Jenna Griswold: “I will stand up to the federal government to protect Colorado”

DEMOCRAT | Jenna Griswold. (Photo / AP)

SECRETARY OF STATE SEEKS TO BECOME COLORADO ATTORNEY GENERAL

Jesús Sánchez Meleán / El Comercio de Colorado

Secretary of State Jenna Griswold is running to be elected Colorado Attorney General with the pledge to combat corporate greed, confront ICE abuses, and sue the federal government to defend community rights.

Jesús Sánchez Meleán: What would be the priority of your administration?

Jenna Griswold: Affordability. I am running because Coloradans deserve opportunities, access to good education, fair wages, and the chance to pursue their passions. Working together, we will go after illegal corporate greed to stop price gouging and wage theft.

I will staff an office dedicated to workers’ rights and truly stand up for middle- and working-class Coloradans.

JSM: Under what circumstances would you sue the federal government?

JG: I will sue the federal government when they break the law. And they have been breaking the law a lot. Trump has waged a campaign of retaliation against Colorado over the Tina Peters case and our mail-in elections. Colorado has filed or joined more than 80 lawsuits over the past year and a half to protect its residents, including pushing back against Trump unlawfully withholding SNAP benefits, attempting to illegally move Space Command, imposing tariffs, or restricting mail-in ballots.

And the list goes on and on. My Republican opponent says he will drop many of the lawsuits that Attorney General Weiser has brought.

JSM: What is your primary achievement as a public official?

JG: I believe it has been protecting voting rights in Colorado. Under my leadership, we have increased voting access. There are now 70% more ballot drop boxes across the state, and there are more voting centers. We worked with the legislature to pass automatic voter registration, which has registered approximately 900,000 Colorado voters to date. Alongside the legislature, we restored voting rights for individuals on parole. I guaranteed access on public college campuses and on tribal lands.

JSM: Anything you regret?

JG: Well, gosh… you know you are always learning, and if there have been mistakes, of course I regret them. But overall, I think I am tremendously proud of our efforts. We are a leading state across the nation in defending voting rights. I was eager to campaign for this office, just as we are doing now, and then become the first Democratic woman to serve as Colorado Attorney General.

JSM: What is your position regarding ICE actions in Colorado?

JG: ICE concerns many Coloradans. As Attorney General, I will ensure that any federal agent who commits a crime faces consequences. I will enforce the state law prohibiting cooperation with ICE, maintain the reporting tool for federal abuses, and support halting detention centers. My husband and our baby are Latino, and I believe the level of racial profiling and lawlessness should be alarming to anyone. Unlike my opponent, I will hold ICE accountable to protect our community.

JSM: Do you have a favorite dish from Latino cuisine?

Jenna Griswold: Oh, I love Mexican and Latin American food! My husband is Mexican-American. His parents were born along the border, in Laredo and Nuevo Laredo. So anything my sister-in-law cooks, I love—particularly tacos.

JSM: How did you feel seeing Tina Peters in the Oval Office with Donald Trump yesterday?

Jenna Griswold: Tina Peters is an election denier trying to undermine our elections. And the saying “birds of a feather flock together” certainly applies. Trump is also an election denier. We have been resisting their attacks on the 2026 elections for the past year and a half.