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Javier Mabrey (i) Democrat
Residence: Denver
Profession: Attorney
Education: University of California Berkeley, J.D. University of Colorado Boulder, B.A. Political Science.
Experience: House Judiciary Committee Chair, Senior Housing Attorney: CEDP, Associate Attorney: Faegre Drinker, Law Clerk U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
Pass the Worker Protection Act. Colorado is the only state that makes workers win two elections to form a strong union. That second election exists to give employers time to intimidate and retaliate. Restore the freedom to organize, and wages rise from the ground up.
Ban surveillance pricing. Corporations are spying on us and setting individualized prices for plane tickets, groceries, medicine when our kids are sick, you name it. Coloradans shouldn’t be scammed by being spied on.
Pass a bill that creates a civil cause of action when your constitutional rights are violated by federal agents. This law will help us hold ICE accountable. Nobody is above the law in Colorado.
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
Affordability isn’t only about what we are paying for housing, healthcare or food, it’s also about purchasing power, how much workers are actually paid. That’s why the Worker Protection Act matters. When workers can organize without fear, wages rise. It’s the most durable affordability policy we have.
We must also go after the creative ways the biggest companies in the world are using new technologies and algorithms to rig the economy. We should ban landlords from using algorithms to fix the price of rents by using software that fed competitors’ data back to them and pushes prices up across the state. And we should ban surveillance pricing, where corporations use your personal data to decide what you pay for groceries, airfare, and medicine.
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
Flock cameras now blanket Colorado towns, logging where people drive and feeding that data to buyers most residents never consented to. Distrust of that is bipartisan, and I know we have members of both parties ready to protect our rights. The Fourth Amendment is not for sale; the government shouldn’t be able to buy what it would otherwise need a warrant to obtain. Same with costs. I’ll work with anyone, of any party, who is serious about passing meaningful legislation to tackle the rising costs of healthcare and housing.
A new governor will take office next year. What opportunities are there for legislation or other changes that did not gain traction under Gov. Jared Polis?
Over the last two sessions, I have been a lead sponsor on 8 bills that passed through both chambers that Gov. Polis vetoed.
We twice passed the Worker Protection Act, which would let workers organize without a second election designed to give employers time to stall and retaliate. We passed HB25-1004 to stop landlords using algorithms to collude and fix the price of rents, HB26-1210 to keep corporations from using your personal data to scam you, and SB26-005 to give people a way to sue when federal agents violate their constitutional rights.
Those bills had broad support from community and Democrats in the legislature. I’m looking forward to working with Governor Weiser to finally get them signed.
Joseph Montoya Republican
Residence: Denver
Profession: Legal Assistant/Musician
Education: Double Honors Student at Arapahoe Community College Paralegal
Experience: I have been Pro se 6 years Family court. I am currently ready to graduate with an AAS in Paralegal studies with double honors and straight A’s last semester. I am a parental rights advocate.
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
Remove the 10 year requirement for senior citizens to receive the tax credit.
I have a plan to reform family court, using the same model as drug court.
I would like to put rent control in place to address homelessness.
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
1. Zoning and land-use reform.
2.Public land release and infrastructure.
3.Reduce construction and development costs.
4.Crime, public safety, and quality of life.
5.Schools and education quality.
6. Traffic, infrastructure, and local services
Congestion on major arterials (Federal Blvd, Sheridan, Hampden, Alameda), road/sidewalk condition, snow removal, and park maintenance. Access to reliable transit without long waits or safety concerns also comes up.
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
I don’t see it with Republicans being the minority. I think the democrats have had too much power in our state for decades. We need more voices to advocate a different view. With Democrats in control our voices and opposing views are shut out. I am willing to see the other side, however when our voices are shut out it leaves little for me to do to meet in the middle. Colorado needs change and that change is the red ticket. At least for now. I can see all sides. I haven’t see anyone in Colorado on the left willing to listen. However I will keep trying with respect and listening and hope for understanding on both view points.
A new governor will take office next year. What opportunities are there for legislation or other changes that did not gain traction under Gov. Jared Polis?
So far unfortunately the Democratic-leaning legislature will shape what reaches the governor’s desk. Local control remains a political force, especially on land use statewide preemption has repeatedly hit resistance. Implementation on matters as much as passage and prior reforms have had us have many unneeded lawsuits and uneven local compliance. Costing taxpayers millions. Affordability (housing + taxes/fees + broader cost of living) and public safety are the issues most likely to drive attention, including in Southwest Denver. In short, the clearest unfinished business lies in more aggressive housing-supply reforms that go beyond the incremental steps of the Polis years, paired with sustained attention to tax/fee burdens and regulatory costs.
