Julie McCluskie Elected Speaker

DENVER, CO – Speaker-elect Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, today released the following statement after House Democrats elected her the next Speaker of the Colorado House: 

“It is an enormous privilege to serve the great state of Colorado, and I’m honored to lead one of the largest and most diverse Democratic majorities in our state’s history. The diversity of this body is our strength. As public servants, we are called upon to answer the expectations and needs of the people in our districts and to govern responsibly on behalf of every person in our state–those who voted for us and those who did not. 

“We have made bold progress to lower health care costs, make housing more affordable, protect our freedoms and invest in our schools, but Coloradans are still struggling in the aftermath of a deadly pandemic, global inflation and the worst wildfires in our state’s history. Even with these challenges, I know that our brightest days are still to come. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do what’s best for our state, move Colorado forward and help Coloradans thrive. ”

House Democrats will have 46 seats in the 74th General Assembly. The caucus is one of the largest and most diverse ever elected in Colorado. Nearly 75 percent of the incoming Democratic lawmakers are women, nearly 40 percent are people of color, and 13 percent are LGBTQ+. 

Speaker-elect McCluskie was first elected to the General Assembly in 2018 and represents House District 13, which includes Lake, Chafee, Park, Summit, Grand, and Jackson counties. She currently chairs the Joint Budget Committee. Born and raised in Colorado, Julie and her husband Jamie have spent most of their married years in the Rocky Mountains. They are proud parents of two children, Ian and Cait, and enjoy spending family time in Colorado’s great outdoors. 

Speaker-elect McCluskie has authored landmark legislation to save people money on health insurance, make housing more affordable, and increase funding for public schools, higher education and wildfire mitigation efforts. She spearheaded efforts last year to direct federal recovery dollars toward innovative strategies that will grow Colorado’s workforce and save Coloradans money as they pursue new skills needed to enter growing industries.  She spent more than a dozen years working in Summit School District before serving in the General Assembly. 

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