Julie Gonzales
Colorado State Senator
Candidate for US Senate
Democrat
Next Election
Colorado 2026 Democrat Primary • June 30, 2026
About Julie Gonzales
From a ranching family to the State Capitol, Julie Gonzales has spent her life turning organizing into action and values into results.
GROUNDED IN WORK, GUIDED BY JUSTICE
Senadora Julie Gonzales is a progressive Democrat representing north, west, and downtown Denver in the Colorado Senate. Julie’s roots run deep: her family has lived in Colorado since before it was a state. Julie was born in Arizona and raised in South Texas where her family found ranch work and opportunity.
Julie’s mom, once a rodeo queen who was widowed with two kids by the time she was 20, fought her way back to the classroom as an elementary school teacher. Her dad worked cattle and later became a medical cannabis producer. As the sixth of seven kids, Julie learned what her parents preached: relentless work, radical honesty, and to always lift as we climb.
FROM THE CLASSROOM TO COLORADO
In high school, Julie spent summers in Denver saving for college; after graduating from Yale, she came back to stay. An organizer at her core, Julie built people-powered campaigns for affordable housing, education equity, and immigrant rights – proving that when everyday people come together, we can win.
ORGANIZING FOR CHANGE
Elected in 2018, Julie brought that organizing spirit into the Capitol and turned it into results. She enshrined abortion as a fundamental right, advanced voting rights, allocated millions of dollars to build and preserve affordable housing, strengthened protections for immigrant communities from ICE overreach, lowered the cost of prescription drugs, and repealed the death penalty. Julie’s approach is simple: put people first, take on entrenched power, and measure success by whether life gets better for working families.
LEADERSHIP WITH INTEGRITY
Julie currently serves as Chair of the Judiciary Committee, Vice Chair of Local Government & Housing, and sits on Appropriations, Finance, Legal Services, and Legislative Council. Senadora Gonzales also co-chairs the Colorado Democratic Latino Caucus. Colleagues and community advocates alike know Julie as a coalition builder who doesn’t shy away from tough fights and who insists that bipartisanship is a tool, not a trophy.
WHY SHE’S RUNNING
Julie’s story is proof of what one generation’s sacrifice can make possible. But she’s candid about the reality families face today: too many people are working just as hard without getting ahead because the rules are tilted toward the wealthy and well-connected. That’s why she’s running a people-powered campaign to lower costs, protect fundamental freedoms, and make sure Colorado is a place where every family can afford a home, see a doctor, and build a future with dignity.
PROUD TO CALL COLORADO HOME
Julie lives in Denver’s Jefferson Park neighborhood with her husband, Ben, and their beloved shih tzus, Panda and Beans.
Latest Updates
Candidate
Running for US Senate
The ability to afford a home, buy groceries, and send your child to daycare means more freedom for working families. I have been fighting to make life more affordable for years — and that won't changed when I get to the US Senate.
Candidate
Running for US Senate
The ability to afford a home, buy groceries, and send your child to daycare means more freedom for working families. I have been fighting to make life more affordable for years — and that won't changed when I get to the US Senate.
www.coloradopoliti... more
Candidate
Running for US Senate
@senadorajulie speaks on the power of every day Coloradans, divestment from ICE, and pressuring our elected officials to be better
Candidate
Running for US Senate
Colorado deserves a senator who actually wants the job. Representing Coloradans in the U.S. Senate requires grit and a willingness to fight relentlessly for people who have long been marginalized and silenced. You can’t do that if you think the job “... more
Candidate
Running for US Senate
Colorado deserves a senator who actually wants the job. Representing Coloradans in the U.S. Senate requires grit and a willingness to fight relentlessly for people who have long been marginalized and silenced. You can’t do that if you think the job “... more
Candidate
Running for US Senate
Met a lot of great folks today, but I wanted to uplift one conversation in particular. At the marade, I spoke with gentlemen from @milehighques, part of @officialoppf. Omega Psi Phi is getting ready to celebrate its 100th anniversary in Colorado, and... more
Candidate
Running for US Senate
Met a lot of great folks today, but I wanted to uplift one conversation in particular. At the marade, I spoke with gentlemen from @milehighques, part of @officialoppf. Omega Psi Phi is getting ready to celebrate its 100th anniversary in Colorado, and... more
Candidate
Running for US Senate
Thank you to everyone who turned out to the MLK Day Marade in Denver this morning! There’s no better way to honor Dr. King’s legacy than showing up, celebrating, and marching for Justice.
#MLKDay
#Marade
#Denver
#COpolitics
Candidate
Running for US Senate
Thank you to everyone who turned out to the MLK Day Marade in Denver this morning! There’s no better way to honor Dr. King’s legacy than showing up, celebrating, and marching for Justice.
#MLKDay
#Marade
#Denver
#COpolitics
Candidate
Running for US Senate
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. understood that the fight for racial justice was inseparable from the fight for economic justice. He spoke plainly about how chattel slavery was a system of forced, stolen labor that laid the foundation for American wealth ... more
Job Applicants Sue to Open ‘Black Box’ of A.I. Hiring Decisions The New York Times
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State Sen. Julie Gonzales should be ashamed of herself. Doesn’t Gonzales understand that U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper is entitled to the Democratic nomination for Senate? Doesn’t Gonzales know that, just like in 2020, Hickenlooper “needs his sleep” and cannot be bothered with some pesky, young state ...
Allow me to start with a flashback. It was Thanksgiving 2024, just over 12 months back. For the first time, our son Clarke hosted the family Thanksgiving near New York City. It is a sign of our aging when the kids start to step into the role of host and convenor. The occasion was lovely. […] The pos...
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