Jeff Bridges, a top state lawmaker, is running to be Colorado’s next treasurer
Bridges was first elected to the legislature as a state representative in 2016. He’s chair of the Joint Budget Committee.
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State Sen. Jeff Bridges, chair of the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee, jumped into the crowded Democratic primary race Tuesday to be Colorado’s next state treasurer.
“As chair of Colorado’s Joint Budget Committee, I think every day about how to make sure your tax dollars get the best possible return,” the Greenwood Village lawmaker said in a written statement. “Colorado’s treasurer has access to billions. Instead of parking your tax dollars in Wall Street securities and Washington T-bills, as your next treasurer I’ll put your money to work right here at home where you can see and feel the difference.”
Bridges thinks state dollars can be invested in Colorado affordable housing and infrastructure projects with as good as, if not better, returns.
“It could make a huge difference for people in the state,” he said in an interview with The Colorado Sun ahead of his campaign announcement, which was timed to coincide with tax day.
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Bridges, a former Democratic campaign aide and graduate of Harvard’s Divinity School, was first elected to the legislature as a state representative in 2016.
He was appointed to the Colorado Senate by a vacancy committee in 2019 and won election in 2020 and reelection in November. His term ends in early 2029, meaning if he wins the state treasurer’s race his seat will be filled by vacancy committee.
Bridges launched his campaign with endorsements from former Ambassador Ken Salazar, Senate President James Coleman, Joint Budget Committee Vice Chair Shannon Bird and former Senate President Steve Fenberg.
Already in the Democratic primary for state treasurer are state Rep. Brianna Titone of Arvada, Jefferson County Treasurer Jerry DiTullio, and John Mikos of Monument, who previously served as chairman of the El Paso County Democratic Party.
The primary election will be held in June 2026.
Whoever wins the Democratic primary for treasurer is likely to win the general election, too, given the leftward shift of Colorado’s electorate. There hasn’t been a Republican elected to statewide office in Colorado since 2016.
Current Treasurer Dave Young, a Democrat, won reelection in 2022 by nearly 11 percentage points. Young is term-limited and now considering a 2026 bid in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District.
The state treasurer’s duties include overseeing the state’s money, handling its investments and serving on the board for the Public Employees’ Retirement Association. The treasurer also manages Colorado’s unclaimed property program.
