CO-01 Democratic nominee?
$31.9K
JUL 1, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleOther
PartyDemocratic
GenderFemale
LocationColorado
BackgroundBusiness owner
Show moreShow less
EducationUniversity of Colorado Boulder (graduate)
Notable personal detailsWanda James is an American businesswoman and politician serving as a University of Colorado Regent for Colorado’s 1st Congressional District (term 2023–2029). She is a first-generation graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, was commissioned through the Naval ROTC program, and served four years in the military. James is a cannabis industry entrepreneur and co-founded a cannabis company in 2009 with her husband, Chef Scott Durrah. She is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District in the 2026 cycle.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports federal legalization of cannabis and directing marijuana tax revenue toward community reinvestment (affordable housing, mental-health services, childcare assistance, public-school improvements, and neighborhood economic development). Has advocated for tax and regulatory reforms to address burdens on cannabis businesses (e.g., federal tax treatment/280E) and for using cannabis tax revenue for social programs rather than cutting such funding.
Healthcare
Supports moving toward Medicare for All or universal healthcare and empowering Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices; emphasizes expanding community health centers, mobile clinics, and guaranteed language access. Commits to fully funding and modernizing VA health care and expanding mental health and suicide prevention services for veterans.
Show moreShow less
Immigration & Border
Supports a path to citizenship for Dreamers, farmworkers, and long-term essential workers and favors humane, modern immigration reform. Advocates for smart, technology-driven border security aimed at stopping drugs and trafficking without tearing families apart.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Supports codifying Roe v. Wade and protecting contraception; expresses commitment to protecting reproductive freedom and voting to codify abortion rights into federal law.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports Second Amendment rights and promotes firearms training and concealed-carry access while engaging in debates over campus carry policy; has co-founded a gun-range/armory aimed at empowering people of color to exercise gun rights. No clear evidence of support for major new gun restrictions or for progressive gun-control package was found in the reviewed sources.
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 20262026
LatestCycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- News
- Polls
- Endorsements