Democratic state Sen. Jessie Danielson is running to be Colorado’s next secretary of state.
The Wheat Ridge lawmaker filed paperwork with the state Monday to launch her bid and activated a campaign website. She is the second Democrat to jump into the 2026 contest that will determine who will be the state’s top election official. The first was Jefferson County Clerk Amanda Gonzalez.
Danielson has been a state lawmaker since 2015. Before that, she was the Colorado state director for America Voters, an organization that works to boost election access. She has also worked at nonprofits focused on abortion rights, housing and electing more women to office.
Colorado’s current secretary of state, Democrat Jena Griswold, is term-limited. She is running for attorney general next year.
The person who wins the Democratic primary in the secretary of state’s race is likely to win the general election, too.
Griswold won reelection in 2022 by 13 percentage points.