Crisanta Duran, a former speaker of the Colorado House, announced Thursday that she will enter the 2026 race to become the state’s next attorney general.
Duran, a Democrat, is a four-term state legislator who represented northwest Denver. She was House speaker from 2017 to 2019, and she briefly attempted to unseat U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette in 2019.
She now seeks to succeed outgoing Attorney General Phil Weiser, a Democrat who’s term limited and running for governor in the 2026 election.
“Like many Coloradans, I’m deeply concerned about the future of our country and know that a new path forward is required in times like these, when it can seem as though nothing is sacred,” Duran said in a statement. “As our next attorney general, I will work to protect consumers, increase affordability, combat corruption, and stand up to greed and those who manipulate outcomes at the expense of the people of Colorado.”
A Colorado native, Duran earned her law degree from the University of Colorado and worked for a Colorado Supreme Court justice after graduating. She later worked as the political director for Mark Udall on his successful 2008 U.S. Senate campaign, shortly before she won her first state House race in 2010.
After serving as the House’s majority leader, Duran became the chamber’s first Latina speaker in her final term.
More recently, she worked at a metro Denver law firm and served as an adviser to Let America Vote, a group that advocates for “pro-voter policies.”
Duran’s announcement comes two days after Boulder County District Attorney Michael Daugherty, also a Democrat, became the first candidate to enter the AG’s race. They — and any other Democratic candidates — will face off in a primary in June 2026.
No Republican candidate has filed to enter the race yet.
Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter, The Spot.