State Rep. Brianna Titone, an Arvada Democrat, announced Wednesday morning that she will run in 2026 to be Colorado’s next state treasurer.
If elected, Titone would be at least the third transgender person ever elected to a statewide office in the U.S. The second appears to be U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride, a Delaware Democrat who was elected to Congress in 2024. The first appears to be Kim Coco Iwamoto, who was elected in 2006 to an at-large seat on the Hawaii Board of Education.
Titone would be, however, the nation’s first transgender person elected to a statewide executive office.
Titone was first elected to the legislature in 2018, becoming the first transgender member of the Colorado General Assembly. She is term-limited in the Colorado House, where she is vice chair of the House Finance Committee and chair of the Joint Technology Committee. Before entering politics, she had a career as a geologist.
“As a legislator, I’ve worked to ensure economic opportunity and financial security for all Coloradans,” Titone said in a written statement. “I’m running for state treasurer to champion fiscal responsibility, protect (the Public Employees’ Retirement Association), invest taxpayer dollars wisely and make the government more efficient. I’ve spent my career tackling complex financial and policy challenges, and I’m ready to bring that experience to the treasurer’s office.”
Titone won’t be the only Democrat running next year to be Colorado’s treasurer.
Already in the race is Jefferson County Treasurer Jerry DiTullio, who boasts the backing of several prominent Democrats, including House Majority Leader Monica Duran, state Rep. Sheila Lieder and state Sen. Lindsey Daugherty.
Democrat John Mikos of Monument filed Nov. 26 to run for Colorado treasurer in 2026. He previously served as chairman of the El Paso County Democratic Party.
State Sen. Jeff Bridges, a Greenwood Village Democrat who is chair of the legislature’s powerful Joint Budget Committee, is expected to announce his candidacy for state treasurer in the coming weeks.
Titone is starting her campaign with endorsements from a number of Democratic state lawmakers, including Sens. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, Lisa Cutter and Janice Marchman, as well as Reps. Javier Mabrey, Elizabeth Velasco and Chad Clifford.
Whoever wins the Democratic primary for treasurer is likely to win the general election, too, given the leftward shift of Colorado’s electorate. There hasn’t been a Republican elected to statewide office in Colorado since 2016.
Current Treasurer Dave Young, a Democrat, won reelection in 2022 by nearly 11 percentage points. Young is term-limited and now considering a 2026 bid in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District.
The state treasurer’s duties include overseeing the state’s money, handling its investments and serving on the board for the Public Employees’ Retirement Association. The treasurer also manages Colorado’s unclaimed property program.