A Colorado voting rights advocate who has spent nearly a decade fighting election misinformation says he plans to cross party lines and cast a ballot in the June 30 Democratic primary — specifically to support Jessie Danielson for secretary of state.
The move marks a notable shift for the voter, who participated in the Republican primary for secretary of state four years ago. That race featured both Pam Anderson and Tina Peters, an election denier who was later prosecuted. This cycle, he is backing Danielson on the Democratic side.
Why It Matters
Colorado’s secretary of state oversees elections statewide, making the role a focal point in ongoing national debates over election integrity. The June 30 Democratic primary features two women from Jefferson County competing for the nomination — a contest with implications for how Colorado administers elections heading into future cycles.
The voter making the endorsement is not a political outsider. He filed a lawsuit seeking to bar Donald Trump from the Colorado ballot and helped prepare testimony alongside a U.S. Capitol Police officer who was involved in hand-to-hand combat during the January 6th breach of the Capitol. His decision to vote in the Democratic primary underscores the degree to which the secretary of state race is drawing attention beyond traditional party lines.
What Happened
Danielson’s record on election access is central to the endorsement. In 2013, she played a key role in the passage of Colorado’s Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act, a landmark measure that expanded participation options for voters across the state. She also advanced automatic voter registration through the state legislature, a policy that has since become a model examined by other states.
The advocate described his decision as rooted in Danielson’s demonstrated commitment to election administration reform, contrasting her record with the chaos he associated with the Peters wing of the previous Republican primary. Peters was later convicted on charges related to a Colorado voting system breach.
In addition to the secretary of state race, the voter said he intends to support Phil Weiser in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. The Bennet-Weiser gubernatorial contest is also set for the June 30 primary ballot.
By the Numbers
- June 30, 2026: Date of the Colorado Democratic primary
- 2013: Year Danielson helped pass the Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act
- 4 years ago: When the voter last participated in a Republican primary for secretary of state
- 2 candidates: Both Democratic secretary of state contenders hail from Jefferson County
- Nearly a decade: Length of time the endorser has been active in combating election misinformation
Zoom Out
Secretary of state races have drawn heightened national attention since 2020, as election administration became a partisan flashpoint in multiple states. Colorado’s contest reflects that ongoing tension — with candidates and outside voters alike treating the office as a referendum on election integrity norms.
Crossover voting in primaries, while uncommon, is permitted in Colorado under state rules that allow unaffiliated voters and, in some cases, party-switchers to participate. The decision by a self-identified Republican-leaning voter to enter the Democratic primary signals the degree to which the secretary of state position is viewed as transcending ordinary partisan considerations by some voters.
Colorado has also been at the center of several high-profile election-related legal battles in recent years, including the ballot eligibility litigation that reached the U.S. Supreme Court. The state’s handling of Tina Peters and subsequent executive clemency decisions have kept election administration in the public spotlight heading into this primary season.
What’s Next
Colorado voters will head to the polls on June 30 for the Democratic primary. The winner of the secretary of state race will face a Republican opponent in the November general election. Results from the gubernatorial and down-ballot primaries will shape the Democratic ticket heading into the fall campaign season.