Criminal justice reform advocate Elisabeth Epps hauled in nearly $1,000 an hour in the first day after the Denver Democrat made her candidacy in House District 6 official, her campaign said Friday.

Epps tallied contributions from more than 280 supporters in the first 24 hours after announcing her run Thursday on social media , her campaign said, with more than two-thirds of the donations for $50 or less. According to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office, only nine state House candidates have reported bringing in more all year than what Epps raised in one day.

The former public defender describes herself as an abolitionist – working to end wealth-based detention, she says – and is the founder and executive director of the Colorado Freedom Fund, a revolving community bond fund that helps residents unable to pay cash bail. Since it was established in 2018, the fund has raised more than $1.3 million and facilitated the pretrial release of more than 1,000 people.

No stranger to the state Capitol, Epps has played a prominent role shaping legislation, including bills to end cash bail for low-level offenses and require that facilities provide free menstrual hygiene products to people in custody, which both passed the General Assembly unanimously. Epps has said the latter bill was inspired when she spent 16 days – with work release – in the Arapahoe County Detention Center on a conviction of obstructing a police officer after she interceded when police were questioning a man with mental health issues.

“I’ve always spoken about a three-pronged approach to advocacy: legislation, litigation and direct action,” Epps said in a statement. “As an elected official I’m not leaving protest behind. Protest is a critical part of creating the safe, healthy world we want, but protest without policy change is hollow.”

In a release, her campaign described Epps’s approach: “Herself a survivor of police violence and intimate partner violence, Elisabeth understands how cops, courts, and cages fall short in protecting victims and preventing crime. Elisabeth has dedicated her life to keeping the most vulnerable members of our community safe, free, and healthy. She’ll take that same dedication to the Colorado State House.”

Under its new boundaries, HD 6 stretches from the state Capitol on its western edge to Lowry and Fairmont Cemetery on its eastern edge, including all or parts of the Capitol Hill, Uptown, Congress Park, Cheesman Park, East Colfax, Hale and Montclair neighborhoods in Denver and Lowry and Windsor Gardens in Aurora.  

“I’ve always advocated that we need to leave things better than we found them, and Elisabeth is someone who lives that motto to the fullest. I’ve been lucky to represent HD6, and I trust no one more than Elisabeth to represent the district,” said state Rep. Steven Woodrow, the Democratic incumbent who represents the district but has been redistricted into House District 2 and plans to run for another term there.

Epps has also been endorsed by state Reps. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, and Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora, as well as Denver City Councilmember Candi CdeBaca and RTD Director Shontel Lewis, her campaign said.

Veteran legislative aide Katie March is also seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat. She’s been endorsed by nearly 30 legislators, including House Speaker Alec Garnett, D-Denver, and Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder.

Precinct caucuses take place during the first week of March. The primary election is June 28.