Democrat Obi Ezeadi, a member of the Westminster City Council, on Tuesday announced that he’s formally launching a campaign for the open Senate District 19 currently represented by term-limited state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat.

Ezeadi, the 38-year-old son of Nigerian immigrants and only the second Black councilor elected in the suburban city’s history, said he’s running to “elevate all the voices” in the northwest metro district.

“As a first-generation American, I firmly believe that leadership and greatness have no bounds, and it is crucial for the Colorado Democratic Party to have representatives with diverse lived experiences who understand the struggles of all constituents. I am running to champion your freedoms – the freedom to receive a quality education, the freedom to love, and the freedom to ensure your voice matters,” Ezeadi said in a statement.

“While there is still a lot of work to be done in Westminster, and I’m hungry to do it, I’m looking forward to expanding my reach to encompass all of District 19. That way, I can help even more residents to achieve the access, resources, and engagement that they deserve from their elected officials.”

The Democratic-leaning district covers parts of Arvada and Westminster. Zenzinger won reelection in 2020 under the district’s old boundaries by a wide margin, defeating Republican Lynn Gerber by nearly 20 percentage points.

According to the state’s independent redistricting commission, the district’s current electorate leans toward Democratic candidates by a 9.2 percentage point margin.

Ezeadi is so far the only candidate who has declared for the seat.

In an interview, he cited his background growing up in poverty and going on to start numerous business and said his experience – including a stint earlier this year working as Zenzinger’s intern on the Joint Budget Committee – have prepared him for the job at the State Capitol.

“I think I can lend my voice in conversation, build a broad coalition and bridge the divisions, so we can actually start solving problems again,” Ezeadi said.

“Socio-economic disparities – I think that’s a unifying issue of our times,” Ezeadi said, adding that he plans to focus his campaign on “pocketbook issues” and education.

Earlier this year, he formed BIPAC, a political action committee dedicated to helping elect minority candidates across Colorado, starting in this year’s municipal and school board elections, he said.

“That’s important to me because of what I experienced in my city council campaign – the odds are stacked against Black and Brown people, so I wanted to try to level the playing field, try to be that helping hand, that bank for Black and Brown people across the state to run for office,” he said.

His early endorsers – all Democrats – include Jefferson County Commissioner Andy Kerr, state Rep. Brianna Titone of Arvada, Senate President Pro Tem James Coleman of Denver and state Sens. Faith Water of Westminster, Jessie Danielson of Wheat Ridge, Lisa Cutter of Evergreen and Janet Buckner of Aurora.

Ezeadi and his wife, Megan, live in Westminster with their young daughter Grace, who attends elementary school in Arvada.