Katie Wallace, a Longmont Democrat, has announced her candidacy for Senate District 17, which includes Longmont, Lafayette and Erie. Wallace previously served as vice chair of the Boulder County Democratic Party and was a policy team member for U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse.
“I am running for state Senate to fight for middle- and working-class Coloradans, take on the climate crisis, and protect our civil liberties and democracy,” she said in a news release last week.
The seat became vacant after Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, a Longmont Democrat, resigned earlier this month amid an ethics probe into her treatment of legislative aides and staffers. Jaquez Lewis said she was stepping down for an opportunity to work for a nonprofit.
A Democratic vacancy committee is expected to select a replacement as soon as next month. Additional candidates are likely to enter the race.
Wallace has received endorsements from several current and former Boulder County legislators, including Rep. Karen McCormick of Longmont, Rep. Kyle Brown of Louisville and Sen. Judy Amabile of Boulder.