Katie Wallace of Longmont was selected to fill the Senate District 17 seat that was left vacant by Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis, who resigned last month amidst an ethics investigation into her alleged mistreatment of staffers. The Democratic Party vacancy committee held an online video conference on Tuesday night to vote on who will fill the seat. There were eight candidates being considered for the spot, including Longmont City Council member Shiquita Yarbrough.
Wallace’s most recent position was working as the Executive Director of the Democratic Senate Campaign Fund, a role she began last June. She worked as a District Director for U.S. Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo, Colorado’s 8th district representative that was defeated in her re-election campaign by current representative Gabe Evans. She has worked for Joe Biden and Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns, Congressman Joe Neguse, and Deb Gardner’s Boulder County Commissioner campaign.
Wallace received 59 percent of the vote while the next closest challenger, Andrew Baron of Colorado Common Cause, received 14 percent of the votes.
During the online meeting, Wallace said that through 13 years of grassroots organizing and making policy on behalf of us in both the State House and Congress, she learned that “change happens when we listen first, act second and never stop fighting for what's right.”
Wallace mentioned some key issues she hopes to work on during her role in the Colorado Senate, including renewable energy, affordable housing, protections for immigrants, and stronger environmental regulations. Wallace’s campaign page lists her stances on several more issues, including gun violence, LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights.
“Katie will champion access to life-saving, gender-affirming care for folks throughout our community, including young people,” the website states. Wallace will support gun reform measures such as SB25-003, which would place restrictions on “specified semi automatic firearms.”
Wallace’s campaign website states that she will push for TABOR reform in order to increase funding for public schools. “Katie will champion… a tax system that prioritizes our schools and our working class families over corporations,” the website states.
The campaign site also mentions climate change as an existential threat: “As your State Senator, Katie will advocate for legislation that advances a green economy with good paying jobs, transitions to renewable, clean energy that doesn't leave workers behind, takes on corporate polluters, and defends Colorado’s public lands and cherished way of life.”
