Regardless of their politics, those who have served in elected office alongside Morgan Carroll will tell you she’s one politician who doesn’t flinch. Now the chair of the state Democratic Party, Carroll is a veteran of the campaign trail who carved out a reputation as a dogged warrior. After years in the legislature, where she was known as a forceful voice for her caucus and her party platform, she now brings her combat skills to a new calling that also will require her to be a unifier. Have Democrats closed ranks since 2016’s smackdown between the supporters of Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton? And what are the party’s prospects in a state where unaffiliated voters outnumber either Democrats or Republicans? Carroll takes on those and other questions in today’s Q&A.

Colorado Politics: To say the least, you’ve been battle-tested in the political trenches. You ran a tough race last year against 6th Congressional District Republican incumbent Mike Coffman and before that were repeatedly elected to the state House and Senate. You’ve also won posts in legislative leadership, culminating in the Senate presidency. In other words, you’re hardly a desk-bound party functionary; you’re a fighter who’s seen years of live action. All the more to the point, then: Why party chair – a notoriously thankless post that operates far from the public eye and reputedly wins at least as many enemies as friends? What motivated you to seek the post, and what do you feel you bring to the position that will make a difference?

Morgan Carroll: I believe that right now – in this moment in time – everything I believe in and have ever fought for is in dire jeopardy.  I believe every measure of progress over the past 100 years is hurtling backward under right-wing hegemony in D.C.  This is bigger than me and bigger than any one race.  I ran for party chair because I think there is no greater calling than fighting for people, our rights and our planet.  The job is thankless but I know every day there is nothing more important I could spend my time on pertaining to the future of our state and our country.  We can’t let Republicans throw all of that progress away to give tax cuts to millionaires or fan the flames of hate and discrimination.

CP: As noted in media accounts of your congressional bid last year, your campaign was able to bridge the divide between Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders and eventual party nominee Hillary Clinton. Where do you feel the state party is now in that regard, a year after the election? Do you ultimately align more with one camp or the other?

Carroll: People are united in their outrage over what they are seeing in D.C. and have been more active than ever, fighting for our values at every level of public office. We have needed to acknowledge our differences within the party by listening and learning from each other’s experiences so we can move forward as a stronger party fighting for our progressive values.  My ultimate goal is empowering people and improving the party, which everyone can agree on.

CP: Here’s a question we asked your counterpart, Jeff Hays with the state GOP: How do Colorado’s surging rolls of unaffiliated voters affect your party’s long-term strategy in the state? Do you believe Democrats have an advantage with unaffiliated voters and if so, why? Will Proposition 108 make much of difference in the next election?

Carroll: I think this is a challenge and an opportunity for us. We will need to reach out and connect more than ever with unaffiliated voters.  Voters are paying more attention now because of the chaos and dysfunction in D.C., and we see in our polling that unaffiliated voters are almost as disgusted with Trump as Democrats are. But our message can’t just be that Trump is bad. Our message to unaffiliated voters is that we’re focused on solutions for middle-class and working families. Meanwhile, every time the Republicans are in power, all they want to do is cut taxes for millionaires, billionaires and corporations.  We know that our message resonates, but we have to be persistent to break through in the media. It’s hard to get a message out when the only political news is Trump chaos.

Morgan Carroll

CP: And here’s a question we ask a lot of people: Can you name some elected officials in the other party, past or present, whom you’ve respected and could work with?

Carroll: I have found that if you listen long enough you will find some genuine common ground with anyone.  The people I have worked well with probably don’t want me to name them or it could end their Republican political career. 🙂

CP: You’ve written a book about politics, “Take Back your Government: A Citizen’s Guide to Grassroots Change.” If you’ll pardon the comparison, Colorado’s 4th Congressional District U.S. Rep. Ken Buck recently authored a book espousing a related theme, “Drain the Swamp: How Washington Corruption is worse than you think.” Though penned by members of opposing parties, both books speak to the alienation of government from voters – the sense government has been hijacked – and appear to be part of a populist wave sweeping through both the left and the right. Do you see yourself as part of that wave? Was a resurgence of populism overdue and perhaps inevitable in U.S. politics?

Carroll: I have always considered myself a progressive populist and an activist at heart.  I believe that when people aren’t involved, government doesn’t work, but when people are involved, we get better candidates and policies that respond to the needs of everyday people. I think Democrats will ultimately benefit from a resurgence of populism, because populism – as opposed to serving the big corporate elite – has been our brand ever since the New Deal.

CP: Who or what inspired you to enter politics?

Carroll: My mom – who was willing to take risks in helping Jewish refuseniks escape the former Soviet Union for religious freedom in America and my dad who was relentless in fighting for “David” over “Goliath,” taking on the longest of odds for people and causes he felt were just – in the Courtroom or at the Capitol – and winning.  I was raised with the notion that the greatest moral failing is apathy and doing nothing when other people are being persecuted.  That inevitably points to a moral responsibility to be politically engaged.

CP: Your parallel career is as an attorney. If you had to pick any other profession, what would it be?

Carroll: My other two serious career considerations were to be a Rabbi or a psychologist as I felt both were other ways to help people and also make a difference in improving people’s lives.