Three Democrats running to be Colorado’s next attorney general are united in saying Secretary of State Jena Griswold has lacked engagement with voters and other candidates throughout the primary campaign.

The Colorado Sun hosted a debate Wednesday featuring David Seligman, executive director of nonprofit legal advocacy group Towards Justice; Michael Dougherty, the Boulder County district attorney; and Hetal Doshi, a former assistant U.S. attorney for Colorado. Griswold, a Democrat who is also running for attorney general, was absent.

An internal poll from Griswold’s campaign pegged her as the frontrunner with a strong lead over the other three candidates, but the Democrats running against her don’t buy it and said polls don’t win elections.

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Dougherty said he, Seligman and Doshi have shown up to participate in more than a dozen candidate forums or debates, none of which Griswold attended. If Griswold can’t face other candidates and debate moderators, then she cannot face the Trump administration in court as Colorado’s attorney general, Dougherty said.

Doshi said Griswold has avoided debates not just because of her perceived status as the frontrunner or refusal to answer unscripted questions, but because she refuses to take accountability for her record. Griswold is campaigning on her experience leading a state agency, not arguing cases in a courtroom, Doshi said.

“It’s not enough to give big, fiery speeches about the future, but it’s critical to say, ‘and here’s how I’ve done it before. Don’t trust my words, trust my record,’” Doshi said.

While all three candidates agreed Griswold is technically qualified for the position because she is a lawyer, Seligman said she is not the right person for the office at this time. Doshi said she does not have “substantive” qualifications, and Dougherty said she is not qualified to lead the attorney general’s office “in the fight for justice” against the “lawless” Trump administration.

Seligman said he would support Griswold in November if she wins the Democratic nomination, but Dougherty and Doshi, while they support Democratic candidates, said that before they could support a Griswold nomination they need more assurance that she will show up to debates against Republican candidates.

All three candidates touted their unique legal backgrounds and how that experience would help them in the attorney general’s office. Seligman emphasized his experience fighting corporate landlords and hospital systems to defend working class Coloradans. Dougherty said his time prosecuting high-profile cases in Boulder, like the King Soopers shooting and the Pearl Street firebomber, show he can get results under pressure. Doshi said her federal court and litigation experience will help her take on big corporations and the Trump administration.

While the Democrats all have similar opinions on policies, they differed in their top priorities and structural goals for the attorney general’s office. All three candidates said protections for the Colorado environment, including air, water and land, would be a top priority.

Seligman wants to protect immigrant communities in Colorado and serve as “an independent voice” to hold the governor accountable on legislative issues. For example, he said he would call out Democratic Governor Jared Polis “loudly and proudly” for vetoing the Worker Protection Act.

Dougherty wants to spread the staff of the attorney general’s office across the state as opposed to centralizing the office in Denver. He also wants to prioritize consumer protection and safety.

Doshi wants to prioritize white collar crime enforcement, which she said the Trump administration has “completely abdicated.” She also wants to work on protections against artificial intelligence and scams.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, a Democrat, is term-limited and is running for governor.

Primary ballots were scheduled to be mailed to all active registered voters in Colorado this week. Coloradans can consult Colorado Newsline’s 2026 Voter Guide for information on contested primary races.

Colorado’s primary election is on June 30.