For nearly a decade, I have fought the conspiracy theories and lies President Donald Trump and his MAGA acolytes have used to undermine elections. That is also why I will be voting in the Democratic primary on June 30 and voting for Jessie Danielson as the next Colorado secretary of state.
I know what is at stake. I have filed lawsuits and amicus briefs to protect our election systems. I regularly write about the frailty of the right to vote. When I filed the lawsuit to bar Trump from the Colorado ballot, I spent weeks preparing testimony with a U.S. Capitol Police officer who engaged in hand-to-hand combat protecting the U.S. Capitol on January 6th.
Make no mistake, choosing the right person to protect our right to vote, elections and the foundations of our democracy is critical. And I trust Danielson to do that.
The race pits two women from JeffCo, my home county. Both are accomplished and the winner is certain to get my vote in the general election; I would not ever consider putting anyone from the party subservient to Trump in charge of an election.
The difference is Danielson’s long history of advocating and passing important policies, particularly on voting rights and elections. For example, in 2013 Danielson was fundamental in passage of the Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act. That helped make Colorado the gold standard for fair, accessible elections.
Years later, Danielson pushed automatic voter registration through the legislature. In an area where Trump and his cronies constantly work to undermine voting rights, putting these protections in place is critical to making sure all Coloradans have their votes counted.
Making that happen is not just about championing herself. Danielson put in the work behind the scenes to win over bipartisan support and community engagement. That’s what we need more than ever.
Four years ago, I voted in the Republican primary for secretary of state which posed an existential risk to fair elections. Pam Anderson — who I maintain would have been the best Secretary of State in Colorado history — faced off against a not-yet-convicted-or-commuted Tina Peters. The consequences of a Peters win would have been devastating. A known and unapologetic election denier, she would have thrown the state’s elections into chaos.
Those are not quite the stakes this year. At least not on the surface. But it could be even more insidious.
Across the country Republicans have been systematically working to change laws and undermine ballot access. They call it “election integrity,” but cannot point to any significant instances of fraud or malfeasance. That has not stopped the continual attacks. The end goal is to disenfranchise as many people as possible in areas not favorable to themselves. It is the most cynical of political games.
Because the ethical norms to which Democrats hold themselves amount to a hand tied behind their backs, they must be able to anticipate and execute. For the state’s top election official, that is doubly true. When the U.S. Department of Injustice attempts to interfere, Colorado needs to have an experienced and strong personality ready to push back.
Danielson fits that bill. Her experience and mental fortitude will be assets for the state as a whole and voters in particular.
Sure there are other races where I will cast a ballot. The Democratic gubernatorial race pits two brilliant men against each other — my vote will go to current Attorney General Phil Weiser because I would prefer to get both for the price of one and keep U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet right where he is now.
The Dem race for attorney general would be far more interesting if the three qualified candidates had not handed the race to current Secretary of State Jena Griswold. The three-way anti-Griswold split all but ensured that our next AG will have no litigation experience and a habit for embellishment (her continued claim to a lawsuit I actually filed, helped prosecute and saw through SCOTUS has rankled me to no end).
Or I could always vote in the Republican primary. But I don’t find much interest in choosing between a con man who cannot figure out whether he is a murderer or a state senator who cannot do math and makes wild allegations of child sex rings.
Yet it is the secretary of state race that keeps drawing my attention.
Whatever happens this year will impact the next presidential election in 2028. And that will impact the future of our country for generations. The pressure on election officials will be extraordinary. We can expect new laws, emergency declarations, conspiracy theories, court battles and potentially soldiers in the street.
Against that backdrop, it is an absolute necessity that Colorado’s next secretary of state is up to the job. We need someone who has been through the fires and come out the other side.
We need Jessie Danielson.
Mario Nicolais is an attorney and columnist who writes on law enforcement, the legal system, health care and public policy. Follow him on BlueSky: @MarioNicolais.bsky.social.
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