Change Address

VOTE411 Voter Guide

Colorado State House District 08 / Cámara de Representantes

The State House of Representatives is made up of 65 members who are elected by voters in their district for a two-year term. They are limited to serving four consecutive terms in office, but after a two-year break, they are eligible to run again. Every two years, all 65 seats are open for election. The legislative branch of the Colorado state government is composed of the State House and the State Senate. Their legislative authority and responsibilities include passing bills related to public policy matters, approving state budget spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold gubernatorial vetoes. Scroll for Spanish Translation. La Cámara de Representantes del Estado está compuesta por 65 miembros que son elegidos por los votantes de su distrito para un mandato de dos años. Están limitados a servir cuatro períodos consecutivos en el cargo, pero después de una pausa de dos años, son elegibles para postularse nuevamente. Cada dos años se convocan elecciones para los 65 escaños. El poder legislativo del gobierno del estado de Colorado está compuesto por la Cámara de Representantes y el Senado. Su autoridad y responsabilidades legislativas incluyen la aprobación de proyectos de ley relacionados con asuntos de política pública, la aprobación del gasto del presupuesto estatal, la subida y bajada de impuestos y la votación para mantener los vetos del gobernador.

Click a candidate icon to find more information about the candidate. To compare two candidates, click the "compare" button. To start over, click a candidate icon.

  • Candidate picture

    Philip Borrelli
    (Rep)

  • Candidate picture

    Lindsay Gilchrist
    (Dem)

  • Candidate picture

    Jesse Parris
    (UPA)

  • Candidate picture

    Sharron Pettiford (Write-In)
    (Dem, WI)

Biographical Information

What is the top issue(s) facing constituents in your district and what legislation would you champion to address it?

What would you do to reduce household expenses?

What role should the state government have in enforcing federal immigration laws? Please explain.

What legislation or action would you support to improve Colorado's energy production?

What is your stance on access to abortion and reproductive health care?

What is your opinion of the current integrity of elections?

Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Submitted Biography https://www.gilchristforcolorado.com/meet-lindsay
Campaign Twitter Handle @LindsGilchrist
I hope to put my passion for public service and my extensive policy experience to work in the Colorado State Legislature. I am determined to tackle some of the state’s most pressing issues, including reforming the criminal justice system and implementing robust gun violence prevention policies to protect our children. I am also a foster and adoptive parent and know personally how important it is for youth, particularly youth in foster care, to have access to mental health services. Improving the child welfare system will be a central priority for me.
The biggest household expense for many Coloradans is the housing market itself, and we must address our housing costs. With prices skyrocketing, affordability has emerged as a significant hurdle, particularly for young individuals striving to enter the housing market. I am keenly aware that addressing this challenge is pivotal to retaining the diverse and innovative population of our State. Demonstrating my commitment, I support safeguarding renters' rights and striving to make the aspiration of homeownership an attainable reality for every Coloradan. I believe that this path not only leads to financial stability but also fosters robust community involvement. Regardless of one's housing status – renting or owning – I firmly believe that every resident should have the opportunity to live in a safe and affordable home, ensuring a brighter and more secure future for all Coloradans.
I believe the state government should seek to support our migrant community in close collaboration with cities. I have been so proud of our state and the City of Denver’s response to our newcomer community. Not only did individual citizens step up to make sure the migrant community was supported, but the city and state stepped up to make sure the resources were available and the right policies were in place. We should be seeking stable housing options, ensuring that there are work opportunities for adults and good educational opportunities for kids.
As a legislator, I would prioritize investments in renewable energy. I will advocate for the improvement of public transit, the promotion of electric vehicles, and the endorsement of active mobility. The future is green and Colorado has the opportunity to be an economic leader in this field. Our state should incentivize businesses focusing on sustainable energy to bring high-paying jobs to our citizens.
An individual’s access to reproductive health care can be significantly impacted by their socioeconomic status and the community they live in. When there are barriers to receiving adequate care, people suffer. Those barriers often include accessibility to an appropriate doctor or health center and the financial burden of taking time off work to receive care. My wife works in the emergency department at Denver Health, and her work has enabled me to see how critical our premier safety net hospital is to the health and well-being of those they serve. I believe Denver Health should be used as a model of a successful community health center and more hospitals like it should be opened statewide to support reproductive care. As a legislator I will fight for funding and resources like this to address barrier problems, specifically advocating for the prioritization of underserved communities.
Colorado's mail-in voting system is extremely secure and effective but many people have concerns because of the spread of misinformation at the national scale. This lack of trust in our elections stems from a larger mistrust of the entire government system. I have always deeply believed in public service and that government should be a place where we come together to solve real problems. We need elected leaders who can restore that public trust in the system and will work hard to bring people together and provide solutions to our greatest challenges. This is why I am running. I am optimistic that by regaining the public trust in the government we can restore the integrity of elections.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Submitted Biography Sharron was born and raised in Oklahoma. She attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah,OK where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree with core concentrations in Criminal Justice and Public Administration. After attending Northeastern she stayed in Oklahoma and started her career there. Sharron often worked two jobs to make ends meet and has lived experience being under employed at times and no fair access to health care. Her experiences have kept her connected and active in the political process for almost three decades. Throughout Sharron's career she has worked in the court system in district court, child welfare, mental health , vocational rehabilitative services and in the last nine years fought for fair contracts for low wage workers and state workers. She has worked in coalitions in community, sat on local and state boards and held leadership positions in the democratic party. She has been apart of the democratic party since she was eighteen years old. Her exper
Website / Sitio Web http://www.sharronforco.com
Campaign Phone 8165823557
Campaign Email pettifordforhd8@gmail.com
I believe that these are the core issues facing constituents in House District 8 through my work in community and legislatively at the Capitol.

These are my personal beliefs and values based on lived experience and practice. I am very involved in the community and have vast amount of experiences around the district. I have lobbied for these very issues for over two decades. I believe that these are the key issues we are facing.

Worker Justice Restorative Justice Reproductive Justice Housing Justice Climate Justice Food Justice Disability Justice

I would author three prime bills and co-author two other bills that address root causes to each and everyone of these issues. We get to submit five bills a session and ask for late bills as well. I would prioritize one bill as top priority that addresses environment and equity because I believe it starts there first, especially living in the most polluted zip code in the country.
I would address the gender pay gap in Colorado , ask for a feasibility study and then move across the aisle as well as, work with all stakeholders in community and corporately to address the issue.

I believe that the state should certainly act as stakeholders in the immigration crisis our state is having nationally. I believe our frontline voice should be not only be heard loud and clear but acknowledged in a way that it allows us to to be able to address and control population in a thoughtful , caring and welcoming way to immigrants that want to achieve the American dream legally and documented. I believe in common sense approaches that take into consideration safety, family, freedom and a diverse Colorado.

I feel we should acknowledge what has not worked and is obviously broken first and address this hard and seemingly insurmountable issue one hard issue at a time from community.
I support measures like HB-23-1210 on Carbon Management. I support actions in this space that address the safety and welfare of workers financially and physical commonly known as , Just Transition. I support measures that do just that such as HB-23-1074, a Workforce Study for Other Industries. HB-23-1274, to Assess Advanced Energy Solutions in Rural Colorado; and also a measure such as, Senate Bill 23-283, Mechanisms For Federal Infrastructure Funding.
My Story: I am a Democratic Pro-choice Candidate that believes that abortion is health care and the conversation should be kept between the person and their clinician. Reproductive Rights are health care and we all have a health care story. Mine has a specific impactful chapter. In 2007 I became unexpectedly pregnant and went to Planned Parenthood for options and found out much more than I walked in knowing. I was told things about my black maternal health that I thought were true that were not , in fact had I known then what I know now I might have a 17 year old. I ultimately lost my baby in a very painful miscarriage. Had I not had Planned Parenthood my story definitely would have been deadly. Because what I also came to realize is that, I was being disregarding when speaking to my private doctors when I was covered by my health benefits and was not falling through loopholes all because I did not work enough hours to be covered by health care on my two jobs. I am Pro-Choice.
I feel that elections are safe and tracked appropriately in Colorado. However, I feel that with deepfakes through AI, they are a major threat in elections and to our democracy. That is why I was happy to stokehold last legislative session on the deepfakes bill with other stakeholders on HB 1147. I feel that there are threats that should be addressed appopriately through legislation to protect our democracy .