State Rep. Kyle Mullica announced Monday he will seek a spot in the state Senate next year to represent Senate District 24 in Adams County.

A Democrat, Mullica was elected to represent House District 34 in 2018 and won reelection in 2020, both by comfortable margins.

So far, the field includes former state Rep. Joe Salazar, a Democrat who filed his papers to run on Nov. 4. Salazar dropped out of the legislature to run for attorney general in 2018, losing narrowly in the primary to eventual winner Phil Weiser.

Sen. Faith Winter, a Democrat from Westminster, currently represents Senate District 24, but redistricting maps drawn as a result of the census put Winter in District 25 starting with next year’s election.

Winter won the District 24 seat with 52.3% in 2018 over incumbent Republican Beth Martinez Humenik.

Mullica touted his experience as an emergency room nurse and father of three in his announcement Monday.

“Whether as a frontline health care worker or as a legislator, I have fought to save lives and protect Colorado’s health and economy,” he said in a statement. “Adams County families have been through a lot, and in the state Senate I will keep fighting for an economy where people who work hard can do more than just get by.”

In the House, Mullica has been an advocate for public health, childhood vaccinations and worker’s rights, his campaign noted Monday.

“Growing up in Thornton taught me the values I have lived and legislated by,” he stated. “I saw my mom work two jobs to make ends meet, and how even that wasn’t enough to keep a roof over our heads. Too many Adams County families still face those same hard choices today. I’m running to be their voice.”