Colorado Attorney General Primary Candidates Balance National Lawsuits with Local Priorities

A $14 million project. Twelve units.

That’s the kind of granular, hyper-local specificity we need when discussing housing, but the Democratic primary for Colorado Attorney General is currently debating broader strokes. Four lawyers. One seat. And a mandate that stretches from prosecuting criminals to protecting consumers, enforcing antitrust laws, and managing an office of over 650 employees.

The obvious take is that this race is about who can best sue the Trump administration. Phil Weiser has already done it at least 65 times. It’s a high-profile, media-friendly metric. But for the folks on the Western Slope, the Attorney General isn’t just a litigator in a suit; they’re the enforcer of the laws that keep our water rights secure, our energy companies honest, and our local economies from being crushed by monopolies.

Let’s look at the field.

Jena Griswold, the 41-year-old Secretary of State, brings political capital. She’s been in the game since 2018, acting as Gov. John Hickenlooper’s liaison to D.C. before that. She’s from Louisville. She knows how to navigate the capital.

Michael Dougherty, 54, is the current Boulder County District Attorney. He’s been a prosecutor since the 90s, including time as Colorado’s deputy attorney general in charge of the criminal section. He’s from Boulder. He knows the courts.

Then there are the outsiders. David Seligman, 43, runs Towards Justice, a legal nonprofit focused on workers’ rights. He’s from Denver. Hetal Doshi, 47, is a former federal prosecutor who led the antitrust unit in the Biden administration. She’s from Denver.

The question isn’t just who wins the primary. It’s what they prioritize once they take the helm.

Weiser’s 65 lawsuits against Trump are a strong suit. But does that translate to better housing enforcement in Delta County? Does it mean faster resolution for small businesses fighting a big utility? The candidates were asked where they’d put their stamp on the agency. The mandate is wide-ranging: public safety, consumers, workers, environment. The resources are limited.

Griswold and Dougherty are the establishment favorites. They have the names. They have the track records. Seligman and Doshi offer a different flavor — Seligman with his workers’ rights focus, Doshi with her antitrust expertise. If the goal is to break up monopolies in energy or healthcare, Doshi’s background is relevant. If the goal is to ensure the next generation of workers gets paid, Seligman’s nonprofit leadership matters.

But here’s the blunt truth: The Attorney General doesn’t build roads. They don’t zone land. They don’t directly fund schools. Their power is indirect, exercised through litigation and enforcement.

For context, consider the cost of legal battles. A single high-profile lawsuit can cost millions in legal fees and years of administrative time. If the new AG spends every day suing the federal government, who is left to enforce the Colorado Consumer Protection Act for the small business owner in Grand Junction? Who is left to ensure that the housing laws protecting renters in the valley are actually upheld?

The candidates need to define their priorities. Do they double down on the national fight, or do they pivot to the local issues that affect property values and daily life?

Weiser is term-limited. He’s leaving. The next person takes over a bureaucracy that is already stretched thin. They inherit a staff of 650. They inherit a budget. They inherit a political landscape where the federal government is often at odds with the state.

The choice isn’t just about personality. It’s about resource allocation. Every hour spent on a federal immigration lawsuit is an hour not spent on consumer fraud. Every million dollars spent on legal defense is a million dollars not spent on hiring more prosecutors to clear backlogs in the counties.

The people of Colorado need to decide if they want a national player or a local enforcer. Or, more realistically, if they can afford both.

The primary is June 30. The general election is November. The clock is ticking. And the budget is finite.