Leslie Herod is a Democratic politician who formerly represented House District 8 in Denver, Colorado. Born in 1982 on a U.S. military base in Germany to a mother in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, she attended high school in Colorado Springs and became the first LGBTQ African American elected to the Colorado General Assembly in 2016. Notable achievements include spearheading criminal justice reforms like ending cash bail for minor offenses, decriminalizing personal drug possession, restoring voting rights for parolees, and passing a comprehensive police accountability bill after George Floyd's murder. She also championed "Caring for Denver," raising $35 million annually for mental health and substance abuse services, and ensured menstrual hygiene products in prisons. Herod served as Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Chair of the Colorado Black Democratic Legislative Caucus, Speaker in 2022, and held roles like Vice Chair of the House Judiciary Committee and Chair of the House Finance Committee. In 2023, she ran for Mayor of Denver.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colorado Boulder; completed Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government in 2017 as a David Bohnett LGBTQ Victory Institute Leadership Fellow.
• Political Experience: Co-founded New Era Colorado at CU Boulder to engage youth in politics, including voter registration drives; served as legislative aide at the Colorado Capitol, senior policy adviser in Governor Bill Ritter’s administration, and deputy political director for President Barack Obama in Colorado; elected to Colorado House in 2016, defeating Democrat Aaron Goldhamer in the primary and Republican Evan Vanderpool in the general election with 84.81% of the vote.