Joe Neguse, whose parents fled war-torn Eritrea almost 40 years ago, was first elected to Congress in 2018, becoming the only African American person elected to serve in Congress in Colorado history.
The district includes Boulder and Fort Collins, and is home to the University of Colorado and Colorado State University and to major tourist destinations such as Breckenridge, Keystone and Vail.
He graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the University of Colorado Law School.
In 2008, he was elected to the University of Colorado Board of Regents and also co-founded New Era Colorado, the state’s largest youth registration and mobilization non-profit. In 2015, former Governor and now Senate candidate John Hickenlooper appointed Neguse the executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.
In 2017, when the second district Congressman ran for Governor, Neguse entered the race, and won 66% of the primary vote and 60% in the general election.
Rep. Neguse scored a perfect record on key Council issues in 2019, and is a solid favorite for reelection.