Crisanta Duran, former speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, is running for Colorado attorney general in 2026. (Courtesy of Crisanta Duran)

Former Colorado House Speaker Crisanta Duran, a Democrat who represented the 5th district from 2011 to 2019, which encompasses part of northwest Denver, recently declared her candidacy for attorney general in next year’s election, saying she’s “committed to ensuring that every Coloradan is safe, healthy, and economically secure.”

If elected, Duran has promised to protect consumers, increase affordability, combat corruption and stand up to greed.

Duran, 44, is a sixth-generation Coloradan and has been in private practice since leaving the legislature where she handles divorce, family law and estate planning work, according to the firm. She is a graduate of the University of Denver and received her law degree from the University of Colorado.

Duran served in the state House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019 — served as House speaker from 2017 to 2019 and was the chamber’s majority leader for the two years before that. She represented West Denver’s House District 5 for eight years, first winning election to the heavily Democratic seat in 2010. During her tenure as a lawmaker, Duran also chaired the Joint Budget Committee.

She is the first Latina speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives.

A little over a month after her departure from the legislature due to term limits, Duran mounted a primary challenge to Democratic U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, the longest-serving member of the state’s congressional delegation, arguing that it was time for Denver to send a fresh face to Congress.

In a recently released statement by her team, she’s quoted as saying “With all of the hate that is coming out of Washington, D.C., I will do everything in my power to ensure that Coloradans are not in harm’s way and have the opportunity to reach their greatest potential. I will strive for fairer and more just outcomes,” the statement said.

Duran has always been one to encourage people to take an active role in the political process, especially young people. She says whether it is running for office or engaging in a community effort, everyone can have an impact on the issues they believe in.

She’s the second Democrat to recently launch a bid to take over after incumbent Attorney General Phil Weiser faces term limits.

Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty, a veteran prosecutor who once headed the criminal division at the attorney general’s office, announced his run just a couple of day before Duran.

Duran, 44, strongly believes her decades of experience as an attorney and in public service have prepared her for difficult times ahead.

Republican candidates for the office have yet to emerge.

Weiser, who was elected to the first of his two terms in 2018, is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.

Both parties’ 2026 primaries are scheduled to take place on June 30, though state GOP leaders have said they intend to opt out of the statewide primary and instead nominate Republican candidates through an assembly process.

Duran moved to New York at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 to run the state’s Democrats for Education Reform chapter and its affiliate organization Education Reform Now NY. She returned to Colorado a few years later.

Raised in Northglenn and Arvada — she belongs to the Arvada West High School Hall of Fame — Duran got her undergraduate degree at the University of Denver and her law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law, where she was elected president of the student bar association and was a fellow for Colorado Supreme Court Justice Alex Martinez.

While serving as president of the Colorado Young Democrats in 2008, Duran introduced presidential candidate Barack Obama and Caroline Kennedy at a rally at DU and worked as political director for U.S. Sen. Mark Udall’s winning campaign.

Among dozens of awards and honors, Duran was named Conservation Colorado Legislator of the Year and Housing Colorado Legislator of the Year. She’s received the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Leader and Humanitarian Awards, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement Cesar Chavez People’s Award and the Colorado Alliance for Retired Americans Certificate of Appreciation. In 2014, the Washington Post included Duran in its “40 Under 40” roster of rising political stars.