Influencer, podcaster join race for State House seat

An Instagram influencer and a podcast host have joined the primary race to represent a state House seat representing Denver in next year’s election.
Rayna Kingston and Justine Sandoval, both Democrats, are running to represent House District 5, which extends from Denver’s River North neighborhood south to Ruby Hill. The district is currently represented by Rep. Alex Valdez, also Democrat, who is term-limited.
A third candidate, Thaddeus Clayton, is also running for the seat in the Democrat Party’s primary, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. No other information could be found about Clayton or his campaign.
Kingston, also known as Rayna King, runs the popular Instagram account @raynakingdenver, where she posts about local businesses and things to do in the Denver area. She is also the founder of the Denver Activist Women’s Group.
According to her campaign website, Kingston’s top priorities include making Denver more affordable, protecting women’s and LGBTQ rights, and improving air quality.
Kingston announced her candidacy last week with an Instagram post: “Denver is my home, my roots, and this city is my favorite place and its people are my friends.”
She added: “To represent it and its people would be my highest honor. I can’t promise that I’ll be perfect, but I can promise you that I’ll give you transparency, joy and politics that will be rooted in care, honestly and a deep fucking drive to make this world better for EVERYONE.”
Sandoval describes herself as a “community activist, feminist, and political and green chile correspondent at City Cast Denver,” a popular news podcast.
Sandoval announced her candidacy last month, saying her love for her community is what inspired her to run.
“For over 20 years, I’ve listened, served, and stood up for Denver — and now I’m ready to carry that work to the State House,” she said.
Sandoval previously worked on U.S Rep. Diana DeGette’s campaign and served as president of the Denver Young Democrats. She does not appear to have a campaign website set up yet.