Meet Justine

My name is Justine Sandoval, and I am a proud fifth-generation Coloradan. I grew up in North Denver, and my family has called this city home for nearly 100 years. I come from a family of activists who fought for Chicano rights in Denver, and that fighting spirit has always been part of who I am.

My roots run deep in House District 5. I built my life here. I went to school here, worked my first jobs here, organized here, and watched our neighborhoods grow and change over the decades. I have always believed in making things better and more equitable for the community that raised me.

Roots in Denver

My journey into public service was inspired by my grandmother, Ana Marie Sandoval, who fought for language equity in Colorado. After her passing in 1998 following a long battle with cancer, Denver Public Schools honored her legacy by naming Academia Ana Marie Sandoval after her.

In 2003, I joined my first political campaign: the effort to defeat Amendment 31, a proposal that would have imposed English-only immersion in Colorado schools. I knocked doors, made phone calls, and worked alongside community members to protect bilingual education. We won, and I was hooked.

A Lifetime of Organizing

As a student at Denver North High School, I helped organize walkouts against the Iraq War and participated in demonstrations supporting immigrant rights. Later, at the Auraria Campus, I organized with Hip-Hop Congress and Queenz of Hip-Hop, promoting hip-hop culture, civic engagement, and youth participation in politics. In 2008, we partnered with the Obama campaign to help register thousands of students to vote.

After college, I entered the workforce during a difficult economy, but I never stopped organizing. I knocked on doors, made calls, set up events, surveyed riders on buses, and advocated for environmental justice and transportation access. I worked with the Colorado Democratic Party and dedicated myself to helping my community however I could.

Fighting for Reproductive Freedom

That work eventually led me to NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado, now known as Cobalt, where I spent nearly a decade fighting to protect reproductive freedom. I worked to stop harmful legislation and ballot measures while educating lawmakers and community leaders about the importance of reproductive healthcare access.

During that time, I helped advance policies that improved people's lives, including expanding access to a full 12-month supply of birth control, passing protections for pregnant workers through the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and expanding access to affordable contraception across Colorado.

In 2024, I led the field program that helped pass Amendment 79, protecting abortion rights in Colorado's Constitution. It remains one of the accomplishments I am most proud of because it ensured future generations of Coloradans will continue to have the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions.

Leadership and Public Service

When Donald Trump was elected, I continued organizing and advocating for the values I believe in. I protested outside the GEO Detention Center, organized demonstrations, and worked to protect civil rights and democratic institutions. I have spent my life standing up for the communities I care about and pushing back when those communities are under attack.

My commitment to public service also led me to leadership roles within the Democratic Party. I served two terms as President of the Denver Young Democrats and later as President of the Colorado Young Democrats. Throughout my life, I have worked to strengthen our party and build broad coalitions that bring more people into the political process.

Why I'm Running

For more than twenty years, I have been an organizer, advocate, and community leader. I am running for State House because I believe our communities deserve a representative who understands this district, shares its values, and has spent a lifetime fighting for the people who call it home.

I am ready to bring that experience to the Capitol and continue fighting for working families, affordable housing, quality public education, reproductive freedom, civil rights, and opportunities for every Coloradan.