Colorado Secretary of State Candidates 2026 — Comparison
The 2026 Colorado Democratic primary for Secretary of State features two candidates: Amanda Gonzalez, the Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder, and Jessie Danielson, a State Senator from District 22. The primary is June 30. Here's how they compare.
Current Role
Amanda Gonzalez
County Clerk & Recorder, Jefferson County. Manages a $20 million budget, 114 staff, and up to 1,000 election workers per cycle.
Jessie Danielson
State Senator, District 22.
Elected By
Amanda Gonzalez
163,927 voters (Jefferson County)
Jessie Danielson
46,508 voters (Senate District 22)
Amanda Gonzalez
Executive Director of Colorado Common Cause, Attorney, Professor of Election Law, Small Business CEO, Executive Director of CLLARO
Past Roles
Jessie Danielson
State Representative, State Director of America Votes, Political Director of NARAL
Election Administration Experience
Amanda Gonzalez
Yes. Directly responsible for administering elections for nearly half a million registered voters.
Jessie Danielson
No. Serves in a legislative role. Does not administer elections.
Election Law
Amanda Gonzalez
Bar-certified election attorney and key architect of many of Colorado’s major election laws, including Automatic Voter Registration, jail-based voting, and multilingual ballots.
Jessie Danielson
Has sponsored and voted on many election laws.
Election Security
Amanda Gonzalez
Upgraded physical and cybersecurity at the Jefferson County elections office, interfaces with DOJ and federal authorities, prepared responses to disinformation, threats to election workers, and federal overreach.
Jessie Danielson
Works on election policy, not operational security. No direct operational experience with election threats.
Personal Background
Amanda Gonzalez
Queer, Latina, first-generation professional. Career election expert.
Jessie Danielson
Lifelong Coloradan. Career in politics.
Amanda Gonzalez is the only candidate in the 2026 Colorado Secretary of State race who has run elections, managed election security, and written election law. The primary is June 30. Mail ballots arrive in early June. This is our democracy. We're taking it back.