Jena Griswold

Jena Griswold
Name	Jena Griswold
Office	39th Secretary of State of Colorado
Term start	January 8, 2019
Term end	January 10, 2023
Predecessor	Wayne Williams
Successor	Pam Anderson
Birth date	1984
Birth place	Tacoma, Washington
Party	Democratic Party
Alma mater	Carleton College (B.A.), University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D.)

Jena Griswold is an American attorney and politician who served as the 39th Secretary of State of Colorado. She is noted for election administration, voting rights advocacy, and litigation concerning election law. Griswold's tenure engaged with state and federal officials, partisan organizations, and nonpartisan institutions on issues of ballot access, election cybersecurity, and nonprofit regulation.

Early life and education

Griswold was born in Tacoma, Washington and raised in the Pacific Northwest with formative experiences that connected her to regional politics and civic institutions. She attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, where she studied political science and was active in campus organizations with ties to the Democratic Party, Young Democrats of America, and local civic groups. Griswold earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she participated in clinics and programs associated with the American Civil Liberties Union, the Election Law Program (NYU), and pro bono projects that interfaced with state and federal courts.

Legal and early career

After law school, Griswold's early legal career included positions that linked her to advocacy organizations and government campaigns. She served in roles that connected to the Obama administration, working on policy and outreach with offices that interacted with the Democratic National Committee and state political branches, and she was involved with campaign operations for candidates in Colorado such as John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet. Griswold worked with nonprofit organizations and legal teams that engaged with the Bipartisan Policy Center, the League of Women Voters, and state election officials in Colorado on voting access and campaign finance matters. She practiced law in areas that touched on administrative procedures before offices like the Colorado Department of State and interacted with federal agencies including the Federal Election Commission and the Department of Justice in matters of enforcement and compliance.

2018 Colorado Secretary of State campaign

Griswold launched a statewide campaign for Secretary of State in a contest that drew attention from national parties, grassroots organizations, and advocacy groups including the National Rifle Association, Planned Parenthood, and Common Cause. Her campaign emphasized ballot access reforms and election security during a cycle that featured high-profile figures like Cory Gardner, Mitch McConnell, and Chuck Schumer who influenced national messaging and fundraising. She received endorsements from leaders in the Colorado Democratic Party, allied elected officials such as Jared Polis and John Hickenlooper, and civic organizations such as the League of Women Voters of Colorado and the ACLU of Colorado. The campaign also navigated opposition from Republican figures and conservative groups including President Donald Trump supporters and state-level committees that prioritized voter ID and ballot integrity messaging.

Tenure as Colorado Secretary of State

As Colorado Secretary of State, Griswold oversaw statewide election administration, business filings, and regulatory duties that required coordination with county clerks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and federal election infrastructure partners like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Her office implemented measures in conjunction with the National Association of Secretaries of State and the Help America Vote Act frameworks, and maintained communication with elected officials including Governor Jared Polis and members of the Colorado General Assembly. Griswold presided over multiple election cycles, managed responses to challenges from groups aligned with Donald Trump questioning election results, engaged in litigation before the Colorado Supreme Court, and cooperated with investigative authorities such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on threat assessments affecting election personnel. Her administration also conducted business registry modernization that interfaced with the Internal Revenue Service reporting and nonprofit oversight involving the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.

Political positions and initiatives

Griswold advocated for policies centered on voting access, cybersecurity, and campaign finance transparency, collaborating with national organizations including the Brennan Center for Justice, Bipartisan Policy Center, and Election Assistance Commission. She supported automatic voter registration working alongside state legislatures and stakeholders such as the Colorado General Assembly and county clerks, and promoted ballot drop box expansion in coordination with the League of Women Voters and local election officials. Griswold defended Colorado's voter roll maintenance processes in legal disputes involving conservative groups and litigants represented by attorneys linked to cases before federal courts and the Colorado Court of Appeals. On campaign finance, her office pursued enforcement actions that brought scrutiny from partisan entities including the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee.

Elections and political activities after 2022

Following the 2022 election cycle, Griswold remained active in state and national politics, participating in forums with entities such as the Aspen Institute, New America Foundation, and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. She engaged in litigation and advocacy related to election administration that intersected with cases in federal courts and state tribunals, and built networks with leaders like Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg who have been involved in national election policy debates. Griswold's post-tenure activities included advising on digital election security with firms and nonprofits that collaborate with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and offering commentary to media outlets covering electoral reform and ballot access in coordination with think tanks like the Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation.

Category:Colorado politicians Category:People from Tacoma, Washington Category:Secretaries of State of Colorado Category:University of Pennsylvania Law School alumni