Two Jefferson County women are competing in Tuesday’s Democratic primary to be the party’s nominee for secretary of state this fall.
Voters will choose between state Sen. Jessie Danielson, of Wheat Ridge, and Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder Amanda Gonzalez. Both have worked throughout their careers to strengthen voting rights, and they have vowed during the campaign to protect the state’s mail-in balloting system from political attacks.
This story will be updated with initial results after polls close in Colorado’s primary elections at 7 p.m.
Danielson, 48, and Gonzales, 41, have both portrayed themselves as defenders of Colorado’s election system in an era when President Donald Trump has gone after vote-by-mail states. In the Senate, Danielson sponsored several voter-rights bills and worked with other Democrats to create an automatic voter registration system.
Gonzalez, who was elected clerk in 2022, has been in charge of running elections in Jeffco, which has 430,000 active voters. She’s also supervised the county’s motor vehicle offices, issued marriage and liquor licenses, and recorded real estate transactions.
The November election will determine who succeeds Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a two-term Democrat.
On Tuesday, the Libertarian Party also had a contested primary. Alex Astley, an engineer from Holyoke, ran against Sean Vadney, a 25-year-old entertainer and music DJ from Highlands Ranch.
The Republican primary was uncontested, with James Wiley — who calls himself the “Red Flame of Liberty” — advancing to the November ballot.
