Graciela Garcia Irlando

Graciela "Chela" Garcia Irlando, a 33-year-old Mexican-American Democrat, is running for the Colorado State Senate District 34. A mom, environmentalist, and community advocate, she has a decade of leadership experience in Colorado's nonprofit and civic sectors. She is the inaugural Executive Director of the Next 100 Coalition, founder of Latino Outdoors Colorado, and a founding leader of Brown Girls Climb. Irlando earned both her B.A. and M.A. from the University of Colorado Boulder, where she was Ethnic Studies Valedictorian. She is campaigning on issues including affordability, environmental justice, universal healthcare, public education, gun safety, and reproductive freedoms, drawing on her experience raising two children in Denver and her family's immigrant roots. She is endorsed by current State Senator Julie Gonzales and seeks to represent North and West Denver in the open seat primary election.