Cecelia Espenoza , Colorado House District 4

Cecelia Espenoza is a Democratic member of the Colorado House of Representatives representing District 4 in North/West Denver. Elected in 2024, she is a retired judge and immigration attorney focused on housing affordability, education, gun violence prevention, reproductive rights, and support for immigrants, refugees, and the LGBTQ+ community.

Born to migrant farmworkers from Colorado who settled in Utah, Espenoza was the first in her family to graduate from college and the second Latina to pass the bar in Utah. She became a migrant attorney, the first tenure-track Latina law professor at the University of Denver in the 1990s, and the first Mexican-American appellate judge on the highest U.S. immigration court. She served in the U.S. Department of Justice as Senior Associate General Counsel for the Executive Office of Immigration Review, handling roles as Privacy Officer, Freedom of Information Counsel, and Records Officer. A resident of House District 4 for over 30 years with her husband and son, she has volunteered extensively in the Democratic Party of Denver, chairing its Diversity and Inclusion and Platform Committees. Notable achievements include defeating incumbent Tim Hernández in the 2024 Democratic primary and her appointment as a Commissioner of the Uniform Laws Commission. In the 75th General Assembly , she worked on 25 bills addressing housing, criminal justice reform, judicial reform, and gun safety.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: First in her family to earn a college degree; second Latina to pass the Utah bar exam; law professor at the University of Denver.
• Political Experience: Elected to Colorado House District 4 in 2024 after winning the Democratic primary; previously sought a 2023 vacancy appointment. Serves on the House Judiciary Committee, State, Civic, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee, and chaired the Statutory Revision Committee. Represents west Denver neighborhoods including Berkeley, Sunnyside, Barnum, and Westwood.