WHEAT RIDGE–Colorado State Senator Jessie Danielson this week tossed her hat in the ring for the 2026 secretary of state primary election, making her the second Jefferson County Democrat–both from the far-left wing of the party–vying to be the state’s top election official.
Current Secretary of State Jena Griswold, is term-limited and has announced her candidacy for attorney general in 2026.
Danielson, who represents Senate District 22, encompassing Wheat Ridge, Edgewater and a portion of Lakewood, has been a legislator since 2015, having previously served in the House of Representatives.
Prior to that she was a state director for the nonprofit America Votes and was then-Gov. Hickenlooper’s appointee on the Voter Access and Modernized Elections Commission. She also worked as political director for the abortion advocacy group NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado.
Danielson’s entry into the race pits her against Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder Amanda Gonzalez, making the contest thus far a choice between a pair of progressive-left women.
Gonzalez launched her campaign back in early January, though her time running the county elections office hasn’t gone without scandal. As previously reported by Complete Colorado, Gonzalez had failed to properly notice the November 2023 election.
Colorado law requires election officials to provide notice (election date, polling hours and location, drop off addresses and times) to a circulated newspaper no later than 20 days before the election.
However, emails obtained by Complete Colorado from Cynthia Rasor, senior elections project coordinator of Jefferson County, showed that Gonzalez violated this state statute by failing “to publish notice of this election in a general circulation newspaper within 20 days of the election,” and failing to inform the candidates of her error.
The violation went unpunished by Secretary of State Griswold, essentially giving Gonzalez a pass on the matter.
Colorado’s primary election is scheduled for June 30, 2026.
