Led by a Desire to Help the World, Jewish Politicians Take Charge in Colorado
November 30, 2018
As Democrats swept to power in Colorado this fall, many national headlines focused on Jared Polis becoming America's first openly gay governor as a point of increased diversity in the Centennial State. Joe Neguse's election as Colorado's first African-American congressman drew other such headlines.
But what traveled under the radar was the fact that several prominent Jewish candidates, including Polis, Griswold and Attorney General Phil Weiser, are the first Jews elected to constitutional statewide offices in Colorado's history. Along with Democratic Senator Michael Bennet and Representative Ed Perlmutter, many leaders of the Colorado Democratic Party are of the Jewish faith or some mix of religions, as was the case with Bennet, who was raised in a Christian and Jewish household.
The rise of Jewish politicians in Colorado could be seen by some as a coincidence, but there are strong ties between the actions of Donald Trump's administration and a perceived violation of Jewish values and history that are prompting more Jews to seek political office.
For one thing, successful Jewish candidates have been mostly Democrats. And it's not just the trifecta at the top of the Democratic ticket in Colorado; high-level figures, from statewide Democratic Party Chairwoman Morgan Carroll to Communications Director Eric Walker, along with a laundry list of behind-the-scenes Democratic operatives and state representatives, are also Jewish, an impressive feat for a relatively small religious minority. Approximately 102,000 Coloradans are Jewish, according to a 2017 estimate from the Jewish Virtual Library, or about 2.5 percent of Colorado's population — slightly above the national average of 2.1 percent.
https://www.westword.com/news/after-2018-midterms-prominent-democratic-jewish-politicians-now-control-colorado-11031184