Tom Sullivan

Leo Thomas Sullivan III, known as Tom Sullivan, was born on May 17, 1956. He is a Democratic member of the Colorado State Senate, representing District 27, which includes all or parts of Aurora, Centennial, Dove Valley, Inverness, and Foxfield in Arapahoe and Douglas counties.

Sullivan grew up as the son of two U.S. Air Force veterans. He married his high school sweetheart, Terry, in 1980, and they moved to Colorado that same year. Tom and Terry started a family in 1985 and relocated to what is now Centennial in 1992. They have two children, Alex and Megan, who attended Cherry Creek Schools.

A significant turning point in Sullivan's life occurred on July 20, 2012, when his son Alex was killed in the Century Theater shooting in Aurora. Alex, who was celebrating his 27th birthday at the time, was one of twelve people murdered that night. This tragedy motivated Sullivan to become a vocal advocate for gun violence prevention laws and victims' rights.

Education

Sullivan utilized his GI Bill benefits to earn his degree from Metropolitan State College of Denver in 1988, majoring in journalism and accounting.

Political Experience

Sullivan worked for the United States Postal Service beginning in 1986. He was active in the American Postal Workers Union, where he served three terms as Secretary and Treasurer of the Aurora Local and worked as a shop steward. He helped establish an award-winning newsletter called "Aurora News."

In 2018, Sullivan became the first Democrat elected to represent House District 37, defeating incumbent Cole Wist with 54% of the vote. During his four years in the Colorado House of Representatives, he served on the Transportation and Local Government Committee and was Vice Chair of the Business Affairs and Labor Committee. He sponsored Colorado's Extreme Risk Protection Order law, which he credits with saving lives across the state.

Sullivan was elected to the Colorado State Senate in 2022, defeating Republican nominee Tom Kim with approximately 55.5% of the vote. In the Senate, he serves as Vice Chair of the State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee and is a member of the Transportation & Energy Committee. His legislative priorities include affordable housing, education funding, worker protections, veterans' services, mental health treatment access, and reproductive health care rights.