Leslie Herod

State Representative, House District 8

Denver

Representative Leslie Herod was elected in 2016 as the first LGBTQ African American in the General Assembly.

Since her election, Rep. Herod has sent 52 bills to the Governor’s desk, marshaling through numerous pieces of legislation addressing criminal justice reform, mental health & substance abuse, renewable energy, youth homelessness, and civil rights protections.

Some of her signature work includes:

• Reauthorizing the Colorado Civil Rights Division despite enormous pressure to weaken it

• Ending cash bail for minor offenses

• De-felonizing drug possession

• Giving every child born or adopted in Colorado a $100 college kickstarter account

• And providing free menstrual hygiene products to inmates in Colorado’s prisons and jails

In addition to winning reelection in 2018, Herod championed a ballot initiative - Caring 4 Denver - that will raise at least $35 million annually for mental health and substance abuse treatment and services for children and adults in Denver. The initiative passed overwhelmingly with nearly 70% support from Denver voters and will create the largest mental health foundation in the state.

She serves as the Chair of the House Finance Committee, Vice Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Chair of the Committee on Legal Services, and Chair of the Colorado Black Democratic Legislative Caucus.