Raised by and fighting for working people

From a ranching family to the State Capitol, Julie Gonzales has spent her life turning organizing into action and values into results.

Julie in a graduation gown with her parents

GROUNDED IN WORK,
GUIDED BY JUSTICE

Senadora Julie Gonzales is a progressive Democrat representing north, west, and downtown Denver in the Colorado Senate. Julie’s roots run deep: her family has lived in Colorado since before it was a state. Julie was born in Arizona and raised in South Texas where her family found ranch work and opportunity.

Julie’s mom, once a rodeo queen who was widowed with two kids by the time she was 20, fought her way back to the classroom as an elementary school teacher. Her dad worked cattle and later became a medical cannabis producer. As the sixth of seven kids, Julie learned what her parents preached: relentless work, radical honesty, and to always lift as we climb.

Julie speaking into a microphone at a rally at Yale

FROM THE CLASSROOM
TO COLORADO

In high school, Julie spent summers in Denver saving for college; after graduating from Yale, she came back to stay. An organizer at her core, Julie built people-powered campaigns for affordable housing, education equity, and immigrant rights – proving that when everyday people come together, we can win.

Julie smiling with organizers in front of an American flag

ORGANIZING FOR CHANGE

Elected in 2018, Julie brought that organizing spirit into the Capitol and turned it into results. She enshrined abortion as a fundamental right, advanced voting rights, allocated millions of dollars to build and preserve affordable housing, strengthened protections for immigrant communities from ICE overreach, lowered the cost of prescription drugs, and repealed the death penalty. Julie’s approach is simple: put people first, take on entrenched power, and measure success by whether life gets better for working families.

Julie in group at the Colorado State Capitol

LEADERSHIP WITH INTEGRITY

Julie currently serves as Chair of the Judiciary Committee, Vice Chair of Local Government & Housing, and sits on Appropriations, Finance, Legal Services, and Legislative Council. Senadora Gonzales also co-chairs the Colorado Democratic Latino Caucus. Colleagues and community advocates alike know Julie as a coalition builder who doesn’t shy away from tough fights and who insists that bipartisanship is a tool, not a trophy.

Julie speaking at a rally at Civic Center Park in Demver

WHY SHE’S RUNNING

Julie’s story is proof of what one generation’s sacrifice can make possible. But she’s candid about the reality families face today: too many people are working just as hard without getting ahead because the rules are tilted toward the wealthy and well-connected. That’s why she’s running a people-powered campaign to lower costs, protect fundamental freedoms, and make sure Colorado is a place where every family can afford a home, see a doctor, and build a future with dignity.