State Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster, announced Thursday she will run for Senate District 25 in the 2026 elections.
The seat is currently held by fellow Democrat Sen. Faith Winter, who is term-limited.
Bird is in her fourth and final term in the state House. She’s been a moderate voice in the House Democratic caucus, with a focus on business legislation.
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Bird has been on the Joint Budget Committee since 2023, serving as its chair in the 2024 session. She is currently the committee’s vice-chair.
A native of Reno, Nevada, Bird earned a law degree from the University of Denver, a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Colorado Boulder and a master’s in business administration and master’s in finance, both from the University of Colorado Denver.
Prior to her state service, Bird was a member of the Westminster City Council.
In her announcement Thursday, Bird said “I have worked hard to solve the challenges that Colorado faces, from the rising costs of housing and healthcare, making our communities safer, and increasing our investment in Colorado’s education system.”
She also noted that “As Donald Trump prepares to take office, we need leaders in Colorado who will stand up to his attempts to bully our state. From protecting reproductive healthcare access to helping our small businesses overcome the challenges of tariffs, I am committed to helping all Colorado families thrive.”
In 2021, the district was rated as leaning Democratic by 16 percentage points by the state’s independent redistricting commission.
Bird is the second Democrat to file for the seat. In November, Thomas Klenow of Broomfield filed candidacy paperwork with the Secretary of State.
Klenow is the director of information technology at the University of Colorado Law School and previously worked in IT at the Leeds School of Business. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from North Dakota State University.
He is a commissioner on the city of Boulder’s Urban Renewal Authority.
No Republicans have filed for the seat.
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