PRESS RELEASE | December 3, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Elisabeth Epps—Abolitionist, Advocate, Activist—Announces Candidacy for State Representative with Huge Grassroots Fundraising Support 

DENVER, Colo. -- Progressive Democrat Elisabeth Epps kicked off her campaign yesterday for Colorado’s newly drawn sixth house district with a tidal wave of support from grassroots activists, community leaders, and elected officials. In the first 24 hours from announcing, Elisabeth’s campaign raised over $23,000 from over 280 grassroots supporters with an average donation of $81.70. Two-thirds of donations were $50 or less, 73% of contributions came from Colorado residents, and one quarter of small donors have scheduled recurring donations. 

For the past decade, Elisabeth has spent countless hours at the Colorado State Capitol advocating for change, stake-holding, testifying, and building collaboratively with community and lawmakers. She has marched, protested, rallied, and been bruised and gassed by Denver police at the Capitol. Now she’s ready to lead at the Capitol in a brave new way—as our State Representative for Colorado House District 6.

Elisabeth is an abolitionist who founded and serves as Executive Director of Colorado Freedom Fund (CFF), a revolving community bond fund working to increase community safety and end wealth-based detention in Colorado. CFF has bought freedom for over 1,000 Coloradans. For years she has inspired, shaped, championed, and helped pass critical legislation focused on liberty, justice, and equity in Colorado.

“I’ve always spoken about a three-pronged approach to advocacy: legislation, litigation and direct action,” said Epps. “As an elected official I’m not leaving protest behind. Protest is a critical part of creating the safe, healthy world we want, but protest without policy change is hollow.”

Denver-area progressive leaders are rallying around Epps’ candidacy, including State Representatives Steven Woodrow, Jennifer Bacon, Iman Jodeh, Denver City Councilmember Candi CdeBaca and Denver RTD Director Shontel Lewis. Other prominent progressive leaders and community members support Elisabeth and will announce their endorsements in coming weeks.

Rep. Steven Woodrow, current incumbent in HD6, said “I’ve always advocated that we need to leave things better than we found them, and Elisabeth is someone who lives that motto to the fullest. I’ve been lucky to represent HD6, and I trust no one more than Elisabeth to represent the district.” 

Born and raised in a Black family in the American South, Elisabeth grew up surrounded by love, but also pain. Elisabeth’s mother died of breast cancer at age 33, when Elisabeth was just 9. Her father, now retired, was a 29-year AFA-CWA union member. Elisabeth attended a dozen schools before 12th grade when she became a single parent herself at age 16.

After graduating early from high school, with a newborn baby often on her hip, Elisabeth worked a multitude of jobs to make ends meet—she nannied, provided in-home child and adult care, was a bank teller, insurance underwriter, delivered phone books, worked at multiple call centers, and was a patient care coordinator at a free health clinic.

Like so many of our neighbors, Elisabeth moved her young family west to Colorado to pursue opportunity. A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, her first job in Colorado was with the Colorado State Public Defender. After a brief challenging period of housing insecurity, during which her family lived in a coworker’s basement and in motels, Elisabeth, her son, and their ancient dog Carter eventually made their home in Denver, where her son graduated as a scholar and athlete from Denver East High School.

In 2018 Elisabeth founded Colorado Freedom Fund, which works to end wealth-based detention through legislation, litigation, and direct action. From 2018-2021 Elisabeth worked with ACLU of Colorado as first its Pretrial Justice Organizer and then Smart Justice Organizer. At ACLU Elisabeth helped create the Bring Our Neighbors Home campaign and worked on criminal legal issues like supporting the repeal of Colorado’s death penalty, and advocating for clemency through the Redemption campaign.  

As Executive Director of Colorado Freedom Fund, Elisabeth works tirelessly in jail lobbies and courtrooms across our state to help the most vulnerable members of our community. Herself a survivor of police violence and intimate partner violence, Elisabeth understands how cops, courts, and cages fall short in protecting victims and preventing crime. Elisabeth has dedicated her life to keeping the most vulnerable members of our community safe, free, and healthy. She’ll take that same dedication to the Colorado State House.

Colorado’s new House District 6 was created during the 2020 redistricting process and is composed of Denver’s Capitol Hill, North Cap Hill/Uptown, Congress Park, Cheesman Park, East Colfax, Montclair, Hale, Lowry, Windsor Gardens, and Rangeview neighborhoods.

For more information about Elisabeth’s campaign for HD6 and growing list of endorsements, visit ElisabethEpps.com.