Douglas County Commissioner Lora Thomas says she’s never seen herself as part of the establishment.

Thomas is heading into her eighth and final year as a Douglas County commissioner. She previously served four years as the county’s coroner, and has also twice run for sheriff.

Fast Facts

Born: Walsenburg, Colorado. Moved to Denver shortly thereafter and grew up in Denver’s Harvey Park with her parents and four younger brothers. Graduated from Marycrest High School, an all-girls Catholic high school. Attended the University of Denver on an accounting scholarship but instead responded to the call to work in public safety. Holds degrees in criminal justice and finance and an MBA. Taught at Arapahoe Community College in the criminal justice program.  

When Thomas first applied to work for the Colorado State Patrol, she was ineligible because they did not hire women back then. She worked as a dispatcher for seven years and then got into the state patrol academy to become a trooper. She worked in Castle Rock, as a sergeant in Lamar and Golden, a captain in Limon, and a major in Durango and at the state headquarters. She became the first woman captain and major in the history of the state patrol.

Family: Married for the past two-and-a-half years to Tony Fabian, whom she has known for 15 years. He went to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis and served on a battleship. He once joked, “I could be married to a county commissioner. I used to sail a battleship!”

She has one son from a previous marriage.

Thomas’ time on the county commission during the past three years has been marked by dissension, which she attributes to the election of George Teal. Teal and fellow Commissioner Abe Laydon launched an investigation into allegations that Thomas had criticized a volunteer arts council board. Laydon and Teal also ordered an investigation into whether Thomas created a hostile work environment. The probe found no wrongdoing on Thomas’ part. She is now suing the county to recoup her legal expenses. 

In September, Laydon and Teal stripped Thomas of her county credit card, removed her from all county boards, and also censured her. In addition, they are refusing to pay for any county-related travel. 

Colorado Politics: Why did you decide to run for political office?

Thomas: I was doing some contract work on homicide and suicide statistics for the state department of public health and had a lot of interaction with county coroners all over the state. I started looking into the Douglas County Coroner’s Office, and, since I had become actively involved in the Douglas County Republican Party after my retirement from the state patrol, I knew how to run for public office and was confident that I could improve the professionalism and bring fiscal efficiency and responsibility to that office. So, I decided to run for Douglas County Coroner in 2010.

I challenged the in-house, presumptive successor to the outgoing Coroner and immediately felt like I had walked into a buzzsaw because of the constant attacks from my opponent’s establishment supporters. I ignored the detractors, campaigned hard, and won that primary election with 62% of the vote.

CP: What has being a county commissioner been like?

Thomas: Being a county commissioner has been an honor of a lifetime, and I believe my effectiveness and productivity was greatly affected by my fellow commissioners.

At first I worked with a board that focused on our county being an exemplary “Shining City on the Hill” for our residents, with an emphasis on being fiscally responsible and creating an environment in which business could flourish.

As the Coroner, I could make unilateral decisions, like reducing the budget by 33% and routing out corruption, but I had to learn as a commissioner – where decisions were collective – to sell my ideas and convince the two other commissioners.

For example, in 2018 when I realized that Douglas County was subsidizing the prosecution of crimes in Aurora (part of the current 18th Judicial District), I was able to convince the other two commissioners of the fiscal efficiency of establishing a new judicial district in 2025 with Douglas County as the anchor. Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln Counties will break away from JD18 to become JD23, leaving Arapahoe County solely as JD18. In July of 2020, I made the motion to leave Tri-County Health, which oversaw our county, as well as Adams and Arapahoe Counties, and was able to obtain the support of the other two commissioners. Douglas County now has its own health department that serves the unique requirements of our residents while actually costing less than our participation in tri-county.

That environment of effective governance present during my first term has not consistently remained during my second. Since Teal joined the board in January 2021, the board’s focus is no longer on creating that “Shining City on the Hill.”

I have always strived to keep government small and its costs under control, but over the past three years, Douglas County government has steadily grown bigger and reserves have been depleted, despite my constant efforts to apply the brakes and combat unnecessary growth and cost of our government.

The proposed budget for 2024 that will be adopted on Jan. 9 includes a reduction in active personnel of seven employees. Knowing that over 128,000 voters chose me to represent them has been my driving motivation to oppose what I see as a reckless, ill-advised departure from our past boards’ focus on fiscal responsibility and keeping government small and efficient, at the obvious expense of enduring a nonstop onslaught of petty personal political attacks from Laydon and Teal.

CP: How has the work of the county commission been impacted by all the infighting?

Thomas: The campaign of personal attacks against me has reduced the amount of positive work that gets done in Douglas County. I have been removed from a majority of the boards I was appointed to and have faithfully and effectively served upon for several years. I was appointed to serve as the treasurer of the Mile High Flood Control District for 2023, but was summarily removed from that district without cause in favor of Teal, who does not even live in the flood control district or pay its taxes.

Douglas County has no representation on some of the boards I’ve been removed from because only staff attends meetings in my place; no elected official is present. Is that what Laydon and Teal call representative government? Most that I know call it something else.

Our staff and employees are very frustrated with the work environment that has evolved over the past three years. Some staff have even told me that they have considered looking for other jobs.

CP: Where have you had the most impact on the county commission?

Thomas: There are three areas in which I am proud to look upon as examples of my effectiveness as a commissioner. First, I have worked with a great coalition of partners to grow and improve the effectiveness of our county’s mental health initiative to make it an example not just for the state of Colorado, but the entire nation. My personal passion on this topic began many years ago, even before I became coroner, and it has only grown stronger during my time as a commissioner.

An equally important impact has been my tenure as the secretary of the statewide commissioner association, Colorado Counties, Inc. In that capacity, I have the ability to interact with commissioners statewide on both sides of the aisle on public policy issues that affect not only our county, but the entire state. Finally, I am immensely proud of my reputation of responsiveness to our citizens – whether calls, letters or emails to me personally or to the board as a whole. Listening to the constituents and responding to their inquiries and needs is essential in fulfilling the duties and purpose of serving as a county commissioner.

CP: What does the future hold for you, given that you’re term-limited next year?

Thomas: I am considering many options, both in the public and private sector. But my priority remains serving the people of Douglas County as their commissioner right up until the very end of my term in January 2025.

I have never associated myself with any group, just my constituents. I don’t have a tribe. People who supported me back then who don’t support me now … sometimes, doing what’s right isn’t what’s most popular.

One example: the Douglas County Pridefest. They had a constitutional right to assemble. I told them, “You have a contract and keep your underwear on and we’ll get along just fine.” I was there to make sure they follow the contract.

CP: What do you do for fun?

Thomas: I love my family, reading (fiction and whodunits). I find great peace when I go to St. Thomas More Catholic Church.

I love to travel and go to the mountains. Before being on the commission, I traveled to Egypt, China, the Netherlands, London, France, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Alaska, Hawaii, Maine. I haven’t traveled much since joining commission. That has been my life for eight years.  

CP: How does your faith sustain you?

Thomas: The Bible says 364 times, “Be not afraid.” I believe God puts you where you belong. There are times I wished God hadn’t put me here. Working with George and Abe is an abomination.