Colorado Democrats officially censure Gov. Jared Polis for Tina Peters clemency

Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post on May 21, 2026

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DENVER — Gov. Jared Polis, the highest elected Democrat in Colorado, will be barred from serving as a guest of honor at state party functions for the foreseeable future as a rebuke for easing Tina Peters’ prison sentence last week, the state party’s central committee voted Wednesday night.

The prohibition is part of a formal condemnation of the governor and censure “for conduct inconsistent with the Colorado Democratic Party’s commitment to democratic institutions, election integrity and public accountability.”

Nearly 90% of central committee members voted in favor of condemning Polis for granting clemency to Peters. The former Mesa County clerk — and icon among election conspiracy theorists — was convicted of several felonies for granting unauthorized access to county voting systems. The central committee is comprised of hundreds of members, though it wasn’t immediately clear how many voted Wednesday night.

Only one central committee member, a criminal defense attorney, spoke against the censure ahead of a vote. More than a dozen spoke in favor before a party official called the question.

“I’m really proud to be a Democrat right now if this is how we’re going to react when someone in power in our party behaves the way he just did,” former state Rep. Steph Vigil, a Colorado Springs Democrat seeking a return to office, said ahead of the vote.

Polis has faced intense backlash since commuting Peters’ sentence last week. Democrats blasted him for stepping into the judicial process while the felon still faced resentencing; for easing the sentence of one of the nation’s most prominent election deniers despite her showing no contrition; and for appearing to bend to President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign to free Peters.

Polis, who is term limited, said he worried Peters was being unfairly punished for her protected free speech concerning election conspiracies. He cut her original nine-year prison sentence in half and ordered her released on parole June 1.

Over the weekend, a formal complaint began circulating in Democratic circles accusing Polis of “conduct detrimental to the institutional interests, credibility, and stated democratic mission of the Colorado Democratic Party.” By Wednesday morning, more than 700 people had signed onto the complaint.

The complaint requested a formal censure and condemnation of Polis’ clemency decision and revocation of guest of honor and similar privileges.

In a statement, Polis spokesperson Eric Maruyama wrote “the Governor made this decision based on the facts of the case and what he believed was the right thing to do. Sometimes the right thing isn’t the popular thing with everybody. Democracy is strongest when disagreement is met with debate and dialogue, not censorship.”

Peters, a former Mesa County clerk, was found guilty in August 2024 of multiple felonies related to letting an unauthorized person use someone else’s security badge to make images of the election system’s hard drive following the 2020 election. She was then deceptive about that person’s identity.

Peters has since become an unapologetic face of election conspiracies. Trump has held her up as a political prisoner and repeatedly lashed out at Colorado officials to demand her release.

Polis said he did not consider outside pressure in issuing clemency for Peters but considered it the right thing to do. He cited an appeals court decision ordering her to be resentenced that said protected free speech may have played a role in Peters’ her original punishment.

Polis said Peters had shown remorse in her clemency application, though his office has not made that application public. Peters’ lawyer, Peter Ticktin, said Tuesday that she was not showing contrition. When sentencing Peters, District Judge Matthew Barrett called her “as defiant as any defendant this court has ever seen” and “a charlatan.”