In the 2026 midterm elections, Colorado voters will choose the state’s next attorney general, whose role advises government agencies and lawmakers, oversees legal matters for the state and represents the public interest.
As current Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is term-limited, the office will be left open to new leadership. Republican candidate Michael Allen and Democratic candidate Jena Griswold are the two candidates running to fill the position.
Michael Allen
Allen, a U.S. Navy veteran, currently serves as the district attorney for Colorado’s 4th Judicial District. Allen said he is a Colorado native, with his roots going back hundreds of years.
“My family’s been in Colorado since Colorado (became) a state,” Allen said.
As the district attorney, Allen created an organized-crime unit focused on fentanyl trafficking and motor vehicle theft; he said his office was the first office in the state to launch a motor vehicle theft task force.
“I transitioned a unit in my office that was designed to go after economic crime and wasn’t being utilized in an effective way from past administration,” Allen said. “I changed it over to (an) organized-crime unit.”
He said that the organized crime unit cut motor vehicle theft by 50% from 2024 t0 2025 and that it achieved “some of the longest prison sentences for fentanyl dealers who kill somebody with their fentanyl around the state of Colorado.”
When considering Colorado’s future, Allen said he is focused on long-term challenges younger generations will face as they establish their adult lives. Allen said he strives to further a state that “we can all be proud of and know that we’ve done things that are resilient and long-range thinking that will be effective for everybody.”
Allen said he is also passionate about enhancing Colorado’s public safety profile and that his first priority is working closely with law enforcement, Colorado district attorneys and the legislature to put “our best foot forward on public safety, so that when somebody’s victimized, a bad actor is held accountable to the appropriate levels.”
Allen emphasized he believes public safety is directly correlated with cost of living.
“If you have a state that has high motor vehicle theft,” Allen said. “You know that the insurance companies are going to charge higher premiums because you live in a higher crime category for the thing that they’re going to insure.”
Allen highlighted consumer protection and fairness in housing — especially for college students renting in particular communities — are imperative to lowering Colorado’s cost of living.
“A healthy watershed is a strong economic asset for businesses and recreational community, outdoor recreation community and farmers and ranchers,” Allen said. “We need to do a better job of protecting our natural resources and our water rights, because after all, the farmers and ranchers and the municipalities are (depending) on that water going forward. … All they care about is that the water that they have a right to shows up.”
Jena Griswold
Griswold, the race’s Democratic candidate, grew up in Estes Park in a working-class family, according to her campaign website. After becoming the first person in her family to attend a four-year university and attend law school, Griswold worked in Washington, D.C. as an international anticorruption attorney and later director of the Colorado governor’s office in Washington.
First elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022, Griswold currently serves as Colorado’s secretary of state. At the time of her election, Griswold was the youngest secretary of state in the United States.
As secretary of state, Griswold increased the number of mail ballot drop boxes by more than 70%, launched a statewide ballot tracking system and implemented automatic voter registration reform. Additionally, she established a unit within the secretary of state’s office focused on protecting Colorado elections and worked on laws to require disclaimers on election communications that have been generated or altered by artificial intelligence.
If elected attorney general, Griswold’s website states she would prioritize protecting Colorado citizens’ rights and freedoms, pledging to “stand up against Donald Trump” and “defend reproductive freedom.”
“She will fight back against Donald Trump’s unconstitutional actions and policies, ensuring Colorado remains a beacon of justice and democratic values,” the website reads.
Griswold’s website states she stands against the prosecution of patients or doctors over the access or provision of reproductive healthcare. In addition, Griswold stated she plans to “investigate, prosecute and hold federal officials and (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) accountable if they violate the law.”
Griswold’s website also stated she prioritizes protecting Colorado’s natural resources and stand up for the working class. According to her website, she “will defend Colorado’s air, water, land and climate, and hold corporate polluters accountable.”
In regard to public safety and justice, Griswold’s website claims she plans to reduce Colorado’s rape kit backlog and advocate for gun safety reforms, such as a strong ban on assault weapons.
“Jena will invest in programs that prevent crime before they happen, improve mental health and reduce recidivism,” her website reads.
Griswold did not respond to The Collegian’s request for comment at the time of publishing.
There are no third-party candidates on the ballot for attorney general.
Reach Clarity Johnson at news@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
