| Senator Julie Gonzales was elected in 2018 to serve on behalf of Senate District 34, which includes north, west, and downtown Denver. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee and as a member of both the Appropriations and Finance Committees.
Senator Gonzales was born in Arizona and raised in south Texas. The sixth of seven children, her mother was an elementary school teacher and her father was a rancher and medical cannabis producer. Just after graduating from Yale University, Senator Gonzales moved to Denver, where she had previously spent summers in high school working to save money for college.
An organizer at her core, Senator Gonzales has spent her life fighting to bring about justice. She has played an integral role in creating and implementing progressive policies such as passing in-state tuition for Colorado Dreamers, creating community benefits agreements to hold developers accountable to community demands, ensuring that all students receive high-quality college preparatory education, and passing Denver's sanctuary policy to protect immigrant communities.
Senator Gonzales has also dedicated significant time to volunteering and organizing for political campaigns. She is a co-founder and former statewide board chair of the Colorado Latino Forum, and a tireless advocate for immigrant rights across Colorado.
Senator Gonzales lives in Jefferson Park with her husband Ben and their shih-tzu mutt Chookie. |