Jena Griswold Explained

Jena Griswold
Office:39th Secretary of State of Colorado
Governor:Jared Polis
Term Start:January 8, 2019
Predecessor:Wayne Williams
Birth Date:2 October 1984
Birth Place:Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Party:Democratic
Education:Whitman College (BA)
University of Pennsylvania (JD)

Jena Marie Griswold (born October 2, 1984) is an American attorney and politician from the state of Colorado. A Democrat, she is the 39th Colorado Secretary of State, serving since January 8, 2019.[1]

Early life and career

Griswold was born in a Jewish family in Toledo, Ohio,[2] [3] [4] and moved to Estes Park, Colorado, at the age of 10. She graduated from Estes Park High School in 2002. She graduated from Whitman College magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Spanish Literature in 2006. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School with a Juris Doctor in 2011.[5] In 2006, Griswold was awarded the Watson Foundation Fellowship,[6] and in 2009, the Penn Law International Human Rights Fellowship.

Griswold moved to Washington, D.C. in 2011,[7] and worked for President Barack Obama's 2012 campaign as a voter protection attorney. In 2013, Governor John Hickenlooper appointed her to be his liaison to the federal government.[8]

Secretary of State of Colorado

In the 2018 general election, Griswold ran for Secretary of State of Colorado.[9] She defeated the incumbent Republican Wayne Williams in the November 6 general election to become the first elected Democratic Secretary of State in Colorado since 1963[10] and the first woman from the Democratic Party to ever hold the office.[11]

Griswold has prioritized campaign finance reform and increasing voter registration.[12] She filed suit to prevent Tina Peters from being able to oversee elections in Mesa County in 2021 and 2022 due to her attempt to interfere in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.[13] [14]

Griswold won a second term in the 2022 election, defeating Republican Pam Anderson, a former county clerk and recorder from Jefferson County, with 55 percent of the vote.[15]

On September 6, 2023, six voters filed a lawsuit in Colorado state district court seeking to prevent Trump from appearing on the state's Republican presidential primary due to his role in the January 6 United States Capitol attack, naming Griswold as the respondent in her official capacity as Colorado Secretary of State.[16] Judge Sarah B. Wallace ruled that Griswold must keep Trump on the ballot but stated that Trump engaged in insurrection by standard of preponderance of the evidence, the first time a judge has explicitly stated Trump incited the January 6 Capitol attack,[17] The plaintiffs appealed the ruling[18] and the Colorado Supreme Court ruled in a 4–3 per curiam decision that Trump is disqualified from the primary ballot, reversing the district court's ruling.[19] The Supreme Court of the United States later ruled that individual states cannot prevent a candidate from appearing on a presidential ballot.[20]

On April 4, 2024, a resolution to impeach Griswold was introduced to the Colorado House of Representatives.[21] The impeachment articles cited Griswold's comments about Donald Trump leading up to the Supreme Court hearing of Trump v. Anderson, and the incorrect claim that Trump was not on the ballot for the Colorado presidential primary. On April 9, 2024, the impeachment articles failed in the House Judicial Committee.[22]

Political future

In 2019, it was reported that Griswold was considering a bid for United States Senate in the 2020 election against Republican incumbent Cory Gardner.[23] She launched an exploratory committee for the position in July 2019. Griswold ultimately declined to run.[24]

Personal life

Griswold is Jewish.[25] Griswold married Mohamed Enab in May 2014[26] though her official state biography claims she is no longer married. In May 2024, she married her fiancé, Mario.[27] Griswold lives in Louisville, Colorado.[1]

Electoral history

Colorado Secretary of State Election, 2018[28]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticJena Griswold1,313,71652.70
RepublicanWayne Williams1,113,92744.69
ConstitutionAmanda Campbell51,7342.08
Approval VotingBlake Huber13,2580.53
Colorado Secretary of State Election, 2022
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticJena Griswold1,369,04055.1
RepublicanPam Anderson 1,045,58242.1
Libertarian Bennett Rutledge36,4851.4
American Constitution Amanda Campbell17,602 0.71
UnityGary Swing11,4580.46
Approval Voting Jan Kok4,5910.18

Sources

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Secretary Griswold's Biography. www.sos.state.co.us. January 18, 2019.
  2. Web site: Why are so many people riled up by Jena Griswold? . October 25, 2022 . www.coloradosun.com.
  3. Web site: On Love: Jena Griswold and Mohamed Enab . Ellen McCarthy . June 19, 2014 . The Washington Post . WP Company LLC . March 5, 2024 .
  4. Web site: Antisemitic incidents in US soar to highest level in two decades . Jeremy Sharon . April 27, 2023 . The Jerusalem Post . Jerusalem Post Group . March 5, 2024 .
  5. Web site: The Denver Post . Colorado Secretary of State race Q&A: Wayne Williams, Jena Griswold, Amanda Campbell and Blake Huber . Denverpost.com . November 7, 2018.
  6. Web site: Watson Winner to Dance Across Four Continents | Whitman College . Whitman.edu . April 5, 2006 . March 21, 2019.
  7. Web site: Lubitz . Rachel . On Love: Jena Griswold and Mohamed Enab . The Washington Post . June 21, 2014 . November 7, 2018.
  8. Web site: Sherry . Allison . Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper opens office in Washington – The Denver Post . Denverpost.com . November 7, 2018.
  9. Web site: Frank . John . Jena Griswold launches campaign for Colorado secretary of state . Denverpost.com . July 12, 2017 . November 7, 2018.
  10. Web site: Secretary Of State Jena Griswold On The Record; What's To Be Found On The Moon's Far Side. Warner. Ryan. Colorado Public Radio. en. January 18, 2019.
  11. Web site: 'Breaking Barriers': Jena Griswold Makes History In Secretary Of State's Race. November 7, 2018. en. January 18, 2019.
  12. Web site: CO's New Secretary of State Pushes For Change to Campaign Finance Laws – CBS Denver . Denver.cbslocal.com . January 17, 2019 . March 21, 2019.
  13. Web site: 2021-08-30 . Colorado secretary of state sues to stop Mesa County clerk from overseeing elections . 2022-11-25 . . en-US.
  14. Web site: Birkeland . Bente . State, Mesa Clerk going to court over whether she can oversee 2022 election . 2022-11-25 . Colorado Public Radio . en.
  15. Web site: Birkeland . Bente . Democrat Jena Griswold wins second term as Colorado’s top election official . 2022-11-25 . . en.
  16. Web site: Colorado Lawsuit Seeks to Keep Trump Off Ballots Under 14th Amendment . September 6, 2023 . Astor . Maggie . . December 19, 2023 . December 14, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231214115938/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/06/us/politics/trump-colorado-lawsuit-14-amendment.html . live .
  17. News: A judge says Trump incited insurrection. Other judges have come close. . November 20, 2023. Blake . Aaron . . December 19, 2023 . November 21, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231121215032/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/20/judge-says-trump-incited-insurrection-other-judges-have-come-close/ . live .
  18. Web site: Colorado Supreme Court will hear appeal of ruling that Trump can stay on ballot despite insurrection . November 21, 2023 . Riccardi . Nicholas. . December 19, 2023 . November 24, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231124020230/https://apnews.com/article/trump-insurrection-14th-amendment-appeal-colorado-7436a07c9d0259bba9a13136c541cf2c . live .
  19. Web site: Trump Is Disqualified From the 2024 Ballot, Colorado Supreme Court Rules . December 19, 2023 . Astor. Maggie. . December 19, 2023 . December 19, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231219232307/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/19/us/politics/trump-colorado-ballot-14th-amendment.html . live .
  20. News: Supreme Court Rules Trump Stays on Colorado Ballot. Adam. Liptak. March 4, 2024. March 4, 2024. The New York Times. March 4, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240304151649/https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/03/04/us/trump-supreme-court-colorado-ballot. live.
  21. Web site: 2024-04-04 . Impeachment resolution against Colorado's Secretary of State introduced in state House . 2024-04-09 . Colorado Public Radio . en.
  22. Web site: Birkeland · . Bente . 2024-04-09 . Republican attempt to impeach Colorado’s Secretary of State fails in state House . 2024-04-11 . Colorado Public Radio . en.
  23. Web site: Luning . Ernest . July 16, 2019 . Democrat Jena Griswold exploring U.S. Senate bid against Cory Gardner . 2023-01-25 . Colorado Springs Gazette . en.
  24. Web site: Wingerter . Justin . 2019-08-09 . Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold is not running for U.S. Senate . 2023-01-25 . The Denver Post . en-US.
  25. Web site: Bianchi. Chris. 2018-11-30. Led by a Desire to Help the World, Jewish Politicians Take Charge in Colorado. 2021-07-18. Westword.
  26. News: 2021-05-09 . On Love: Jena Griswold and Mohamed Enab . 2024-02-01 . Washington Post . en-US . 0190-8286.
  27. Web site: Instagram . 2024-05-23 . www.instagram.com.
  28. Web site: Election Night Reporting. results.enr.clarityelections.com. January 18, 2019.

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