My name is KATHY HAGEN,
I'm running for the Colorado Senate District 17 vacancy seat.
I am a proud Democrat and have worked to elect Democrats at the local, state, and national levels.
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I have lived in Erie for 24 years and Lafayette for 4 years before that.​
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I serve as the State Legislative Lead for Moms Demand Action.
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I am a mom, wife, small business owner, advocate and community builder.​​​​
About me
​I am a proud native of Colorado, born and raised in Boulder. I attended Boulder County public schools, graduated from CU Boulder, and later earned my MBA from the University of Phoenix.
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In 2006, my husband and I started a small business in Erie, giving me firsthand experience with the challenges and rewards of building and sustaining a company. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and when the economy struggles, we feel it immediately—whether through rising costs, shifting demand, or the pressure to keep good jobs in our community. Nearly two decades later, our business is still going strong, and that experience has given me deep insight into what it takes to create economic policies that help businesses thrive, support workers, and strengthen our local economy.
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In 2018, when my two boys were students at Centaurus High School, the Parkland High School shooting shook our nation. It was devastating to see the traumatized students exiting the school. I thought how that could have been any school, including Centaurus. That moment changed everything for me. I got involved in gun violence prevention—attending city council meetings, joining Moms Demand Action, and advocating at the Capitol. I discovered a passion for legislation and policy and committed myself to making a difference.
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Today, I serve as the State Legislative Lead for Moms Demand Action, where I organize thousands of volunteers statewide to advocate for gun safety legislation. I research and develop talking points for bills, mobilize volunteers to email our legislators, show up at the hearings, and testify on all the bills. We want lawmakers to hear from those of us who support commonsense measures to keep our communities safe.
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While gun violence prevention has been my primary focus, when you dive into gun safety, you realize there are many issues, besides just the easy access to guns, that intersect our gun violence epidemic: access to mental health care, suicide prevention, domestic violence, economic inequality, and social injustice.
In addition to legislation, we must work with community partners to address the underlying causes of gun violence if we ever want to see real change. We must have them as stakeholders in any legislation.
Beyond my advocacy, I am a community builder. Twenty-two years ago, I founded a women’s running group that continues to meet weekly—over 45 women who show up every week, rain or shine, supporting one another and solving the world’s problems (or so we’d like to think!). At my core, I am a mom, wife, small business owner, advocate, and community builder. I believe the people of Senate District 17 deserve a senator who listens, communicates openly, and works to strengthen our communities. I would be honored to serve in that role.​
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​​​The environment and climate change. As the federal government rolls back environmental protections, it is more important than ever to make progress at the state and local levels. In our area, fracking and pollutants from leaking wells are major concerns. While the legislature has made progress with oil and gas reform laws, we need to ensure that companies meet their emission reduction targets and that our communities are protected. I am committed to fighting for a healthier, safer, and more sustainable future for all Coloradans.
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Local control of oil drilling restrictions has led to a patchwork of regulations around our state. We know that air and water pollution doesn't stay in one area, it travels to all communities. I will work with legislators to study the impact of these emission disparities and craft legislation that addresses them.
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My body my choice! 100%
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Health care access is another critical issue, particularly with the possibility of federal Medicaid cuts. Too many families are struggling with the high medical costs and barriers to essential services. We must strengthen health care protections at the state level and find ways to work around the constraints of TABOR.
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Rising cost of housing: we need to explore real solutions to lower housing costs, including making homeownership more accessible, stabilizing rental rates, ensuring HOA fees are fair, and addressing the growing burden of insurance costs.
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Education funding could be slashed at the federal level. All schools and programs could be at risk. Especially for Title 1 schools which serve our most vulnerable students. We need secure, stable, adequate funding for public schools and ensure teachers have the resources they need. Again, we need to address TABOR, so that our state can react to the cuts that are coming.
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