Gubernatorial candidate Cary Kennedy says strong Democratic governors need to lead change at the state level while Republicans in Washington continue to chip away at protections for the working class.

Kennedy spoke to about 75 supporters at her campaign’s new headquarters in Denver Wednesday evening, saying her plan for preserving Colorado’s environment, public lands and affordable housing is possible. But she said it’s going to be a tough job with the current GOP leadership in Washington.

“We need to keep Colorado the place that we love in the face of a lot of change, that means protecting our open space and public lands,” she said to the cheering crowd. “We will not sell off Colorado’s public lands.”

And she said equitable public education and sustainable and affordable housing are at the center of supporting Colorado’s current population.

“We can’t let Colorado become the next California,” she said. “We need to make sure that people can afford to live here and work here.”

Kennedy said if elected, she’ll work toward those goals but “it’s a lot harder with who’s in the White House. I’m making a new bumper sticker: What happens in Washington, stays in Washington.”

Kennedy is a former state treasurer as well as a former deputy mayor and chief financial officer of Denver. If elected, she would be Colorado’s first woman governor. Lt. Gov. Donna Lynne also is in Democratic primary, and Attorney General Cynthia Coffman is running in the Republican race.