Once a big name and rising star in Colorado, Crisanta Duran has taken her political game to the Empire State.

Democrats for Education Reform announced Monday morning that the former speaker of the Colorado House would be its New York state director.

“Now more than ever, we need strong leadership for New York’s students to not only tackle the persistent inequities that have long driven unequal outcomes for students, but to create a new path forward in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis,” Duran said in a statement. “I look forward to working with electeds and advocates across our state to ensure a brighter future for all of our students-regardless of who they are or where they grow up.”

Duran served in the legislature from 2011 to 2019, before she was term-limited. She ran for time for Congress, taking on incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette in Denver’s 1st Congressional District, before dropping out.

Besides working as state director for DFER, Duran will be director of an affiliate organization, Education Reform Now NY.

DFER said in a press release Monday that Duran will work to improve education equity in New York state, especially for low-income and students of color

“She’ll also lead on DFER’s commitment to maintaining a Democratic majority in the Assembly and Senate in the upcoming 2020 elections,” the organization stated.

A lawyer, Duran is a Colorado native whose family has been involved in organized labor and Democratic politics for decades. She was Colorado’s first Latina Speaker of the House, holding the gavel in 2017 and 2018.