Posted February 19, 2026
COLOR Action Fund (COLOR AF), Colorado’s only Latine-led reproductive justice political organization, today announced its first round of 2026 endorsements, backing candidates who have demonstrated clear alignment with reproductive justice values and a commitment to governing with courage and accountability.
Our endorsement is a signal to voters: these candidates are prepared to govern with clarity, backbone, and accountability.”
Dusti Gurule, President of COLOR Action Fund
As national attacks on bodily autonomy, immigrant communities, LGBTQ+ people, and democratic norms intensify, COLOR AF’s endorsement process centers political clarity, moral consistency, and governing readiness.
“We are endorsing reproductive justice governing standards,” said Dusti Gurule, President of COLOR Action Fund. “It means you understand that our bodies, our families, our labor, and our freedom are interconnected. It means you do not compromise immigrant dignity for political comfort. It means you don’t treat gender freedom as negotiable. In this moment, values alignment is the baseline. Latine communities deserve elected officials who will protect our lives, not perform solidarity when it’s convenient.”
Gurule continued, “Our endorsement is a signal to voters: these candidates are prepared to govern with clarity, backbone, and accountability.”
2026 Endorsed Candidates:
- Michael Neil — House District 2
- Justine Sandoval — House District 5
- Iris Halpern — House District 6
- Neal Walia — House District 9
- Consuelo Redhorse — House District 13
- Gabriel Cervantes — House District 31
- Kenny Nguyen — House District 33
- Chela Garcia-Irlando — Senate District 34
Each candidate completed COLOR AF’s rigorous endorsement process, which included in-depth interviews, rapid-response, non-negotiable questions, issue-based evaluations, and governing-readiness assessments grounded in lived community impact.
COLOR AF endorses candidates who:
- Govern with reproductive justice as a core framework
- Reject corporate or dark money influence that erodes public trust
- Commit to transparency and accountability
- Understand that elections shape power, and power shapes whose lives are protected
“We are living through a period of rising authoritarian pressure and coordinated attacks on democratic institutions across the country,” said Joe Salazar, Board Member of COLOR Action Fund and former Colorado legislator. “This is not a time for political comfort or incremental half-measures. Governing in this climate requires bravery, moral steadiness, and a willingness to reject business-as-usual. The candidates endorsed by COLOR Action Fund demonstrated that they understand the seriousness of this moment.”
Participation in the endorsement process is voluntary. Acceptance signals a willingness to engage reproductive justice as a governing standard and to be evaluated through community-rooted accountability.
This endorsement marks the beginning, not the end, of our relationship with these candidates. COLOR Action Fund remains committed to ongoing engagement, public accountability, and ensuring that campaign commitments translate into governing action.
Latine communities are looking for leaders who will meet the moment, not manage around it.
Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights Action Fund (COLOR AF) is a community-rooted 501(c)(4) organization that works to enable Latine individuals and their families to lead safe, healthy, and self-determined lives by holding elected officials accountable to our issues and electing people who support our mission.
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