Candidate Q&A: Colorado attorney general

Coloradans will vote in primary elections June 30 to determine which candidates will represent their party in the general election in November.

The elections cover Colorado’s four statewide constitutional offices, one U.S. Senate seat, all eight of the state’s congressional districts, state legislative districts and other races. Colorado Newsline sent questionnaires to candidates in contested primary races and is publishing responses as part of its voter guide to help Coloradans make informed choices.

Colorado’s attorney general position is open. Phil Weiser, the current attorney general, is term-limited and running to be the Democratic nominee for governor. Democrats and Republicans have attorney general primary elections.

The attorney general oversees the Colorado Department of Law and represents the legal interests of Coloradans. The AG often takes on consumer protection and antitrust cases, and the office represents state officials and agencies in court.

Ballots were scheduled to be mailed to all registered voters in Colorado starting June 8.

Voters can contact their county clerk if they have not received their ballot or check the online BallotTrax system. They can also visit the secretary of state’s website to make a plan to vote in person ahead of or on Election Day. Ballots need to be received by the county clerk by 7 p.m. on that day, so voters should mail their ballot at least eight days ahead of time or drop it off in person.

Republican candidates Michael Allen and David Willson did not return questionnaires.

Colorado attorney general, Democrats

Jena Griswold

Age: 41

City of residence: Louisville

Occupation: Secretary of state

David Seligman

Age: 43

City of residence: Denver

Occupation: Workers’ rights, civil rights, and consumer protection lawyer

Michael Dougherty

Age: 54

City of residence: Boulder

Occupation: District attorney for the 20th Judicial District (Boulder)

Hetal Doshi

Age: 47

City of residence: Denver

Occupation: Attorney

Why are you running to be attorney general, and why are you the best candidate?

GRISWOLD: I am running for attorney general to stand up to Trump and MAGA extremists to protect our democracy and fundamental rights. When MAGA county clerk Tina Peters compromised her county’s voting equipment to try to prove Trump’s election conspiracies, I held her accountable. After January 6th, I fought to remove Trump from Colorado’s ballot despite facing death threats. And I am being sued by Trump for refusing to turn over Coloradans’ sensitive voter data to the federal government. As attorney general, I will continue standing up to Trump, and will protect our democracy and Coloradans’ rights, including abortion access.

SELIGMAN: I’m running to take on a two-tiered justice system where the wealthy and powerful play by a different set of rules, and working families pay. As a nonprofit executive and lawyer, I’ve dedicated my career to standing up in court for those families: Amazon drivers, meatpackers, renters buried in junk fees, communities spied on by Big Tech, hundreds of thousands of Coloradans drowning in medical debt. We’ve fought and won national cases, against the biggest corporations in the world, using the law in ways no one had tried before. We just won in the U.S. Supreme Court, in a first-in-the-nation case taking on the GEO Group, the private prison company that runs the Aurora immigration detention center. I’ve sued the Trump Administration and the Polis Administration and won, including stopping the governor from handing Coloradans’ personal information to ICE. I’ve helped pass about a dozen worker, consumer, and immigrant protection laws right here in Colorado. I’m the only one in the attorney general’s race who has spent my entire career representing people. I’m not a bureaucrat, I’m not always running for office — I’m standing up in court for working families against monopolies, corporate abuse, and political corruption, and winning.

DOUGHERTY: I’m running for attorney general because Colorado needs a proven prosecutor who will fight for justice, protect our democracy, and stand up for our values. Colorado deserves an attorney general who has real courtroom experience holding people accountable and fighting for Colorado. Also, our next attorney general must have a proven track record as a leader and a vision for the future of Colorado. I’ve spent my career leading lawyers and prosecuting serious cases where the stakes are high and the responsibility is real. That work requires judgment, integrity, and a deep respect for the law, because outcomes matter for victims, families, and entire communities. Coloradans want an attorney general who can take on violent crime, civil rights, protect consumers from fraud and rising costs, and stand up to the federal government. I will protect our marginalized and vulnerable communities – as I have done as district attorney. Colorado needs an attorney general who can lead through these tumultuous times. I have led the Manhattan DA’s Office, Colorado AG’s Office, and DA’s Office. I am the only candidate who has served at the AG’s Office, handled cases all around the state, and has bipartisan support.

DOSHI: I’m the proud daughter of immigrants who came to this country chasing a future they couldn’t picture and couldn’t guarantee. My parents and I cleaned motel rooms and my mom worked the fryer at Dairy Queen to put food on the table. I became a lawyer because I wanted to learn and use the tools that could help families like mine. Growing up in the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement in the Deep South (largely outside of Birmingham, Alabama), I saw the importance of the law as the most significant tool to ensure that “equal justice under the law” weren’t words engraved on a building, but a guarantee for everyone. I have seen that the law can be used to stand up to bullies, defend our rights, and expand opportunity for everyone. That’s why I became a federal prosecutor, and it’s why I’m running for attorney general. Coloradans see and feel that the American Dream is under threat. And our next attorney general must have the experience and grit to be ready on day one to defend it.

What is your view of the current Colorado attorney general’s campaign of lawsuits against the Trump administration over dozens of alleged illegal federal actions?

GRISWOLD: We’ve seen the bedrock principles of our democracy and the rule of law pushed to the brink. Trump abuses our legal system and undermines the Constitution. We cannot let his brazen attempts to grab power go unchecked. It’s time to fight back. That’s why I’m running for attorney general. I am glad that the current AG is filing lawsuits against Trump, and I will continue that work as Colorado’s next attorney general. I will take on Trump, protect our fundamental rights and the environment, prosecute ICE agents who commit crimes, and safeguard Colorado.

SELIGMAN: I support Attorney General Weiser’s efforts to hold the Trump Administration accountable, and as the candidate in this race who has sued the Trump Administration on behalf of working people, I’m ready to stay that course. But I’m not running to fill Weiser’s big shoes — I’m running to stand on his shoulders. That means prosecuting ICE officers and corrupt federal officials when they enrich themselves or try to steal our elections. I’ve proven I’ll stand up to my own party to do it, as I have with Governor Polis’ recent decision to commute Tina Peters’ sentence. It means banging on the door at Aurora’s immigration detention center, where thousands are locked up in squalid and inhumane conditions, demanding entry to ensure state law is being followed. It means standing up fiercely for our LGBTQ community against a federal government that has targeted them. It means taking on the rampant corruption of the modern-day robber barons, the Big Tech and Big Oil oligarchs who are building the president’s ballroom and padding their profits while the rest of us pay the price. A structurally unfair justice system is what I’ve spent my career fighting, and it’s what I’ll fight as attorney general.

DOUGHERTY: When the federal government acts unlawfully or threatens the rights of Coloradans, the attorney general has a duty to act—and I will. I support using the full authority of the office to challenge illegal federal actions, whether they undermine voting rights, birthright citizenship, consumer protections, or public safety. But these cases have to be built to win. As a prosecutor, I know success comes from strong legal strategy, not just filing lawsuits. The current attorney general has partnered with other attorneys general from around the nation. The AGs are on the front lines, particularly with Congress failing to act as a check against President Trump. I have already engaged with other AGs to maintain those alliances. We are facing some of the most serious threats to our democracy in my lifetime. Colorado needs an attorney general who is ready on day one — someone who has real courtroom experience and knows how to win those fights. I will be aggressive when necessary, but always focused on results. Coloradans deserve an attorney general who will stand up and fight—and who knows how to win.

DOSHI: Every candidate in this race will tell you we have to keep using the courts to hold this lawless administration accountable. They’re right. But not every candidate has the experience, judgment, and depth of leadership to do it. My view of filing lawsuits against the Trump administration is this: when the Trump administration violates the law, and that violation harms Coloradans’ a) individual rights, liberties, health and safety, or deeply-held values; or b) our economic interests, we should act to protect our interests in court. Of course, every time we sue the Trump administration, we are utilizing resources that are not being used elsewhere so it is critical to fight with a clear sense of purpose, and we should fight to win. I’m the only candidate who’s been a lawyer for the federal government and therefore uniquely know, understand, and can test the limits of federal power. I’m the only one who has successfully represented the American people in taking on the world’s largest multinational corporations when they ripped off American families. That is the experience Colorado needs the next time Trump comes for our elections, intimidates our elected officials, or unilaterally cuts programs Coloradans depend on.

What specific actions will you take to protect Coloradans against fraud and deceptive practices, illegal monopolies and other areas where the attorney general has authority?

GRISWOLD: Growing up in rural Colorado in a working-class family that at times relied on food stamps, I was the first in my family to go to a four year college and law school. And I still have over $200,000 in student loans.  I understand that a lot of Coloradans are struggling to get by. The cost of essentials including food, rent, healthcare, childcare, and utilities, is getting out of reach for many, and the next AG must tackle the affordability crisis head-on. As attorney general, I will protect Colorado workers and consumers by going after illegal corporate greed to stop price gouging, wage theft, and union busting. I am proud to be endorsed by nearly every labor union in this race because labor knows I will fight for workers. As AG, I will vigorously use the office’s power to pursue anti-competitive conduct with clear consumer harm — illegal price-fixing, bid-rigging, or monopolization — and will staff up an Office of Workers Protections.

SELIGMAN: We’re getting crushed by an economy rigged against us. For too long, the billionaires and big corporations — the Goliaths in our lives — have been polluting our air, crushing our unions, and ripping us off. I’m going to use antitrust, consumer and worker protection, and environmental laws in new and bold ways to fight for everyone’s prosperity and freedom. First, we have to break a healthcare system that puts profits over people—busting up healthcare monopolies, cracking down on insurers systematically denying claims while making billions, and going after hospitals and debt collectors billing people for debt they don’t even owe. Second, we have to take on Big Tech oligarchs and AI giants building data centers to guzzle our water, pollute our communities, crush our unions, spy on working families, and rot our kids’ brains. I’ll fight to break up the Big Tech giants controlling Colorado’s economy and hold AI companies accountable. Third, we can’t lose sight of the existential threat of climate change. Corporate polluters like Suncor and fracking companies are poisoning us and getting away with it. On Day One I’ll create an Environmental Justice and Protection Unit to go on offense and make polluters pay.

DOUGHERTY: I will use the full power of the attorney general’s office to go after fraud, protect consumers, and hold powerful interests accountable. That means aggressively prosecuting scams that target seniors and working families, strengthening enforcement against deceptive business practices, and taking on corporations that abuse their market power or violate the law.  I will take on mergers that reduce competition and raise prices, like the proposed King Soopers–Safeway merger. I’ve already done this work; I am the only candidate who has taken these cases to state court. For example, in 2024, I helped secure a $1 million settlement for victims of unlawful and deceptive real estate practices, and I will continue holding unscrupulous landlords and bad actors accountable. As the former head of the AG’s Criminal Section, I’m also uniquely prepared to take on insurance fraud, Medicaid fraud, and the growing threat of online and AI-driven scams – all of which are within the authority of the attorney general. This is about putting the people first.  Coloradans deserve a level playing field, and I will not hesitate to act—whether the target is an individual scammer or a large corporation.

DOSHI: The illegal concentration of corporate power over the lives of everyday families has never posed a greater threat to Colorado. The Biden-Harris administration chose me to take on this fight and appointed me the nation’s top antitrust litigator at DOJ. Put simply, no one in this field of candidates has the depth, breadth, and proven track record to take on these issues at the scale needed over the next four years. I sued Ticketmaster when it used abusive tactics to drive up the price of seeing a concert or sporting event. I sued to stop collusion in the meat industry that was keeping the cost of chicken and pork artificially high. I went after RealPage and the corporate landlords using advanced algorithms to collude and drive up rents. That is the fight I will continue as attorney general. I’ll confront the healthcare monopolies raising the cost of essential care. I’ll stop mergers in the food and agriculture industry that threaten choice and affordability in communities across Colorado. And I’ll go after any bad actor, in any industry, who thinks they’re above the law and tries to make it harder for Colorado families to afford the necessities of life.

What are the biggest risks to public safety in Colorado, and how would you address them?

GRISWOLD: We must pass a stronger assault weapons ban to reign in these weapons that have been used for mass murder in our state and across the nation. We need to take action immediately to protect our kids, families, and communities. Every Coloradan deserves to feel safe in their communities. We also must fix the rape kit backlog in our state. It’s unacceptable that victims wait for months and months to have evidence processed. I will fight to make sure every victim of sexual violence can seek justice and that DNA evidence is processed quickly and with the respect it deserves.

SELIGMAN: The most important role of government is keeping people safe, and that’ll be my top priority as attorney general. The AG doesn’t prosecute street crime, but we can still use the power of the office to take on the biggest threats to public safety facing Coloradans right now. One thing we can do to materially improve public safety from the attorney general’s office is push for real solutions to our mental health crisis. Colorado has some of the worst funding in the country for mental health and community-based treatment — that’s astonishing, in one of the wealthiest states in the wealthiest country in the history of the world. Right now, we’re using prisons and jails to meet our mental health needs. That’s unacceptable. I’d create a Community Health and Safety Fund, holding corporate bad actors accountable when they endanger us, and taking the proceeds of those cases and investing them directly in proven solutions to keep communities safe.

DOUGHERTY: Colorado is facing serious public safety threats, including violent crime, fentanyl and drug trafficking, and increasingly organized criminal activity. As attorney general, I will continue to take a two-pronged approach to public safety – working hard to address underlying behavioral needs and, also, enforcing the rule of law by holding people accountable for criminal activity. As attorney general, I will take a comprehensive approach, working with local law enforcement and prosecutors to hold violent offenders accountable, targeting the networks driving fentanyl into our communities, and using statewide tools to disrupt organized crime. Public safety also means standing up for victims and ensuring they are supported throughout the justice process. This is a moment that calls for both strength and experience. We need an attorney general who understands how these cases are built and who is ready to act decisively to keep communities safe. Making communities safer, also, requires reducing gun violence and engaging in meaningful criminal justice reform. I am the only candidate with demonstrated success in those two areas. Each one is critical to public safety and the future of Colorado.

DOSHI: Keeping Colorado safe takes a leader who’s done the work. I’m the only candidate in this race with both criminal and civil courtroom and leadership experience to protect families and communities. As a federal prosecutor in Colorado, I put corrupt officials in jail. I led civil rights and hate crimes work to protect our most vulnerable communities. I went after the criminals who targeted Colorado seniors and veterans. I prosecuted gun crimes, murder-for-hire that would undermine our judicial system, and other crimes that impacted the safety of Coloradans. The threats are different today, but the work is the same. We have to take on drugs and untreated mental illness, and the toll on those suffering and the people around them. We have to dismantle the fentanyl trafficking and criminal networks that cross state lines. And we have to stand firm against hate crimes and extremist violence aimed at communities of faith and people of color. Meeting these threats takes a leader who knows how to use every tool the law provides to keep Colorado safe. Unlike other candidates in this race, for me that’s not a talking point. That’s my track record.

What experience was most formative to your understanding of the rule of law in the United States?

GRISWOLD: Our rights can disappear if we do not protect them. After Roe v. Wade was overturned, when my husband and I started our family, I was fortunate to have access to fertility support. Our baby boy is the light of our lives. But being pregnant in Trump’s America can also be scary — traveling to a state where abortion care is criminalized can put a woman’s health and life at risk. As secretary of state, I called for Colorado not to extradite anyone for violating another state’s abortion ban and supported Colorado’s law that protects a woman’s right to an abortion. As AG, I’ll continue this fight to protect critical reproductive health care, including the right to birth control, IVF, and abortion access. I will also continue to protect the rule of law and our democracy, which are under direct attack by Trump. As secretary of state, I protect the right to vote. As AG, I will continue to fight back against Donald Trump’s attacks on the rule of law and our democracy.

SELIGMAN: I see every day how wealthy and powerful interests play by a different set of rules. I have one client who is a military spouse. When she was working as a remote call center worker, she was surveilled by her employer and forced to work at such a breakneck pace that she urinated herself at her desk. Her contract’s fine print stripped her of her right to ever fight back in court. Another client, Cathy, sold her late husband’s wedding band to pay off medical debt to a billion-dollar hospital system who sued her for debt she didn’t owe. Meanwhile, just a few miles away, Suncor’s pollution makes hundreds of families sick — they get essentially a $20 parking fine from the state. I’ve had clients torn from their families because they look Latino or speak Spanish, then locked in a prison right here in Aurora, and private prison companies make billions off of cruelty. I’ve dedicated my career to taking on a two-tiered justice system. If we want people to believe in the rule of law, we need to show them the law can work for them, by taking the laws we have and putting it on the side of working families.

DOUGHERTY: My understanding of the rule of law has been shaped by my work as a prosecutor, especially in cases where the stakes are highest for victims and communities. But it started even earlier, as a public defender intern during law school. I represented clients and saw the impacts of systemic failures, as well as a prosecutor’s authority in deciding what to do with cases. A mentor helped me to recognize the good that I could do for people in need if I were the one who could make the decisions. In cases, the rule of law isn’t theoretical, it’s what ensures accountability, protects rights, and builds trust in the system. It requires fairness, preparation, and a commitment to getting it right. I’ve also seen how important it is to stand up when the law is challenged; whether by individuals or by those in positions of power. I am the one candidate who has prosecuted police officers and elected officials. That’s why I believe the attorney general must be both independent and willing to act. Upholding the rule of law means enforcing it consistently and having the courage to defend it when it’s under threat. No one is above the law.

DOSHI: As a first-generation American, I know firsthand that the “rule of law” is what prompts people all across the world to leave homes, families, familiarity, and even comfort for a shot at something better, freer, and more just. When my parents came to this country, they had never heard the expression “rule of law,” but they knew its promise. They were proud to have found a country where the laws were supposed to apply to everyone equally. It is why, despite the limited financial resources we had, every time my dad and I encountered law enforcement like police or firefighters raising money, he’d stop with me and put a few dollars in the boot. Not because we had money to spare, but because my dad reminded me that in America, these folks protected all of us and we should be grateful for that. In two decades of work in the law, I’ve found that bad actors are almost always the same. They think there are two sets of rules, one for them and one for everyone else. We know they’re wrong, and I’m going to keep doing what I’ve already done: take them to court and bring them to justice.

Colorado attorney general, Republicans