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Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold

Griswold announces candidacy for Colorado attorney general

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold - public domain

Derek Draplin
(The Center Square)

Secretary of State Jena Griswold on Monday announced her bid to be Colorado’s next attorney general.

Griswold has been secretary of state since 2019 after defeating incumbent Republican Wayne Williams.

The Democrat pledged to challenge the Trump administration in a statement announcing her candidacy.

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Gavel resting on a strike plate on top of a Colorado state flag.
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“I am running for Attorney General because Colorado needs a strong, proven leader in this critical moment,” she said. “I’ll stand up to Donald Trump to protect our rights and freedoms. I’ll fight for working- and middle-class Coloradans, hold big corporations accountable, and safeguard our land, air, and water.”

Griswold touted her role in adding more ballot drop offs and increasing in-person voting, as well as overseeing automatic voter registration during her time as the state’s top election official.

But she’s faced criticism over her handling of a spreadsheet containing voting system passwords that was posted on her office’s website last year. In 2019 after taking office, she also was criticized for allowing a Planned Parenthood official to give feedback and edits on a secretary of state press release about Alabama’s abortion laws.

Last year, Griswold faced threats over her role in the Trump ballot eligibility case that made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, leading to a Florida man facing two years in prison for threats against public officials including Griswold.

Phil Weiser, Colorado’s current attorney general, announced in January he is running for governor.