Democrat Amanda Gonzalez, who has served as clerk and recorder for Jefferson County since 2022, announced Monday that she is running for Colorado Secretary of State in 2026.

In a statement, Gonzalez, previously the executive director of Colorado Common Cause, said, “Voting is the way we express hope. The way we show love for our community. The way we make our voices heard. I promise to safeguard Coloradans’ access to the ballot box and to fight for secure elections that work for every Colorado voter.”

Gonzalez is the second candidate to declare for Secretary of State. Republican Ross Taraborelli of Highlands Ranch filed the candidacy paperwork last month. Both are vying to succeed term-limited Secretary of State Jena Griswold.

Gonzalez’ predecessor, Democrat George Stern, is also mulling a run for the statewide office. The Colorado Sun has reported other Democrats, such as Senate President Steve Fenberg, Sens. Jeff Bridges and Jessie Danielson, are also looking at running.

In her statement, Gonzalez said that, as the top election official for Jeffco, she “oversees one of the most public-facing offices in Colorado government, overseeing safe and secure elections, running the county’s five motor vehicle offices, providing marriage licenses, and keeping the county’s public real estate records.”  

Gonzalez, who has lived in Jefferson County since 2012, holds a law degree from the University of Denver and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Occidental College of California.

Gonzalez said while she’s at Common Cause, she played a key role in formulating and advocating for policies that expanded ballot access, curtailed the influence of money in politics, created Colorado’s independent redistricting commission, and ensured an accurate count in the 2020 Census.