Hundreds of Democrats, including party officials and current and former legislators, have signed a petition urging their party to formally censure Gov. Jared Polis over his decision to grant clemency to Tina Peters.

The governor’s decision means Peters, the former Mesa County clerk and recorder who was sentenced to nine years’ incarceration for tampering with election equipment in 2021, is eligible for parole in just a few weeks.

The Colorado Democratic Party’s central committee, which is meeting on Wednesday, plans to address the petition submitted Monday, according to party chair Shad Murib.

Peters was convicted in October 2024 of three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation and failure to comply with Secretary of State requirements.

Peters’ parole eligibility date is 2028 with a mandatory release in 2033.

With Polis’ decision to grant her clemency, the sentence was commuted to 4 years and 4.5 months, making her eligible for parole on June 1.

The signatories to the petition included six members of the state party’s central committee, and dozens of current and former elected officials, including state lawmakers and local government officials. The petition was signed by President Pro Tem Sen. Cathy Kipp of Fort Collins and Sen. Lisa Cutter of Littleton, the assistant majority leader of the Senate.

The deadline for signing the petition is Friday, May 22.

The petition to censure the governor was submitted by Ian Coggins, a captain in House District 7B within the Denver Democratic Party.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Coggins said the petition will request a formal finding that the clemency decision constituted “conduct detrimental to the interests of the Party,” along with a formal censure and condemnation by the Colorado Democratic Party.

Coggins said he does not dispute the governor’s authority to grant clemency.

The issue, he wrote, is “whether granting clemency to one of the country’s most prominent election denial figures is consistent with the values and institutional interests the Democratic Party claims to stand for.”

The petition said Democrats have a substantial interest in maintaining public confidence in election administration, protecting election workers, and rejecting efforts to undermine democratic legitimacy, adding that Polis’ decision conflicts with the party’s interests and principles.

In addition to formally censuring Polis’ clemency decision, the petition also wants the state party to consider “appropriate temporary organizational sanctions,” such as suspending Polis’ participation as an honored guest, or being a featured speaker or officially recognized participant at Colorado Democratic Party-sponsored events and functions.

Additionally, the petition seeks a formal statement saying the governor’s clemency decision “does not reflect the values or institutional positions” of the Colorado Democratic Party

Murib, the state party chair, had weighed in last week on Polis’ decision.

“Reducing her sentence now, under pressure from Donald Trump, is not justice. It sends a message to future bad actors that election tampering has consequences, unless you’re friends with the president. That’s a dangerous and disappointing precedent to set,” he said on May 15.

In granting Peters clemency, Polis said Peters is a “non-violent first time offender” who “got a nine year sentence.”

“The crimes you were convicted of are very serious and you deserve to spend time in prison for these offenses,” Polis said in a clemency letter addressed to Peters. “However, this is an extremely unusual and lengthy sentence for a first time offender who committed nonviolent crimes.”

In early March, the governor had ignited speculation that he was considering granting clemency to Peters when he mused in an online post that Peters’ and a former Democratic state lawmaker had received widely disparate sentences for violating the same state statute.

The party’s action could be the only opportunity for Democrats to put their disapproval of Polis’ decision on the record.

Polis’ clemency action issued two days after the end of the 2026 session means there is no formal opportunity for lawmakers to respond. Polis is term-limited and a new governor will be sworn in next year.

Lawmakers may call themselves into a special session if two‑thirds of all members sign a written request and deliver it to the presiding officers of both chambers. But that power has never been used in Colorado — every special session in state history has been convened by the governor.