League of Women Voters of Colorado

Some people break barriers. Others build institutions that make sure no one has to face those barriers again.

On June 18th, we are honored to celebrate two women who have spent their entire careers doing both.

Ambassador Gail Schoettler became Colorado's second female Lieutenant Governor, served as United States Ambassador, and co-founded Electing Women — a national giving circle that has raised $35 million for women candidates across the country. She didn't step back. She got to work.

Judi Wagner founded the first woman-owned investment firm in Colorado, helped co-found the Women's Bank of Denver, built a national network for electing women, and co-founded the first university-based center for women's health research in the United States. The list of things she has built for Colorado women is almost hard to believe.

Together, they are the 2026 Leaders of Democracy — and we cannot wait to celebrate them.

Join us June 18th at History Colorado Center for an evening of cocktails, dinner, a wine pull, silent auction, and a conversation with two women who have more stories than one evening can hold.

🎟️ Tickets are $150 for members / $200 for non-members — link below. Space is limited!

https://lwvcolorado.org/content.aspx?page_id=4091&club_id=314195&item_id=2956621

We are so close — and we need your help to get there.

Thanks to donors like you, we've raised $13,600 toward our $16,500 spring fundraising goal. That means we're only $2,900 away from finishing strong.

The legislative session has ended — but the work hasn't. The 2026 midterms are approaching, ballot measures are heading to Colorado voters this fall, and our volunteer lobbyists, trainers, and voter educators are gearing up for what comes next. Your gift right now helps make sure we're ready.

Will you help us close the gap before May 31? Every dollar counts — we are almost there!

👉 Make a gift with the link below.

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/leagueofwomenvotersofcolorado/

Colorado is too wealthy to keep cutting basic services | GUEST COLUMN By Kathy White and Lydia McCoy Colorado is a wealthy state. It may be hard to believe right now because so many of us are feeling the strain. Costs are high. Many families are struggling to keep up. There is a growing sense of uncertainty about where the economy is headed. But zoom out, and […]

The Women & Girls of Color Fund Front Range grantmaking cycle is now open!

Nonprofit organizations led by women and gender-expansive leaders of color are invited to submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) by June 17 at 5 p.m. MT.

Through unrestricted, two-year funding, the Women & Girls of Color Fund invests in organizations building healing, justice, liberation, and lasting change across Colorado communities.

Learn more and apply: https://www.wfco.org/wgcf

Questions? Contact Camisha Lashbrook, director of grantmaking, at [email protected].

League of Women Voters Statement on Delaney Hall Hunger Strike and Immigration Detention Conditions | League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters condemns the inhumane conditions at Delaney Hall detention center, escalating force against peaceful protesters, and the broader harms caused by the administration’s mass deportation agenda, calling for accountability and dignity in the immigration system.

https://coloradofoic.org/a-simple-but-monumental-question-for-the-future-of-government-transparency-in-colorado/

coloradofoic.org

On April 29, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Louisiana v. Callais, effectively gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the crown jewel of the Civil Rights Movement and the most powerful legal tool we had to challenge racially discriminatory redistricting.
The ruling gives states a free pass to draw maps that silence Black voters and voters of color, call it partisan, and the courts can't touch you. People fought, bled, and died for these protections. This is a day of shame for the Court.

But we are not standing down.

The League of Women Voters of Colorado has been fighting on every front — filing amicus briefs in this very case, opposing the SAVE Act, and pushing for Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. And here in Colorado, we didn't wait for the federal government to act. Last year, we spent over a year fighting for the Colorado Voting Rights Act, signed into law by Governor Polis in 2025 — enshrining state-level protections for voters with disabilities, Indigenous voters, and transgender Coloradans. When the federal floor collapsed, Colorado already had its own.

Politicians should not choose their voters. Voters should choose their politicians. We are fighting back in the legislatures, in the courts, and at the ballot box. And we will not stop.

Today, our Board announced one of its most difficult decisions: rescinding Governor Polis's 2026 Leaders of Democracy Award following his commutation of Tina Peters' sentence.

Ms. Peters was convicted on multiple felonies for orchestrating an unauthorized breach of Mesa County's election equipment. The criminal justice system worked — and the commutation sends a troubling message about accountability.

The Leaders of Democracy Award exists to honor those who fortify democratic institutions. We cannot bestow it without regard to actions that strike at our foundation.

Our June 18 celebration will go forward, honoring Ambassador Gail Schoettler and Judith Wagner for their extraordinary work co-founding the Women's Bank of Denver.

We have written to Governor Polis directly and remain open to dialogue. This is not a condemnation of his full record.

🔗 Full statement at

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