Jena Griswold’s attorney general primary win came decisively on Tuesday night, as Colorado’s current secretary of state fended off three fellow attorneys to claim the Democratic nomination. Riding strong name recognition and a commanding lead, Griswold now advances to a November contest that will decide who leads one of the state’s most powerful legal offices.

The margin left little suspense, with the race called early in the evening as Griswold pulled well ahead of the field.

A Commanding Margin

The Associated Press called the race for Griswold at 7:23 p.m., when she held a 26-percentage-point lead. She had captured 46% of the vote, far outpacing her closest rival, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty, who sat at 20%.

The remaining two candidates, both running in their first elections, trailed further back. Workers’ rights attorney David Seligman had 18%, while Hetal Doshi, a former federal prosecutor who most recently served in the Biden administration, drew 16%.

Celebrating with supporters at a Denver bar, Griswold thanked the crowd for sticking around long enough for the call, joking that they had endured an entire 18 minutes of waiting.

A Campaign Built Around Trump

Griswold made clear that opposition to President Trump sits at the heart of her candidacy. In a statement following her win, she said she was running to stand up to Trump’s attacks on rights and on the state, vowing to protect Coloradans from what she called a hostile administration.

She pledged to defend the environment and reproductive rights and to safeguard what she described as Colorado’s gold standard elections. Framing her campaign as a fresh chapter for the state, she promised a vision of justice serving the people rather than the powerful.

The Path That Brought Her Here

At 41, Griswold entered the race with a significant advantage in statewide name recognition. She has served as Colorado’s secretary of state since 2018, when she became the youngest person ever elected to the office at age 36.

Her rise came during the blue wave of 2018, a run she said was motivated by Trump’s 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton. As the highest-ranking woman in state office, she became a frequent and outspoken critic of the president, earning appearances on CNN, MSNBC, “Good Morning America,” and “The Daily Show” to discuss mail-in voting. She also drew attention, for better or worse, by sparring with Trump on the platform then known as Twitter.

Before her time as secretary of state, Griswold served as former Gov. John Hickenlooper’s liaison to Washington and worked as a voting rights attorney for President Obama’s 2012 campaign. A graduate of Estes Park High School, she now lives in Louisville.

Questions About Courtroom Experience

Griswold’s candidacy was not without criticism. Her opponents took aim at her limited courtroom experience and faulted her for skipping some candidate forums during the campaign.

Her background lies more in public policy than in litigation, though she holds an Ivy League law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and worked as a voter protection attorney before entering statewide office. Over her tenure as secretary of state, she oversaw 11 statewide elections, a record she leaned on to demonstrate her command of election administration.

What the Job Entails

The stakes of the race are considerable. The attorney general oversees an office of more than 650 employees with a sweeping mandate that includes prosecuting criminal cases, protecting consumers and the environment, enforcing antitrust and housing laws, and representing state agencies in court.

Whoever wins in November will replace term-limited Attorney General Phil Weiser, who captured the Democratic primary for governor on the same night, prevailing in a heated contest against U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet.

Griswold’s Policy Priorities

Looking ahead, Griswold has outlined an ambitious agenda. In a previous interview, she vowed to build out an office focused on workers’ rights to shield Coloradans from wage theft and illegal conduct, and to protect access to reproductive healthcare, including birth control, IVF, and abortion.

On public safety, she said she would push for a stronger ban on assault weapons and work to address the state’s rape kit backlog. Those priorities preview the kind of activist role she envisions for the office.

The Road to November

With the primary settled, Griswold will face Republican Michael Allen, the El Paso County District Attorney, who won his party’s nomination by defeating David Willson. Willson had represented former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters in an unsuccessful recount lawsuit.

The general election now sets up a clear contrast, pitting Griswold’s policy-driven, anti-Trump platform against a seasoned prosecutor. As one of the marquee down-ballot races in Colorado this fall, the contest will help define the state’s legal and political direction for years to come.