Jena Griswold
Jena Marie Griswold (born October 2, 1984) is an American attorney and politician from the state of Colorado. A Democrat, she is the 39th Colorado Secretary of State, serving since January 8, 2019.[1]
Jena Griswold | |
|---|---|
| 39th Secretary of State of Colorado | |
| Assumed office January 8, 2019 | |
| Governor | Jared Polis |
| Preceded by | Wayne Williams |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 2, 1984 Toledo, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Whitman College (BA) University of Pennsylvania (JD) |
| Website | Government website |
Early life and career edit
Griswold was born in a Jewish family in Toledo, Ohio,[2][3][4] and moved to Estes Park, Colorado, at the age of 10. She graduated from Estes Park High School in 2002. She graduated from Whitman College magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Spanish Literature in 2006.[1] She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School with a Juris Doctor in 2011.[5] In 2006, Griswold was awarded the Watson Foundation Fellowship,[6] and in 2009, the Penn Law International Human Rights Fellowship.
Griswold moved to Washington, D.C. in 2011,[7] and worked for President Barack Obama's 2012 campaign as a voter protection attorney.[8] In 2013, Governor John Hickenlooper appointed her to be his liaison to the federal government.[9]
Secretary of State of Colorado edit
In the 2018 general election, Griswold ran for Secretary of State of Colorado.[8] She defeated the incumbent Republican Wayne Williams in the November 6 general election to become the first elected Democratic Secretary of State in Colorado since 1963[10] and the first woman from the Democratic Party to ever hold the office.[11]
Griswold has prioritized campaign finance reform and increasing voter registration.[12] She filed suit to prevent Tina Peters from being able to oversee elections in Mesa County in 2021 and 2022 due to her attempt to interfere in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.[13][14]
Griswold won a second term in the 2022 election, defeating Republican Pam Anderson, a former county clerk and recorder from Jefferson County, with 55 percent of the vote.[15]
Political future edit
In 2019, it was reported that Griswold was considering a bid for United States Senate in the 2020 election against Republican incumbent Cory Gardner.[16] She launched an exploratory committee for the position in July 2019. Griswold ultimately declined to run.[17]
Personal life edit
Griswold is Jewish.[18] Griswold married Mohamed Enab in May 2014,[19] though her official state biography claims she is no longer married.[1] Griswold lives in Louisville, Colorado.[1]
Electoral history edit
| Colorado Secretary of State Election, 2018[20] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Jena Griswold | 1,313,716 | 52.70 |
| Republican | Wayne Williams | 1,113,927 | 44.69 |
| Constitution | Amanda Campbell | 51,734 | 2.08 |
| Approval Voting | Blake Huber | 13,258 | 0.53 |
| Colorado Secretary of State Election, 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Jena Griswold | 1,369,040 | 55.1 |
| Republican | Pam Anderson | 1,045,582 | 42.1 |
| Libertarian | Bennett Rutledge | 36,485 | 1.4 |
| American Constitution | Amanda Campbell | 17,602 | 0.71 |
| Unity | Gary Swing | 11,458 | 0.46 |
| Approval Voting | Jan Kok | 4,591 | 0.18 |
References edit
- ^ a b c d "Secretary Griswold's Biography". www.sos.state.co.us. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- ^ "Why are so many people riled up by Jena Griswold?". www.coloradosun.com. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ Ellen McCarthy (June 19, 2014). "On Love: Jena Griswold and Mohamed Enab". The Washington Post. WP Company LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ Jeremy Sharon (April 27, 2023). "Antisemitic incidents in US soar to highest level in two decades". The Jerusalem Post. Jerusalem Post Group. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ The Denver Post. "Colorado Secretary of State race Q&A: Wayne Williams, Jena Griswold, Amanda Campbell and Blake Huber". Denverpost.com. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ "Watson Winner to Dance Across Four Continents | Whitman College". Whitman.edu. April 5, 2006. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ Lubitz, Rachel (June 21, 2014). "On Love: Jena Griswold and Mohamed Enab". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ a b Frank, John (July 12, 2017). "Jena Griswold launches campaign for Colorado secretary of state". Denverpost.com. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ Sherry, Allison. "Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper opens office in Washington – The Denver Post". Denverpost.com. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ Warner, Ryan. "Secretary Of State Jena Griswold On The Record; What's To Be Found On The Moon's Far Side". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- ^ "'Breaking Barriers': Jena Griswold Makes History In Secretary Of State's Race". November 7, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- ^ "CO's New Secretary of State Pushes For Change to Campaign Finance Laws – CBS Denver". Denver.cbslocal.com. January 17, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ "Colorado secretary of state sues to stop Mesa County clerk from overseeing elections". The Denver Post. August 30, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ Birkeland, Bente. "State, Mesa Clerk going to court over whether she can oversee 2022 election". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ Birkeland, Bente. "Democrat Jena Griswold wins second term as Colorado's top election official". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ Luning, Ernest (July 16, 2019). "Democrat Jena Griswold exploring U.S. Senate bid against Cory Gardner". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
- ^ Wingerter, Justin (August 9, 2019). "Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold is not running for U.S. Senate". The Denver Post. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
- ^ Bianchi, Chris (November 30, 2018). "Led by a Desire to Help the World, Jewish Politicians Take Charge in Colorado". Westword. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ^ "On Love: Jena Griswold and Mohamed Enab". Washington Post. May 9, 2021. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
- ^ "Election Night Reporting". results.enr.clarityelections.com. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
External links edit
- Government website
- Campaign website
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Appearances on C-SPAN