Colorado

Welcome to the Colorado state page! Here, Colorado organizers can access and document ongoing projects, current leadership positions, upcoming races, and other important information. This list is non-exhaustive, and state teams are encouraged to expand and adapt these pages to their organizing needs.

Political Landscape of Colorado

Partisan Composition of Colorado

Overall, Colorado is considered a blue state, with a Cook PVI of D+4 as of 2022, regularly voting 50-60% Democrat in statewide races. The state's US Senators and governor are Democrats. Colorado's US House delegation is split, with 5 Democrats and 3 Republicans. Democrats also hold majorities in their state house (46-19) and state senate (23-12), giving Democrats a trifecta (as of 2/8/24).

Progressive Outlook for Colorado

The overall progressive strategy for Colorado is optimistic. The state allows for citizen-led ballot initiatives, there is a Democrat trifecta which is receptive to progressive ideas, and the strategy should be focused on defending vulnerable seats and flipping red seats blue while primarying out uncooperative Democrats. The state has had a recent leftward shift which we can solidify!

Get Involved

Register to Vote in Colorado

Colorado residents can register to vote online. To register, voters must:

• Be a citizen of the United States and a resident of Colorado for at least 22 days before an election.
• Be at least 16 years old when registering and at least 18 years old by election day.
• Not actively incarcerated on a felony conviction. Prior felons can vote as soon as they are released, even if they are still subject to probation or parole.

Voters in Colorado automatically receive mail-in ballots, as long as they have been registered to vote for more than 8 days before an election. To vote with a mail-in ballot, drop off the ballot at a designated drop-off location or drop-box, or mail the ballot. Ballots that are mailed must be received (not postmarked) by the County Clerk's office before 7:00 PM on Election Day.

You can also vote in-person (with ID) until 7:00 PM on Election Day.

Colorado has semi-closed primaries. This means that unaffiliated voters can vote in either major party primary (but not both), however voters who are affiliated with any party can only vote in that party's primaries. For this reason, it can be advantageous to register as unaffiliated and choose which primaries you wish to vote in on a case-by-case basis.

Progressive Organizations in Colorado

Below is a list of progressive organizations in Colorado. If you see a state organization that isn't on this list, please add it.

Notable Campaigns in 2024

Below is a list of progressive candidates or ballot measures in the 2024 election cycle for Colorado. Non-progressive candidates may also be placed here if they are substantially to the left of their district's partisan lean and worth campaigning for. If you see a candidate or ballot measure that should be on this list, please add them.

• Adam Frisch for CO-3: Though Adam Frisch is more of a centrist Democrat, CO-3 usually votes for Republicans by double digits and he only lost to Boebert in 2022 by 546 votes. He's been campaigning nonstop ever since, is a workhorse with integrity, and would effectively be stealing a seat from the GOP. Your help would definitely be appreciated here.
• Yadira Caraveo for CO-8: Caraveo is the incumbent Democrat in a recently-created congressional district, CO-8. She won the district by less than 2000 votes in 2022, and holding the district is a major priority right now.

Ballot Initiatives

Colorado allows for both statutory and constitutional ballot initiatives. The Colorado legislature can also refer constitutional amendments to the ballot for voter approval. Ballot initiatives should be added to this section when they have fulfilled their signature requirements and will be on the ballot in the next election cycle.

2024 Initiatives On the Ballot

• Voter Approval to Retain Property Tax Revenue: This initiative would require statewide voter approval to allow local governments to retain property tax revenue that exceeds 4% growth from the last year. The initiative requires a 55% supermajority to pass. It is sponsored by Advance Colorado Institute, a conservative think tank.
• Property Tax Exemption for Veterans with Individual Unemployability Status Amendment: This legislatively referred amendment would expand a current property tax exemption for disabled veterans that exempts 50% of the first $200,000 of a property's value from property tax. Currently, only permanently disabled veterans qualify for this exemption. This amendment would expand the exemption to apply to about 3,400 veterans with disabilities who have individual unemployability status, as defined by the Department of Veteran Affairs, but are not permanently disabled. The amendment requires a 55% supermajority to pass. It was sponsored by two Democrats and was referred to the voters by a unanimous vote in both houses of the General Assembly.
• Colorado Independent Judicial Discipline Adjudicative Board Amendment: This legislatively referred amendment would create an independent judicial discipline adjudicative board, set standards for judicial discipline including a Code of Judicial Conduct, and make judicial discipline cases public as soon as proceedings begin. The amendment requires a 55% supermajority to pass. It was sponsored by two Democrats and two Republicans and was referred to the voters by a 60-3 vote in the state House and a unanimous vote in the state Senate.

Run for Local Office

An underrated way to impact change is to run for a local position! Please feel free to add information on doing so below.

Political Landscape of Colorado

Partisan Composition of Colorado

Overall, Colorado is considered a blue state, with a Cook PVI of D+4 as of 2022, regularly voting 50-60% Democrat in statewide races. Their US Senators and governor are Democrats. Colorado's US House delegation is split, with 5 Democrats and 3 Republicans. Democrats also hold majorities in their state house (46-19) and state senate (23-12), giving Democrats a trifecta (as of 2/8/24).

Progressive Outlook for Colorado

The overall progressive strategy for Colorado is optimistic. The state allows for citizen-led ballot initiatives, there is a Democrat trifecta which is receptive to progressive ideas, and the strategy should be focused on defending vulnerable seats and flipping red seats blue while primarying out uncooperative Democrats. The state has had a recent leftward shift which we can solidify! As Colorado is a blue semi-closed primary state, it is recommended to participate in the Democrat primaries to elect progressives.

Get Involved

Register to Vote in Colorado

Colorado/Voting

Progressive Organizations in Colorado

Below is a list of progressive organizations in Colorado. If you see a state organization that isn't on this list, please add it.

Notable Campaigns in 2024

Below is a list of progressive candidates or ballot measures in the 2024 election cycle for Colorado. Non-progressive candidates may also be placed here if they are substantially to the left of their district's partisan lean and worth campaigning for. If you see a candidate or ballot measure that should be on this list, please add them.

June 25th Primary Election (Filing Deadline March 19th)

November 5th General Election

• Adam Frisch for CO-3: Though Adam Frisch is more of a centrist Democrat, CO-3 usually votes for Republicans by double digits and he only lost to Boebert in 2022 by 546 votes. He's been campaigning nonstop ever since, is a workhorse with integrity, and would effectively be stealing a seat from the GOP. Your help would definitely be appreciated here.
• Yadira Caraveo for CO-8: Yadira is running for re-election in CO's only natural swing district, so this is also an election Colorado progressives should focus on.

Ballot Measures (Signature Deadline August 5th)

Run for Local Office

An underrated way to impact change is to run for a local position! Please feel free to add information on doing so below.