values. I was born and raised in Commerce City. My grandparents settled in Adams County in the early 70’s after raising my mother and her siblings in Silverton, a small town in southwest Colorado. I learned early on the value of hard work. My grandfather was a coal miner. My father was a truck driver for Public Service and later a janitor at Lester Arnold High School. My mother is an educator and taught Head Start for 25 years in our community. My siblings and I didn’t grow up with a lot other than the values our parents raised us with: to value education, to always respect and be kind to others and to give back to our community whenever possible. It’s these values that continue to guide me.

Representative Dianne Primavera | House District 33

Dianne Primavera is a proud Colorado native, and a second generation American. She graduated from Regis University in Denver with a B.S. in Psychology, and she has her M.A. in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley.

She has two daughters. Kelsey is a registered nurse at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and Darcie holds a J.D. from Gonzaga University. Dianne raised both of them as a single parent, while simultaneously battling (and beating) cancer. During that time, she also lost her job and subsequently her health insurance.

Representative Steve Lebsock | District 34

Steve is a fourth generation Coloradoan born in Sterling, Colorado. After graduating from Westminster High School he joined the U.S. Marine Corps where he served at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and Iwakuni, Japan.

In 1998 Steve earned a B.A. in Sociology at Metropolitan State College of Denver. For seven years he was employed with a company in the corrugated box industry where he was a machine operator, quality assurance technician and supervisor.

Representative Cherylin Peniston | House District 35

As president of the Westminster Education Association (1999-2003), Rep. Peniston forged coalitions with community groups, the school board, and the superintendent of schools to advance the role of public education in the community. She was a vocal advocate for better working conditions and compensation for teachers and support staff, and played a key role in organizing the support staff under the WEA umbrella.

Representative Su Ryden | House District 36

State Rep. Su Ryden is a lifelong Democrat, longtime Aurora resident, business owner and an active community supporter.
Su has owned Ryden & Associates Integrated Marketing since 1975
Providing communications solutions for clients in many fields including banking, real estate, affordable housing and hospitality.

Representative John Buckner | House District 40

It is a true honor to have been elected and to now serve for Colorado State House District 40.  During the 69th General Assembly, I am excited to be serving on both the Education and Judiciary Committees.

As your Representative, I am committed to be the voice of Aurora families.  I am looking forward to doing my part to make Aurora and Colorado a great place to live.

Representative Jovan Melton | House District 41

From an early age Jovan E. Melton has wanted to make a positive difference in the lives of Coloradans.  Born in Denver and raised here in House District 41, Jovan has dedicated his life to public service.  He has personally seen and experienced the disparities between social-economic classes.  Raised by a single mother, he knows the challenges she had to face in raising him. Jovan attended public schools in the Cherry Creek and Denver Public School Districts before receiving his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Representative Rhonda Fields | House District 42

Representative Rhonda Fields was first elected to serve the Colorado House of Representatives for the 68th General Assembly in 2010. She is the first African American woman elected to the state legislature to represent Aurora’s House District 42, Arapahoe County.

In 2011, 5280 Magazine ranked Rep. Fields 37th on its list of the 50 “most powerful” people in the Denver Metro area, stating that she has “gained the type of respect that politicians dream about.”

Representative Leroy Garcia | House District 46

Leroy Garcia is Representative-Elect in House District 46, which stretches from southern Pueblo to Colorado City. He serves on the Pueblo City Council, where he took the lead in passing a property maintenance code and a host of capital improvements, including a new police building, two fire stations and a renovation of City Hall, all while balancing the city budget without any furloughs.

Representative Dave Young | House District 50

A little over a year ago I was selected to fill a vacancy in the Colorado State House. As a Colorado native, I can tell you Coloradans are tired of partisan gridlock, and most of us know neither party has a monopoly on good ideas. I am proud of my record of working across the aisle to reach a consensus, and always putting the state of Colorado ahead of party or ideology.

Representative Joann Ginal | House District 52

A teacher, scientist, leader, and lifelong learner, longtime Fort Collins citizen Joann Ginal has a passion for giving back to the community, and working to make our wonderful city an even better place to live. As our state representative for District 52, Joann will take her passion for service in a new direction—one that continues to help Fort Collins while making a difference for all of Colorado.

Representative Randy Fischer | House District 53

“I am so lucky to have lived in Fort Collins all of my life. I love this community. I am committed to protecting what’s great about Fort Collins and Colorado and to improving the things we can do better.”

He earned a BS degree in Natural Resources Management from Colorado State University in 1976.  He went on to receive a Master’s degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering, also from CSU.  For the past 20 years, Rep. Fischer has worked as a consulting engineer specializing in the reclamation and remediation of abandoned mine sites throughout the U.S. and around the world.

Representative Mike McLachlan | House District 59

The son of an Air Force officer, Mike left the University of Nebraska in 1965 to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, eventually serving in Vietnam. After his honorable discharge in 1967, Mike attended Southern Colorado State University, and went on to earn his law degree from the University of Arizona in 1973 and clerked for Colorado Supreme Court Justice Edward C. Day. In addition to practicing law locally, Mike has been active in the Durango community for decades. A 38-year resident of La Plata County, Mike has been both prosecutor and La Plata County Attorney. In 1999, then-Attorney General Ken Salazar appointed Mike as Colorado’s Solicitor General. It was in this role that Mike successfully argued the constitutionality of Colorado’s women’s health clinic shield law before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Representative Millie Hamner | House District 61

She hit the ground running in the 2011 legislative session, successfully sponsoring bills streamlining the license renewal process for teachers, speeding up the Department of Transportation’s timeline for recommending improvements on the traffic-plagued Interstate 70 Mountain Corridor, creating a biomass fuel program, and making new uses for forests killed by the current bark beetle infestation.  Rep. Hamner also worked with Roundup River Ranch, a camp for children with disabilities on a voluntary tax-checkoff program bringing more funding to an excellent resource for kids in the district.

Representative Edward Vigil | House District 62

Rep. Vigil owns Sangre de Cristo Laboratory with his wife, Evelyn. He served two terms as Costilla County Commissioner. He has worked in various service roles including factory worker, social worker, substance abuse counselor, peace officer and special investigator for the district attorney.

Rep. Vigil is a sixth generation native, born and raised in San Pablo near San Luis, Colorado. He graduated from Adams State College and currently lives in the Fort Garland area.