AURORA | Aurora Public Schools board member Anne Keke announced Monday that she is running in the Democratic primary for Colorado House District 41, citing her experience in education, community leadership and advocacy for families and students.
Keke also cited recent controversy statewide linked to a bevy of state lawmakers being appointed to vacant seats, rather than elected.
The HD 41 seat is currently held by first-term legislator Jamie Jackson. Jackson was appointed to the seat a year ago after former Democratic HD 41 Rep. Iman Jodeh was appointed to a vacant state Senate seat. Keke also entered the vacancy race last year, losing the appointment to Jackson.
Keke, an immigrant from Cote d’Ivoire and single mother who has lived in Aurora since 2001, said her decision to seek a seat in the state Legislature is rooted in her work with students and families facing economic and social challenges.
“As a proud Aurora community member, immigrant, single mother, and elected member of the Aurora Public School Board, I have seen firsthand the challenges my neighbors and other families in Aurora face,” Keke said in a statement. “That’s why I’m running for the state House. I will work for policies that not only make Colorado a more affordable place to live, but that put the future in reach for the students and families I’ve dedicated my career to serving.”
Keke was first elected to the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education in 2021 and re-elected in 2025. During her tenure, she played a key role in the passage of local ballot Measures 5A and 5B in 2024, which secured more than $1 billion in funding for the district without raising taxes, according to her campaign announcement.
She said she is running in the primary because she believes voters in House District 41 should have a direct say in who represents them at the Capitol.
“Currently, according to (reporting by the Colorado Sun), more than one in four members of the Legislature earned their position through a vacancy committee,” Keke said. “Our community deserves a representative elected by the people, grounded in the lived experiences of our neighbors, who will bring bold leadership to the Capitol.”
Beyond the school board, Keke has held a range of leadership roles, including director with the Colorado Association of School Boards, vice chair of the Aurora Charter Review Committee and president of the Tri-State NAACP Education Committee. She also serves on the Leadership Aurora board, the Aurora Police Department Citizen Oversight Committee, the 1241 School Accountability Task Force and in various roles with the Arapahoe County Democratic Party.
In her 2025 school board re-election, Keke was the top vote-getter in an at-large race for four school board seats among seven candidates.
Her professional background is in criminal justice and organizational leadership. She previously worked with the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office and the Arapahoe County Juvenile Probation Department, working with both juveniles and adults.
She currently works as an instructor of career readiness and restorative justice coordinator with Colorado Early Colleges. Keke also has experience as a business data analyst with UnitedHealth Group and is an active member of the African Leadership Group, where she advocates for equal access to education and has testified before the Colorado Board of Education.
Keke holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Colorado Denver, a master’s degree in criminal justice from Colorado Technical University and a doctorate in management with a minor in criminal justice from Colorado Technical University.
The June 30 Democratic primary for House District 41 will determine the party’s nominee for the seat in the Nov. 3 General Election.