DENVER (February 11, 2026) – The Colorado Working Families Party (WFP) today announced its first endorsements for the 2026 Colorado Primary Election. 17 candidates rose to the bar for early primary endorsements, earning support after a rigorous vetting process and demonstrating a clear commitment to fighting for working families, not corporate donors or political insiders.

“In this moment, the stakes of our primaries couldn’t be higher,” said Wynn Howell, State Director of the Colorado Working Families Party. “Working people are fed up with a political system that feels rigged against them—where billionaires and corporate PACs call the shots while families struggle with the cost of housing, health care, and groceries. Our endorsed candidates are leaders who will stand up to corporate interests and who are ready to fight for an economy and a democracy that work for all of us—not just the wealthy few. These are candidates who understand that the game is rigged, who aren’t afraid to take on the political establishment, and who are ready to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with working people to win real change.”

Statewide, WFP is endorsing Amanda Gonzalez for Colorado Secretary of State and Julie Gonzales for U.S. Senate. This is in addition to two candidates for the State Board of Education, 5 candidates for county offices and 8 candidates for the state legislature. Of these, 11 are expected to face competitive primaries.

“I’m incredibly proud to have the endorsement of the Working Families Party for the second time,” said Jefferson County Clerk & Recorder and candidate for CO Secretary of State Amanda Gonzalez. “All across this country, WFP has been on the front lines—defending our democracy from Trump’s attacks, fighting to ensure every vote is counted and every voter is treated with dignity. That’s not abstract to me. That’s the work. It’s the work I’ve done as Jefferson County Clerk & Recorder, running elections for hundreds of thousands of voters and delivering record turnout. And it’s the work I’m ready to scale as Colorado’s next Secretary of State. In moments like this, democracy doesn’t defend itself—people do. And this endorsement is a powerful statement that we’re in this fight together.”

“In race after race, we’re seeing oil and gas executives, corporate lobbyists, and dark money groups try to tighten their grip on the Democratic Party,” said Howell. “We’re proud to defend proven champions who have stood up to corporate power—and to back bold challengers when incumbents side with corporate interests instead of the working people they were elected to represent. Colorado voters want leaders who will fight for affordable housing, utilities & groceries, good union jobs, and a livable future—not politicians who cave to the same corporate forces rigging the system. We’re building a multiracial coalition of working people ready to take them on and win.”

Full list of early round endorsements in the 2026 primary:

Federal

• Julie Gonzales, U.S. Senate

Statewide

• Amanda Gonzalez, Secretary of State

State Board of Education

• Lisa Escárcega, Congressional District 1
• Karla Esser, Congressional District 7

County Offices

• Emma Pinter, Adams County Commission, District 3
• Tyler Quick, Adams County Commission, District 4
• Michael Westerberg, Arapahoe County Treasurer
• Jessica Campbell, Arapahoe County Commission, District 2
• Leslie Summey, Arapahoe County Commission, District 4

State Legislature 

• Michael Neil, House District 2
• Gena Ozols, House District 3
• Justine Sandoval, House District 5
• Iris Halpern, House District 6
• Monica VanBuskirk, House District 9
• Junie Joseph, House District 10
• Gabriel Cervantes, House District 31
• Chela Garcia Irlando, Senate District 34

The Colorado Working Families Party will announce additional endorsements in the coming months.

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