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Jeff Bridges wins Democratic nomination in Colorado treasurer's race

The three-way Democratic contest for state treasurer is now a one-candidate race.

Election

The three-way Democratic contest for state treasurer is now a one-candidate race.State of play: State Sen. Jeff Bridges (D-Greenwood Village) won 44% of the vote at the Democratic Party assembly Saturday in Pueblo.

Progressive challenger tests DeGette's hold

Rep. Diana DeGette, a 15-term Colorado congresswoman, faces a challenge from a first-time democratic socialist candidate.

News

U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette&#x27;s iron grip on the Denver seat she&#x27;s held for nearly three decades faces its most formidable challenge in years from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="progressive newcomer" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/08/11/degette-cd1-2026-race-progressive-challenger" data-vars-content-id="aa268bfc-60a1-4dc5-99e9-295bd31c4872" data-vars-headline="Progressive challenger tests DeGette&#x27;s hold" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/08/11/degette-cd1-2026-race-progressive-challenger" target="_self">progressive newcomer</a> Melat Kiros.Why it matters: Kiros, a democratic socialist, aims to unseat Colorado&#x27;s longest-serving Congress member — a potential upset that could signal a broader progressive push to topple <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="establishment Democrats" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/democrats-2026-midterms-house-primaries-jeffries" data-vars-content-id="aa268bfc-60a1-4dc5-99e9-295bd31c4872" data-vars-headline="Progressive challenger tests DeGette&#x27;s hold" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/democrats-2026-midterms-house-primaries-jeffries" target="_self">establishment Democrats</a> nationwide.

Colorado's Artemis moment

Colorado companies are playing an outsize role in this week's Artemis II mission.

Colorado&#x27;s aerospace industry is playing an outsize role in Wednesday&#x27;s Artemis II mission — a high-stakes crewed test flight for NASA&#x27;s return to the Moon.Why it matters: Florida may get the glory for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hosting the launch" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/03/30/mosi-to-host-artemis-ii-watch-party" data-vars-content-id="2e63651c-09ea-4d62-bb5b-f96cb50de6e1" data-vars-headline="Colorado&#x27;s Artemis moment" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/03/30/mosi-to-host-artemis-ii-watch-party" target="_self">hosting the launch</a>, but Colorado&#x27;s status as a hub for space innovation stands to get a boost from the mission&#x27;s ripple effects.

Colorado AG primary remains tight after party assembly

Democrats hold the advantage in Colorado entering the 2026 election.

The Democratic primary for attorney general remains a four-way, competitive contest after two high-profile candidates qualified at Saturday&#x27;s party assembly in Pueblo.Why it matters: Democrats <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hold the advantage" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/11/15/colorado-democrat-2024-election-polls" data-vars-content-id="4766bc9c-d4d9-4b3e-a215-81420febff68" data-vars-headline="Colorado AG primary remains tight after party assembly" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/11/15/colorado-democrat-2024-election-polls" target="_self">hold the advantage</a> in Colorado entering the 2026 election, and the winner of the party primary will start as the frontrunner for the November election.

Why top companies keep coming back to Leeds

In a volatile hiring market, 99% of Leeds grads report positive career outcomes within six months.

Education

For business students, six months can define a career. But at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder, 99% of undergraduates report positive career outcomes within six months of graduation.*Why it&#x27;s important: Entry-level hiring has grown more competitive as AI absorbs the rote analytical work once assigned to early-career professionals.<ul><li>Employers increasingly look for graduates who can contribute beyond automation on day one.</li></ul>

Jeffco schools push back against Trump administration

Jefferson County Schools is rebuking the Trump administration's claim that the district violated federal civil rights protections.

Jefferson County Schools is rebuking the Trump administration&#x27;s claim that the district violated federal civil rights protections by allowing transgender students to compete in girls&#x27; sports and access their facilities.Why it matters: The clash between the Trump administration and Colorado&#x27;s second-largest school district highlights the widening national debate over how federal civil rights law applies to transgender students.

How Denver's future policymakers learn from live reform

Students are helping Denver measure which housing reforms increase supply.

Partners

Cities across the country are under pressure to build more housing fast, and Denver is no exception.The challenge: Colorado faces a shortage of more than 134,000 affordable and available homes, with low- and middle-income households feeling the strain.<ul><li>Evidence-based policymaking has never been more essential — and Denver is a particularly dynamic setting for this work.</li></ul>

Colorado education storylines to watch in 2026

The concerns start with how much money the education system will get in the state budget.

What&#x27;s old is new again in 2026 for education.Why it matters: 2025 left many unresolved questions about everything from spending to religious freedom — and the answers are expected to come this year, our education reporting partners at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Chalkbeat write" data-vars-click-url="https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/12/22/seven-colorado-education-issues-to-watch-in-2026/" data-vars-content-id="c88ec4ab-8930-4078-bc27-e00e05a760d3" data-vars-headline="Colorado education storylines to watch in 2026" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/12/22/seven-colorado-education-issues-to-watch-in-2026/" target="_blank">Chalkbeat write</a>.

Colorado's K-12 system needs an overhaul, voters say

Like politics and the economy, Colorado voters are pessimistic about the state's K-12 public education system.

Like they say about <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="politics" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/11/20/poll-colorado-voters-politics-crisis" data-vars-content-id="1cd1db32-f6a8-4160-a180-f4cedb496cb3" data-vars-headline="Colorado&#x27;s K-12 system needs an overhaul, voters say" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/11/20/poll-colorado-voters-politics-crisis" target="_self">politics</a> and the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="economy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/07/15/colorado-pulse-poll-health-foundation-2025" data-vars-content-id="1cd1db32-f6a8-4160-a180-f4cedb496cb3" data-vars-headline="Colorado&#x27;s K-12 system needs an overhaul, voters say" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/07/15/colorado-pulse-poll-health-foundation-2025" target="_self">economy</a>, Colorado voters are pessimistic about the state&#x27;s K-12 public education system, a newly released poll finds.Why it matters: It&#x27;s not a good look for policymakers, particularly Gov. Jared Polis, who has made education his top priority since taking office in 2019.

How Colorado teachers unions won big in 2025 election

The 2025 election tilted the balance of power toward the teachers union in the state.

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="2025 election" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/11/05/colorado-2025-election-results" data-vars-content-id="03f2f29c-f9a4-4cb3-9eb5-4e25e9af88d2" data-vars-headline="How Colorado teachers unions won big in 2025 election" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/11/05/colorado-2025-election-results" target="_self">2025 election</a> tilted the balance of power toward the teachers union in Colorado.Why it matters: The success of the union-backed candidates exemplifies how the &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="blue wave" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/05/democrats-blue-wave-progressives-moderates" data-vars-content-id="03f2f29c-f9a4-4cb3-9eb5-4e25e9af88d2" data-vars-headline="How Colorado teachers unions won big in 2025 election" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/05/democrats-blue-wave-progressives-moderates" target="_self">blue wave</a>&quot; that swept the nation manifested in Colorado, our reporting partners at Chalkbeat <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="write" data-vars-click-url="https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/11/06/why-school-board-candidates-backed-by-the-teachers-union-won-in-denver/" data-vars-content-id="03f2f29c-f9a4-4cb3-9eb5-4e25e9af88d2" data-vars-headline="How Colorado teachers unions won big in 2025 election" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/11/06/why-school-board-candidates-backed-by-the-teachers-union-won-in-denver/" target="_blank">write</a>.

Denver school board race favors union-backed candidates

The union's preferred candidates have held control of the board for the last six years.

Denver voters stayed the course, electing a union-friendly school board that backs Superintendent Alex Marrero, unofficial election results show.Why it matters: With a majority of the board seats at stake, the election had the potential to shift the balance of power in the state&#x27;s largest school district, our education reporting partners at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Chalkbeat" data-vars-click-url="https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/11/04/election-results-denver-school-board-2025/" data-vars-content-id="5eba0aa9-cd39-4a96-8303-cae2d082e0a4" data-vars-headline="Denver school board race favors union-backed candidates" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/11/04/election-results-denver-school-board-2025/" target="_blank">Chalkbeat</a> write.

CU Denver opens applications for psychedelic training program

The program is accepting applications through September.

The University of Colorado Denver is stepping into uncharted educational territory this fall, offering a program teaching people to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="administer psychedelic therapy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/12/05/providers-prepares-psychedelic-therapy-launch" data-vars-content-id="ce60ddb9-1c19-489e-907b-d30119596da0" data-vars-headline="CU Denver opens applications for psychedelic training program" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/12/05/providers-prepares-psychedelic-therapy-launch" target="_self">administer psychedelic therapy</a>.Why it matters: It&#x27;s the first public university-affiliated program for licensure in the country in a nascent field providing an alternative to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="traditional medical practices" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/06/16/2025-psychedelics-science-conference" data-vars-content-id="ce60ddb9-1c19-489e-907b-d30119596da0" data-vars-headline="CU Denver opens applications for psychedelic training program" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/06/16/2025-psychedelics-science-conference" target="_self">traditional medical practices</a>.

Colorado teachers report increasing attacks by students

The alarming findings, outlined in a new state-ordered report, are focusing attention on an underreported issue in schools.

Colorado teachers are increasingly becoming the targets of violence in the classroom with half in a recent survey saying they&#x27;ve been injured by a student.Why it matters: The alarming findings, outlined in a new state-ordered report, are focusing attention on an underreported issue in schools.Driving the news: The Colorado Educator Safety Task Force issued roughly two dozen recommendations to improve conditions in classrooms, starting with de-escalation training for teachers and school response teams.<ul><li>A call for more mental and behavioral services for students is another key component, along with more support for educators and better reporting systems.</li></ul>What they&#x27;re saying: &quot;We really have to acknowledge that educator safety is a priority,&quot; Chris Harms, the director of the Colorado Office of School Safety and a member of the task force, told our editorial partners at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Chalkbeat" data-vars-click-url="https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/07/21/aggressive-student-behavior-toward-teachers-prompts-task-force-solutions/" data-vars-content-id="ce36420c-ab96-4f61-bbed-0b5a3cf72b98" data-vars-headline="Colorado teachers report increasing attacks by students" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/07/21/aggressive-student-behavior-toward-teachers-prompts-task-force-solutions/" target="_blank">Chalkbeat</a>.<ul><li>&quot;We heard over and over again people feeling like this has become normalized,&quot; she said. &quot;That people are expected to expect getting hurt on the job. And we don&#x27;t think that is what should be.&quot;</li></ul>By the numbers: The task force&#x27;s survey of Colorado teachers found that the prevalence of student violence against teachers is higher than <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="previous estimates" data-vars-click-url="https://indd.adobe.com/view/b0e7eabe-e492-4ee1-a27d-c0c431fbc71b" data-vars-content-id="ce36420c-ab96-4f61-bbed-0b5a3cf72b98" data-vars-headline="Colorado teachers report increasing attacks by students" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://indd.adobe.com/view/b0e7eabe-e492-4ee1-a27d-c0c431fbc71b" target="_blank">previous estimates</a>.<ul><li>Three-quarters said they witnessed a student try to harm them or another adult at school.</li></ul>Zoom in: The stories from individual educators stuck with the task force members.Tricia Van Horssen, a school social worker in the Poudre School District, told Chalkbeat about being attacked after trying to diffuse an incident between students.<ul><li>She was knocked to the ground by a raging student who pulled her hair, headbutted her and kicked her in the chest. But she blames societal problems, not the student.</li></ul>&quot;If I were to say, &#x27;What does the student who assaulted me need?&#x27;&quot; Van Horssen said. &quot;What he needs, we don&#x27;t have.&quot;

How Colorado's governor is reimagining education

The legacy Gov. Jared Polis wants to leave behind is a new roadmap for how to educate the next generation.

The legacy Gov. Jared Polis wants to leave behind is a roadmap for educating the next generation.Why it matters: The term-limited Democratic governor is issuing a call to action for the nation&#x27;s governors to push a new vision that better connects education to workforce, civic and wellness outcomes.

Education 📚

CU delays ChatGPT access for students

Why top companies keep coming back to Leeds

Jeffco schools push back against Trump administration

How Denver's future policymakers learn from live reform

Colorado education storylines to watch in 2026