State senator running for U.S. Senate
By DEBORAH MARTINEZ MARTINEZ
State Senadora Julie Gonzales hosted her first campaign event in Pueblo at Jorge’s Sombrero on Saturday, Jan.17. She declared her run for Hickenlooper’s U.S. Senate position in early December.
According to Theresa M. Trujillo, Co-Executive Director at Center for Health progress, Gonzales is a lifelong advocate for working people and immigrants. Trujillo introduced Gonzales at the event and said, “Julie was raised with the values of hard work, integrity, and service. She has always believed in the power of community and the importance of standing up for what’s right. She is a champion of democracy and a steadfast advocate for fairness.”
Gonzales began her address by sharing her family background. Born in San Juan Reservation, AZ, where her father worked. Her family has lived in Colorado since before it was a state. She also lived in Texas and graduated from Yale University.
She told the packed audience much of her values were learned from her mother who was widowed with two children by age 20. Her mother fought back from being an uneducated woman who earned a GED, attended college, and became an elementary school teacher.
“With a career dedicated to making democracy and government work for everyone, Julie has consistently shown us all what it means to lead with courage and conviction, even when it’s hard,” said Trujillo. “I know that Julie will always fight for Colorado’s values—values of inclusiveness, progress, and integrity. She is not only qualified but uniquely equipped to take on this responsibility.”
She reviewed her achievements after eight years in the Colorado Senate representing the people of Denver. She has been championing affordability, voting rights, and health care wants to represent everyday Coloradans against corporate greed.
“Here’s what I believe…” she said, “One, yes we a have to go and flip seats, we have to build a governing majority, absolutely. Let’s go flip Maine, Ohio, Alaska. Let’s do that work. Second and important for us here in Colorado, we have to have a conversation about the caliber of leaders we are sending to Washington D.C. in the first place.”
At Saturday’s meeting, Senadora Gonzales said, “I’m sick and tired of ‘go along to get along’ politics that just bites around the edges and strips our social safely net in order to make the millionaires that much richer.”
“When they tell us they have money for bombs and ballrooms and we don’t have enough money for health care, what are we doing?”
About her opponent Hickenlooper, she mentioned that he had voted for 10 of 12 of Trump’s nominees. She had asked him why, and he told her “Because I want those Trump nominees to pickup my phone calls when I call.”
Senadora Gonzales currently is in her eighth year in the Colorado Senate and serves as Chair of the Judiciary Committee, and Vice-chair of Appropriations, Finance, Legal Services and Legislative Council. She is known as a coalition builder who doesn’t shy away from tough fights and has authored many bills as the primary writer.
Some of Gonzales’ bills were: Concerning measures to prevent the violation of the civil rights of persons in Colorado based on immigration status (SB25-276), Concerning processes for offenders with health-service needs release from custody (SB25-190), Concerning creating state procurement policies for state agencies in the treatment of certain items related to weapons (SB25-158), Concerning the creation of an advisory council for persons who are incarcerated (SB25-155), Concerning providing emergency medical services, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation (SB25-130), Concerning the addition of genocide against Native Americans to the Holocaust and genocide studies in public school statute (SB25-123), and several more. Those listed Senate Bills were signed into law by the Governor.
Women’s reproductive rights were the topic of concern and Gonzales sponsored the bill that secured for Colorado Women certain health rights before Roe v. Wade was dismantled at the national level.
As far as campaigning is concerned, she said, “Every single one of my donors has an actual pulse. I take zero PACT dollars; I do not take a dime from any corporations. I want to ensure that I am accountable to you.”
She can be reached at JulieforColorado.com