Democrat Jena Griswold challenges incumbent Republican Wayne Williams for Colorado Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State oversees state elections, managing everything from voter registration, designing ballots and keeping hackers out of voter systems to tallying votes and keeping election records. The secretary also oversees nonprofit and business registries.
Colorado leads the country in voter turnout and has been dubbed by the Washington Post as the safest place to cast a vote. Williams touts these accomplishments and others as part of a nonpartisan and successful tenure as secretary of state.
“I’m excited that the majority of Democratic clerks and recorders in the state have endorsed me,” Williams said. “That proven record of achievement – of being the best place in the nation to vote – that is a huge achievement to our office, in addition to the stuff with the business and nonprofit side.”
Williams said he has enacted many policies that make it easier to vote, such as expanding automatic voter registration, better counting of paper ballots, working with high schools to encourage registering young voters, and placing ballot drop boxes that are open 24/7.
WAYNE WILLIAMS
Williams opened a law firm in 1998. In 2003 he ran for El Paso County Commissioner and served until 2011. From 2011 to 2015, Williams was the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder. He has served as the Colorado Secretary of State since 2015.
JENA GRISWOLD
Griswold said she was the first of her working-class family to go to college. She attended Whitman and later received a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She has practiced international anti-corruption law, advised President Obama on voting law, and later led a private practice in Louisville.
He also cites many instances of working with the state legislature to have measures unanimously approved, like this year’s Amendment W, a measure to simplify language on judicial retention, to be considered by voters.
Williams also said he has made it easier for Coloradans to access information on small business and nonprofit registration.
“Go vote!” Williams said. “I want folks to participate. If you can show them the process that their vote will be counted, and counted correctly, we are then more likely to trust the results.”
Griswold is a first-time candidate for office in Colorado.
“This seat should be non-partisan,” Griswold said. “The Secretary of State largely protects and provides access to democracy. That is not a partisan issue, that is an American issue.”
She prioritizes making it easier to vote by working with the legislature to expand automatic voter registration from the Department of Motor Vehicles to other agencies, because people may drive less in the future with self-driving cars and better public transportation.
“Government should meet people where they are,” she said.
Colorado was one of about two dozen states targeted by Russian hackers in the 2016 election. Griswold said more needs to be done to protect the statewide election system; she’d “fight” for more federal funding and assistance to prevent hacking in the future.
“Colorado has taken tremendous steps forward, but we need the leadership to double down on cybersecurity,” Griswold said. “Cyber attacks will innovate, and we will need to, too.”
Griswold criticized Williams for volunteering public voter data to President Trump’s “sham” election integrity commission, which searched for but did not find evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2016 General Election, as President Trump has said.
She also said Williams is erroneously taking credit for great successes in Colorado election turnout.
“He tends to take credit when he opposed measures,” she said. “Wayne has executed the law; he has not led.”
For instance, Williams originally opposed expanding Colorado’s mail-in-ballot system.
Candidate Questions for Wayne Williams
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU
1. What food do you hate most?
Unlabeled fancy foods that I don’t know the name of.
2. Do you indulge in recreational marijuana?
Nope, I’m already mellow.
3. Who would play you in a movie about your life?
Our son Sean who’s acted and directed in the Denver film community.
4. What Olympic sport do you wish you could win gold in?
Basketball—after years of sitting the bench in high school, finally success!
5. What was your favorite childhood candy?
My Mom’s homemade English Toffee
6. If you could be an eyewitness to one event in history, what would it be?
The creation of the Constitution.
7. If the Secret Service gave you a code name, what would it be?
Traveler, because I’m always on the road.
8. If you had to sing karaoke, what song would you sing? Car karaoke counts.
“Take Me Home Country Roads” by John Denver
9. What epitaph would you like written on your tombstone?
Holly’s Husband. In a divided world, Wayne worked to bring people together. (Or Wayne ran the nation’s safest elections and beat the Russians at their election wargames)
10. Is a hot dog a sandwich?
No
11. What is the last concert you attended?
Chinese Lantern Festival concert at St. John’s Church and School in Denver
12. What movie do you never tire of watching?
Princess Bride
13. Dogs or cats?
Cats [go BYU Cougars!]
14. What’s the most overrated thing about living in Colorado?
Toll lanes
Campaign Questions for Jena Griswold
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU
1. What food do you hate most?
Carrots. If only I listened to my mom and ate them as a kid, I wouldn’t have had to use glasses or contacts since the 3rd grade!
2. Do you indulge in recreational marijuana?
No, I do not. But I support medical marijuana and Coloradans’ decision to legalize recreational marijuana.
3. Who would play you in a movie about your life?
Tina Fey or Amy Poehler.
4. What Olympic sport do you wish you could win gold in?
Speed skating. They are so fast and graceful. Meanwhile, I cannot even stand up in ice skates!
5. What was your favorite childhood candy?
I loved those candy buttons as a kid. I remember my grandma taking me to the corner store, giving me a dollar, and I would stock up. I also love Reese’s cups.
6. If you could be an eyewitness to one event in history, what would it be?
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
7. If the Secret Service gave you a code name, what would it be?
Grizzly
8. If you had to sing karaoke, what song would you sing? Car karaoke counts.
I grew up going to karaoke in my hometown of Estes Park. People who know me and people who don’t know me all agree that I should not sing karaoke. And they are right. (But if I was absolutely forced, maybe The Supremes, “You Can’t Hurry Love”).
9. What epitaph would you like written on your tombstone?
Well, that’s gruesome. Hopefully, we don’t have to think about this answer for a long time.
10. Is a hot dog a sandwich?
No, it is not.
11. What is the last concert you attended?
Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull on a Tuesday night as part of a Pepsi Center summer promotion.
12. What movie do you never tire of watching?
As Griswolds, we watch the National Lampoons Holiday Vacation every season!
13. Dogs or cats?
Dogs, though I like cats when they are being nice.
14. What’s the most overrated thing about living in Colorado?
Colorado jackalope sightings.