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Democrat

Ken Salazar

Democrat

Ken Salazar

Colorado Democratic Governor nominee?

$62.0K

JUL 1, 2026

Primary Election

Party selects its nominee.

Overview

Current roleFormer U.S. Senator

PartyDemocratic

Political ideologyModerate Democrat

Age71 years old (Mar 2, 1955)

GenderMale

BackgroundLawyer

EducationColorado College (B.A., Political Science, 1977)

Notable personal detailsKenneth Lee Salazar is an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat who represented Colorado as a U.S. senator (2005–2009) and previously served as Colorado attorney general (1999–2005). He served as the 50th U.S. secretary of the interior (2009–2013) in the Obama administration and later was U.S. ambassador to Mexico (2021–2025). He has also worked in Colorado state government, including as executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and as chief legal counsel to Colorado Governor Roy Romer.

SourcesShow

history.house.gov en.wikipedia.org govinfo.gov foreign.senate.gov politica.expansion.mx axios.com es.wikipedia.org coloradopolitics.com linktr.ee elpais.com twitter.com usbr.gov britannica.com idcrawl.com appropriations.house.gov coag.gov s3.amazonaws.com linkedin.com senate.gov ontheissues.org discoverthenetworks.org pnhp.org congress.gov apnews.com washingtonpost.com cpr.org justfacts.votesmart.org 5280.com doi.gov scientificamerican.com presidency.ucsb.edu caselaw.findlaw.com colorado.edu kids.britannica.com lcv.org democrats.senate.gov fec.gov salazar.house.gov it.wikipedia.org commons.wikimedia.org upload.wikimedia.org wikidata.org nga.org epw.senate.gov

Positions

LiberalConservative

Economy & Taxes

Public record shows a mix of positions on taxes: as a U.S. senator Ken Salazar supported some tax-cut measures and reforms aimed at protecting families/farms while also supporting selective taxes (for example on oil company windfall profits) and environmental/economic investments. His interest-group ratings on tax issues have been low from anti-tax organizations, indicating he is not aligned with major tax-cut advocacy groups. Overall his record does not fit cleanly into a single progressive or conservative tax stance.

Healthcare

Ken Salazar has supported comprehensive federal action to address uninsured populations and high health-care costs and has worked on expanding medical coverage for specific groups. He has sponsored bipartisan efforts to create a commission to develop broad health-care reform proposals and has listed health care among central policy priorities. His record indicates support for government-led solutions to expand access rather than calls to privatize or repeal major programs.

Immigration & Border

Supports comprehensive immigration reform that includes expanded legal pathways and addressing root causes abroad while also endorsing stronger border enforcement and cooperation with Mexico. Emphasizes bipartisan, comprehensive solutions and development in origin countries alongside enforcement measures. Has warned migrants to use legal routes and called for increased U.S.-Mexico cooperation on migration and security.

Abortion & Reproductive Rights

Supports legal abortion access while endorsing some limits such as parental notification with bypass procedures and bans on late-term abortions except to protect the life or health of the mother. Has said the decision should be between a woman and her beliefs and has supported funding for family planning and contraception access to reduce unintended pregnancies.

Climate & Energy

Supports substantial development of renewable energy on federal lands and transmission buildout while accepting continued, managed use of oil, gas, and coal during a transition; has urged emissions limits and promoted climate science-informed land and resource management. Advocates policies to accelerate clean energy deployment (solar, wind, geothermal) on public lands and measures like carbon capture as part of a pragmatic energy transition.

Public Safety & Guns

Supports expanded background checks for gun transfers (including at gun shows) and has backed an assault-weapons ban in past public-service roles. Has worked with state leaders on gun-safety measures following the Columbine tragedy.

News

AINews Summary

Last updatedJan 24, 2026

Fundraising reports for Colorado’s 2026 Democratic gubernatorial primary show U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser leading the field, with roughly $7 million and $5.1 million raised, respectively. The coverage focuses on their campaigns and grassroots messaging ahead of the June 30, 2026 primary, with no specific fundraising details mentioned for Ken Salazar.

history.house.gov+43

Articles

BDBoulder Daily Camera5 months ago