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Lindsay Gilchrist (i) Democrat
Residence: Denver
Profession: Legislator
Education: B.A. in Political Science & Spanish from the University of San Diego; Masters in Public Policy from UCLA
Experience: Having worked on policy issues from outside and alongside the government throughout my career, I was proud to pass 26 bills focused on child welfare, healthcare, and criminal justice in my first term.
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
If reelected, I will continue to fight to expand access to quality health care, ensure all of Colorado’s children and youth have the opportunities they need to thrive, and reform our criminal justice system to create a more equitable approach to public safety. If granted the opportunity to continue this work, improving Colorado’s child welfare system will remain a central priority for me. As a foster and adoptive parent, I know firsthand how critical access to mental health services is for children and youth, particularly those in foster care.
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
Affordability demands urgent attention from Colorado lawmakers. Colorado is an incredible state, but it is becoming too expensive for far too many. I am deeply committed to tackling this challenge head-on. If reelected, I will focus on the rising costs of health care and housing and work to relieve the tremendous financial pressure facing Colorado families.
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
Working in Senator Ted Kennedy’s office early in my career taught me how to bring people from opposite sides together on issues to pass legislation. These skills remain invaluable to my work in the legislature. If reelected, I am dedicated to continuing to work alongside colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find common ground and create policies that serve the interests of all Coloradans. Building effective policy relationships with my Republican colleagues is critical. One area I see the opportunity to collaborate is in improving our health care system. All Coloradans deserve access to quality health care, yet rising costs have placed an increasing burden on families. We have an opportunity to make Colorado’s health care system more effective to deliver better outcomes for all.
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?
A central priority I share with our democratic nominee is addressing youth mental health. I am excited to take this opportunity to work on building out the continuum of care for Colorado kids to ensure every child in the state has access to the right support when they need it. Social media regulations are another area I seek to address under the new administration; for too long we have allowed our children to be exposed to the harmful effects social media can have on their mental health. With a new governor, I see real potential to take these issues head-on.
Jesse Parris Unity Party
Residence: Denver
Profession: Activist/Mover
Education: Bachelor’s of Science from Metro State University in Criminal Justice and Criminology
Experience: I have ran for political office several times over the last 7 years! I have been actively involved in my Community for over a decade and have help many people along the way!
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
Stop Displacement in Our Communities, Demand Accountability in Public Safety, Fight Black Denverites Interests
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
Housing Stabilization & Anti-Displacement: Expand statewide tenant protections, limit predatory rent hikes, and mandate meaningful percentages of deeply affordable housing in state-assisted developments to protect historic working-class communities from being priced out.
Targeted Property Tax Relief: Structure property tax relief to prioritize primary homeowners, fixed-income seniors& working families rather than speculative investors or corporate developers.
Consumer & Utility Cost Protections: Cap utility rate increases from monopolies, expand state-backed energy efficiency assistance for low- to middle-income households, and end hidden fees that inflate daily living costs.
Fair Wealth Distribution: Tax speculative land banking and luxury developments to fund permanent affordable housing!
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
Targeted Property Tax & Cost Relief: Both parties recognize that rising costs are straining household budgets. Common ground exists in crafting property tax relief that specifically protects primary homeowners, fixed-income seniors, and working families without undermining essential local public services.
Public Safety Accountability & Transparency: Broad consensus can be built around improving transparency, community trust, and effectiveness in public safety infrastructure, ensuring public resources are spent responsibly and transparently.
Cutting Red Tape for Essential Services: Streamlining state processes to deliver energy assistance, consumer protections, and local infrastructure support more efficiently to everyday residents without unnecessary bureaucratic delay.
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?
Opportunities exist to revisit essential labor reforms such as ending wage theft for independent contractors, protecting union organizing rights, and reining in exploitative consumer practices that previously faced executive resistance. Shift the state’s housing focus beyond market-rate supply & developer incentives toward robust tenant protections,anti-displacement safeguards & direct funding for permanent community land trusts. Establish unyielding state standards for police accountability, oversight of law enforcement equipment & full transparency in public spending to build real trust in local communities. Advance binding environmental justice protections and public health standards for working-class neighborhoods overburdened by industrial pollution, ensuring community well-being is priority.
Carolyn Barnes did not return the questionnaire.
