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HOUSE DISTRICT 25

Why it matters

Democrats currently have a nine-seat lead in the State House. However, because every single seat is up for election every two years, things can change very quickly. If our crushing defeat in the 2016 election taught us nothing else, it’s that there are absolutely no guarantees.

The State Representatives elected in 2018 will be responsible for redistricting in 2020, which makes keeping the House crucial to protecting our state from Republican gerrymandering. Given the stakes, we must seize every possible opportunity to pick up seats.

Race overview

This seat is currently held by Republican Tim Leonard, a commercial real estate developer in the Denver metro area. In December of 2016, Rep. Leonard was held in contempt of court and sentenced to 14 days in jail after multiple attempts to interfere with his ex-wife’s sole authority to make educational decisions for their four minor children. Democrat Lisa Cutter, an experienced progressive activist and communications professional, will face Rep. Leonard in November.

Rep. Leonard won his last election by just 1800 votes and has taken numerous hard-right votes in his brief, troubled tenure as a state representative. As a legislator, Sen. Leonard has prioritized attacking women’s right to choose, dismantling Colorado’s state health care exchange, and blocking attempts to create clean energy jobs.

Democratic State House candidate Lisa Cutter (HD-25)
Democratic State House candidate Lisa Cutter (HD-25)

District overview

Population:
78,892

Registered voters:
Democrat: 17,161 | Republican: 22,409 | Unaffiliated: 23,929

Key areas:
Evergreen, Morisson, Dakota ridge.

Counties:
Jefferson

Landmarks:
Red Rocks Amphitheatre

District map (click to view interactive)

What's at stake

Despite a notable lack of media coverage, many of the policies that most directly affect people’s lives are actually made at the state level. With a fully progressive state government, we can go beyond merely resisting Trump’s destructive agenda and begin advancing policies that actually improve people’s lives.

To truly understand what’s at stake in state politics, just look at what each party in Colorado has prioritized (but not always being successful at) in recent years:

Colorado Democrats:

Creating free all-day kindergarten for families throughout the state

Easing TABOR restrictions to end the unnecessary, self-imposed funding crisis facing our schools, roads, and hospitals

Making Colorado a leader in renewable energy by requiring at least 30% of energy from renewables by 2020

Making it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity

Joining the National Popular Vote Compact to end the Electoral College as we know it

Fighting to defend women’s rights and reproductive freedoms — especially the constitutionally protected right to choose

Colorado Republicans:

Reducing funding for k-12 education and higher education by thousands of dollars per student

Supporting and defending TABOR, the most restrictive conservative tax policy in the country — making it effectively impossible for the state to build a surplus or fund basic services

Blocking efforts to ban oil and gas drilling withing 1000ft of schools and neighborhoods

Blocking efforts ban the tortourous, cruel practice of “gay conversion therapy” from being performed on minors

Defunding the Colorado health care exchange and cutting rural hospital funding for medicaid patients

Making all forms of abortion illegal, even in cases of rape or incest, by criminalizing abortion as a class 1 felony — the same category as first-degree murder and actual treason

How to help

Volunteer! Nothing helps candidates more than grassroots volunteers. Knocking doors, making calls, and helping staff with competitive campaigns is one of the biggest ways you can make a difference.

Volunteer for Lisa Cutter's campaign

Donate! The only way to beat the Republican fundraising machine is with an army of small donors. Your donations help campaigns hire staff, organize volunteers, and get out the vote.

Donate to Lisa Cutter's campaign