Fight Hard Fights

The coming Trump years pose some of the most challenging scenarios for Coloradans we’ve ever seen. The current threats to our communities, our environment, and our economy cannot be understated, but we aren’t afraid of a fight, and we are ready to lead. The Colorado Democratic Party (CDP) is one of the strongest state parties in the nation. Colorado was a “blue island in a red wave” in 2024 and stood out as a beacon of hope.

As a result, we maintained majorities in the General Assembly and on the CU Board of Regents and State Board of Education, delivered our electoral votes for Vice President Harris, and saw 30 counties in our state move towards Democrats, including GOP strongholds like Mesa and Douglas, building power and infrastructure across the state — an important victory in the face of staggering defeats across the nation. This is hard work we can be proud of.

But, hard work is often followed by hard truth: we cannot be satisfied with simply withstanding the red wave — we must challenge ourselves to not just hold what we have, but reclaim. The majority of Americans are beginning to see the Republican Party as best representing the interests of the working class and poor, and that the Democratic Party represents the elites and is out of touch with kitchen table issues; we must address this if we want to maintain our strength and grow into the future. The good news is that we are the ones capable of tackling hard truths by doing hard things, especially when we embrace the power of positivity, a good attitude, and unity.

We rise to the challenge of the coming years by doubling down on what worked this cycle and being unafraid to shelve what didn’t, leading with positivity, and including more people in the process and putting electing Democrats ahead of anything else.

Our Accomplishments

In just two years of our first term, we’ve led a team of county and state officers, volunteers, candidates, elected officials, and staff to accomplish a lot:

    • Ushered in the CDP’s most successful financial cycle in recent history, raising record-breaking dollars while cutting unnecessary spending. 

    • Hosted the first-ever premiere State Party fundraising events in Grand Junction and Pueblo, taking the State Party out of the Front Range.

    • Created the Colorado GreenWave with a first-ever $100,000 investment and partnership with the Democratic National Committee, which placed CDP organizers on college campuses in Grand Junction, Durango, and Greeley to turnout young voters who care for public lands, outdoor recreation, and fighting climate change. This also marked the first time CDP has won a competitive grant from the DNC.

    • Conducted the first-ever compliance-based audit of the Party’s budget and spending in recent years and eliminated threats of campaign finance violations by CDP and its initiatives by correcting past records.

    • Opened up our budget process to more voices, with numerous committee meetings sessions to strategize together and craft a budget built for growth and success.

    • Retained the previous administration’s staff, increased their pay, voluntarily recognized the staff union, and grew our staff with excellent new talent.

    • Eliminated harmful language towards tribal members and LGBTQ+ Democrats from our Party rules.

    • Built a stronger coalition by improving and rededicating our commitment to Labor unions, partnering with the AFL-CIO, AFSCME, SEIU and more. This resulted in the first-ever Colorado DemFest and partnership w/ AFL-CIO, a free day-long community celebration and gathering with Dems from across the state.

    • Recruited a diverse delegation to represent Colorado at the Democratic National Committee Convention in Chicago, raised over $10,000 in funding to send young Democrats to the convention at a reduced cost while providing delegates with a daily breakfast, transportation, and inspiring special guest speakers each morning.

    • Created DemFest, a free annual event for Party-building activities, community connections, training, seminars, and entertainment.

    • Dramatically simplified the caucus and assembly process for counties and candidates alike by creating one-page trainings, recorded trainings, hosting weekly Zooms, providing staff support, social media toolkits, and easy-access how-to manuals on how to run for a variety of positions, including DNC member.

    • Hosted ‘BIPOC Rising’, a training designed specifically for young Democrats and Democrats of color to learn how to run for office and how to campaign effectively.

    • Helped address the rural-urban divide by sending Front Range Democrats to rural and red areas to knock on doors, campaign, and get to know their rural neighbors.

    • Revitalized our relationship with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, including with a first-ever visit from any Chair of any political party. CDP was privileged to welcome them as a primary partner of the 2024 Obama Gala.

    • Grew our leadership at the DNC and the Association of State Democratic Committees, helping to shape the future of our Party with Chair Murib joining the Committee on the Future, a committee that compiled a negotiating package to the DNC on behalf of state parties which ensures that state parties across the nation receive adequate resources and better support from the DNC in the future.

    • Retained large majorities in the House & Senate, maintained control of the CU Board of Regents and State Board of Education, and saw 30 counties move left, including GOP strongholds.

    • Created The Horizon Project, a deep-canvassing program in CD8, which achieved an incredible 15 percent increase in turnout from low-turnout Democrats we talked to about voting. 

    • Created the Colorado County Comeback and invested over $50,000 in direct dollars to nineteen rural and red county parties, an unprecedented investment into local parties.

    • Formalized the House Majority Project & Democratic Senate Campaign Fund initiatives to elect Democrats to the General Assembly by inviting them to join our “coordinated campaign” and working as members of our team, not merely extensions of it.

    • Created the ‘Challengers’ program, giving candidates in deep red districts regular access to CDP staff, resources, and training.

    • Created a state and federal delegation table that coordinates the political working relationship across our statewide and federal elected members, and increased investment in the State Party. This marks a new beginning in coordination that has never existed on this level in Colorado. 

    • Led the push to defeat Proposition 131, a misguided attempt to create a pay-to-play style of elections by some of the wealthiest conservative interests in Colorado, and also joined the coalition to strengthen abortion rights in Colorado, eliminate anti-LGBTQ+ language in our state’s constitution, and protect public school funding.

Redesign. Rebuild. Reclaim.

Our accomplishments show that we have the grit and determination to take our Party into the future — one where we know that we rise and fall together. By honing our efforts, aligning ourselves towards common goals, and increasing collaboration, we can achieve this high goal and truly fight to win critical elections and enact policies that improve peoples lives. The time is now to redesign, rebuild, and reclaim our future.

REDESIGN

We must focus on transforming the structure and systems within our Party to ensure long-term success by doubling down on what’s working and being unafraid to move on from outdated models. 

Modernizing Our Party for a Stronger Future

Professionalize the Party

We’ve already begun streamlining our operations and implementing best practices for management, transparency, and financial stewardship, and doing so has illuminated numerous additional opportunities to improve our Party’s infrastructure. With another term, we will continue to redesign our processes to ensure efficiency, responsiveness, and transparency at every level of the Party.

Bring More People In & Remove Barriers

Too often, engaging with the Democratic Party for a newcomer can be daunting: long meetings, membership dues or event costs too often fund unclear goals, and complicated processes place difficult barriers to entry in our Party — this is an issue that we have worked hard to tackle in CDP, but there is much more to do. We will work with coalition partners to invite fresh ideas and new perspectives to our Party at all levels to build inclusive leadership pipelines, and we can streamline our rules and provide support for county parties and initiatives in shared efforts to recruit new people to our Party.

Meet Voters Where They’re At

To compete effectively in the modern era, we will examine our investment in technology, data analytics, and digital tools that allow us to connect with voters, organize volunteers, and mobilize support more effectively. We will also invest in more training on technology fundamentals like how to build a website or set up an effective donor, volunteer, and sales funnel for local leaders. Our focus will be on strategies that integrate new technologies to drive outreach, fundraising, and advocacy — not just administer the voter file. We’ll thrive by taking more risks, communicating authentically, and being fast while providing cutting edge support to local parties and initiatives.

Redesign Donor Engagement

Donors at every level support every effort, pay our staff, and fund our programs. Donors who give $5 or $10,000 are critical to our efforts. We will encourage continued investment from donors small and large alike by creating innovative and effective programs and providing evidence that their investment is aligned with building great infrastructure and measurable programs. After all, how much we raise is just as important as how we spend it, if not more.

Strength Through Kindness

We strongly believe in the no jerks rule, which means zero tolerance for mean-spirited approaches to this work, gossip, or unfounded or untrue allegations of each other. We will win by giving each other generous servings of respect, kindness, and empathy by assuming good intentions of our peers. While debate is healthy, division is not, and we are focused on bringing people in and creating a fun and inclusive culture. Colorado Democrats are strongest when we have the space to agree on many things and not every thing without betraying our values.

REBUILD

Strengthening Our Core and Empowering Our People

Rebuilding is about reinvigorating our grassroots efforts, strengthening our organizational culture, and empowering every individual who plays a role in our party’s success.

Empower Volunteers and Supporters

Volunteers are the heart of our success. We will strengthen our volunteer network by providing clear leadership roles and opportunities for  growth. We’ll continue to provide our volunteers with tools, training, and resources they need to succeed at every level, ensuring that every volunteer feels valued, empowered, and part of our collective mission.

Strengthen and Empower Precinct Organizers

Volunteers and party leaders are juggling many priorities in their everyday lives and deserve to know that their work contributes to moving the ball. We will build a Precinct Organizer (POs) Growth Committee, which will engage in a data-based approach to where we can recruit and utilize POs using best practices.

Let Young People Lead

Many young people don’t feel aligned with any political party and are hungry for ways to make a difference. We will collaborate with influencers and community organizations to meet young leaders where they are: online, through sports, and at issue-based events. We will double down on our training of young people to be great candidates or staff, and continue efforts to provide resources that support young people’s participation in political work and events. It should be fun to be a young person in our Party and not another stressor in their lives.

Dedicated to Labor

Labor Unions make up the backbone of the Colorado Democratic Party, and Labor unions are central to our candidate recruitment for races up and down the ballot. Unions must be true partners in our work long before we ever ask them for a check or volunteer help. In 2023, we recommitted ourselves to Labor with improved campaign and organizational coordination, and that’s why Chair Murib is proud to have the endorsement of the AFL-CIO for his reelection.

Inclusive Leadership and Teamwork

A culture of collaboration and teamwork will launch us to new heights. To do this means putting egos aside, embracing the no jerks rule, and making sure everyone—regardless of background or experience—has a seat at the table. Our incredible staff works under the principle of extreme ownership in their day-to-day, giving them the freedom to tackle issues head-on when they arise, ask for help, and celebrate success and embrace failure together. By prioritizing a unified team culture across the state, we will focus on working together with one shared goal: the success of the party and the people of Colorado.

Improved Membership Acknowledgement

When you become a member of our Party, you deserve recognition. Whether you’re a voter, a precinct organizer, a committee or initiative member, or an officer — you should be recognized for your contributions with a membership card and the tools and connections you need to succeed.

Engaging Unaffiliated Voters

Though we were successful in defeating the ill-intentioned Proposition 131 in 2024, we must respond by leading in efforts to include unaffiliated voters – Colorado’s largest voting bloc – in our Party. We can respond by leading on legislative and rule changes that allow unaffiliated voters to sign candidate petitions, providing us more insight into their values and inviting them to join our Party.

Accountability and Results

We can best hold ourselves accountable for our actions and results by establishing clear metrics for success, tracking our progress, and transparently addressing political challenges. Every leader, volunteer, and supporter must understand how their contributions directly impact the larger goals of the Party.

Our role as the leading force for progressive change in Colorado isn’t a given, it must be earned – especially as we compete in rural and red areas. The next frontier of Colorado politics is local, and we will go on the offense in municipal and school board elections in 2025 as we prepare for big statewide, legislative, county, and congressional contests in 2026.

RECLAIM

Restoring Our Strength and Leadership across Colorado

Double Down on Fundraising Success

 We will maintain steady cash-on-hand ready to weather any storm or withstand the national climate. We strongly believe in responsibly budgeting for high costs and moderate revenue so that we’re never surprised, and this has led to CDP having its most financially successful two-year cycle in recent history, giving us opportunities for growth and expanded investments.

Celebrate our Local Elected Officials and Hold Republicans Accountable

Our local elected officials are doing amazing work across the state and CDP can be their megaphone in supporting their work in the same way we champion our federal and state delegations. By harnessing this role, we can assist leadership in passing and messaging critical policies and hold Republicans accountable.

Acts of ‘small-d democracy’

Our neighbors love to see our Party as community members first and not just a political operation – this will help us build trust. CDP staff and state officers will engage in quarterly regional community service events where we work with local parties and political and nonpolitical organizations to engage in ‘small-d’ acts of democracy: river cleanups, helping out at foodbanks, join community groups, welcoming new citizens, and more.

Reclaim Our Standing with Working People & Talk Like Real People

Colorado should be the best place to be a worker in the country, and it should also be the best place to own and operate a business — both of these things are true with Democrats in power, and it is alarming that the majority of Americans are beginning to see the Republican Party as best representing the interests of the working class and poor – not Democrats.

We know this isn’t true and that our policies best serve working folks, but something has gotten lost. Democrats across the country own the responsibility to address this messaging failure if we wish to win battleground elections in the future. Unfortunately, the CDP platform was cited in numerous effective attack ads against our candidates up and down the ballot in the 2024 cycle, particularly in CD8 and CD3 and local contests, and we must address how our platform was so easily weaponized.

We have a responsibility to our volunteers, voters, and our candidates to challenge ourselves to make our platform shorter, simpler, and far more concise without sacrificing any of our values, but rather to honor them with improvements. Speaking clearly and simply about the challenges facing working families on the issues that are top-of-mind in each community — and standing up to those who seek to rig the system to benefit far-right billionaires — fully aligns with our unwavering commitment to a nation founded on freedom, justice, and dignity for all.

We can reclaim our standing with working people by going back to basics of creating a Colorado that lets you get a great job and a great education and live a great life in our state free from the fear of judgment, violence, or being taken advantage of no matter who you are, where you live, or where you’re from.

Reclaiming Unity

Unity is the foundation of our success. By putting egos and biases aside and focusing on collective goals, we will reclaim the unity that makes our Party strong and invites more people in. We will ensure that everyone—regardless of region, background, or role—feels connected to the broader vision of the Colorado Democratic Party.

Strengthen Local Partnerships in Rural and Red Counties

Local engagement is critical, as the Colorado County Comeback — a first-ever $50,000 investment in local parties in 2024 — proved. We provided resources to Alamosa, Chaffee, Douglas, El Paso, Garfield, Grand, Huerfano, Mesa, Ouray, Park, Pueblo, Routt, Clear Creek, Summit, Gilpin, Las Animas, Teller, Lincoln, and Larimer counties. Those that received county comeback funds increased their Democratic vote totals by 1.7 percent with the highest being Chaffee County (11 percent), out-performing Colorado by 5.9 percent and the nation by 9.4 percent. Overall, these counties saw a total of 40,667 new Democratic voters, representing 30 percent of all new Democratic voters statewide. Building lasting and resilient infrastructure will improve Democratic vote shares cycle-over-cycle.

Preparing for 2026 and Beyond

With an eye on the future, we will double down on grassroots organizing, data-driven strategies, and effective outreach to ensure that we are not only competitive but dominant in the 2025 and 2026 elections and beyond. To achieve this, we will begin the creation of our coordinated campaign now by starting candidate recruitment and candidate training early. We’ll also fight in key municipal and school board elections in 2025. In 2026, we need a rigorous, open, and effective primary process to battle-test our candidates to prepare them to win and govern during the 2nd Trump administration.