Between lopsided voter registration numbers and other factors, it’s been very difficult for Republicans to win races for Boulder County government positions in recent years. In 2024, there are races for four Boulder County seats, but in two of them there is only one candidate, from the Democratic Party.
I don’t intend to write a lot about any of these races, but I’ll offer a really brief bio and web URL if available, so voters can check on the candidates. It is perfectly legal for voters to leave certain races blank while casting a vote on others. I don’t see any reason to oppose any of the uncontested candidates, because they all have experiences or qualifications relevant to the job, and I’m not aware of disqualifying moral or legal problems for any of them.
However, don’t let the prior sentence stop you from doing due diligence. Anything is possible, as you’ll possibly see if you read until the end of this page.
Boulder County Commissioners, Districts 1 and 2
Boulder County Commissioners serve as the executive board for Boulder County. The three-person Board casts binding votes on county ordinances and resolutions, and oversees key County departments such as the Sheriff’s Office, County Clerk and Recorder, Treasurer, Housing and Human Services, Transportation, Public Health, Parks and Open Space, and others.
Boulder County is divided into three geographic districts for the purpose of Commissioner elections, and each of the three Commissioners must reside in the district that they’re running in. However, these elections are conducted “at-large,” in other words, all County voters can vote for candidates running in all districts. Commissioners serve four-year terms, and in 2024 there will only be elections in Districts 1 and 2 because terms are staggered to prevent replacing the entire board at any given election. Commissioners are limited to two four-year terms in office, and candidates receiving the most total votes will win no matter how many other candidates run.
Claire Levy, County Commissioner, District 1
Claire Levy
Levy is the incumbent District 1 Commissioner, having been elected to her first term in 2020. She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary election for District 1, but there is a write-in candidate on the ballot for the November general election.
Levy earned a juris doctor degree from Case Western Reserve University, and went on to work in public law as a deputy public defender in the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office, and with the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office. She has also worked as an attorney in private practice. In 2006, she was elected to represent House District 13 in the Colorado House of Representatives, and served in the House from 2007 until 2013. While in the House, she served as Vice Chair of the Joint Budget Committee, Chair of House Appropriations and House Judiciary, and Speaker Pro Tem. She resigned from the House to take the position of Executive Director of the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, and held this position from 2013 until 2019.
Campaign Website: https://claireforbouldercounty.org/
Raphael Minot, County Commissioner, District 1, Write-In
Raphael Minot is a write-in candidate for County Commissioner in District 1. According to his campaign website, he “graduated from CU Boulder with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology,”and has “worked as a Therapeutic Housing Manager in the mental health field, helping clients transition from illness to mental stability and independence.” Minot has not served as an elected official.
Campaign Website: https://minot4boco.org/
Marta Loachamin, Democratic, County Commissioner, District 2
Marta Loachamin
Loachamin is the incumbent Commissioner in District 2, having been elected to her first term in 2020. She faced a challenge in 2024 from Longmont City Council member Polly Christensen, but Christensen did not get enough delegate votes at the Boulder County Democratic Party Assembly in March to qualify for the primary election ballot. Loachamin has a Republican opponent on the general election ballot.
She is a bilingual real estate professional and teacher. She coordinated a climate resiliency grant program through the City of Longmont. She developed a Colorado State Based Standards approved curriculum for Spanish for Spanish Speakers, created new Professional Development guidance for all St. Vrain Valley School District educators on financial literacy, and served on the Niwot High School Safety Committee.
Campaign Website: https://marta4boco.org/
Donald “Don” Lewis, Republican, County Commissioner, District 2
Donald “Don” Lewis is on the ballot for Boulder County Commissioner in District 2. He won an uncontested Republican Party primary in June. As of early October, I have not found a campaign website, but did find his questionnaire responses sent to the Boulder Weekly, available at this link. If I find more information about his candidacy, I will update this section as soon as practical.
District Attorney, Judicial District 20
For a simple description of the basic role of a District Attorney (DA), the Colorado District Attorneys Council says it’s “prosecuting crimes, ensuring equal justice under the law and promoting safety, health and well-being for all in their community.” The DA is an elected official who has significant individual responsibilities, but the DA’s office includes a staff of more than 100, which according to Boulder County’s 2024 budget document includes “an Assistant DA, as well as Chief Trial Deputies, Deputy DAs, Victim Advocates, Criminal Investigators, Restorative Justice and Diversion case managers, and several other professional support staff. The office handles approximately 2,000 felonies and more than 6,000 misdemeanor and traffic cases each year.” The 20th Judicial District boundaries are the same as the boundaries for Boulder County.
Michael Dougherty, District Attorney Judicial District 20
Michael Dougherty
Michael Dougherty is the incumbent District 20 DA. For a quick summary of his experience:
- Graduate of Boston University School of Law
- Prosecutor with Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, for about 13 years
- Starting in 2010, worked for the Colorado Attorney General’s Office
- In 2011, became Deputy Attorney General of the Criminal Justice Section
- Appointed the Assistant District Attorney for the First Judicial District in 2013
- March of 2018, appointed District Attorney for the 20th Judicial District, after the sitting DA Stan Garnett resigned
- November 2018, elected DA to fill the remaining two years of Garnett’s term
- November 2020, elected to a full four-year term as DA for the 20th District
- Former President of the Colorado District Attorney’s Council
- Current co-Chair of Colorado’s Sentencing Reform Task Force
Campaign Website: https://www.michaelforboulderda.com but there’s not much on it as of late September 2024. He has a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MichaelDoughertyCO/ and a Twitter account at https://x.com/dadoughertyco
Boulder County Coroner
This basic description of what the Boulder County Coroner does is directly from the Coroner’s website: “The Coroner’s Office investigates unexpected, unattended, unusual, unnatural, violent and suspicious deaths throughout the county.” Responsibilities can include determining causes of death, notifying next of kin, possibly testifying in court, and providing family assistance during what can be a very tough time for families of the deceased. For readers who want to learn more about the duties the Coroner performs, visit the Coroner’s website at this link.
Coroners are elected to four-year terms, and elected coroners in Boulder County are limited to five terms in office. However, the 2024 election will determine who holds the position for the next two years, since the long-time Coroner Emma Hall resigned in late 2023 after allegations surfaced accusing Hall of several behaviors that led to negative workplace environments. The Boulder Reporting Lab reported that five of the allegations were confirmed: favoritism, antagonism, micromanagement, using county purchase cards belonging to other employees for office purchases and adopting multiple “personas.”
The 2024 race is to fill the partial term until 2026, and then the winner could run for a full four-year term in the 2026 election.
Jeffrey Martin, Boulder County Coroner
Jeffrey Martin
Jeffrey Martin was the Chief Deputy Coroner for Boulder County at the time of Hall’s resignation, and the Boulder County Commissioners soon thereafter appointed him Coroner until January 1, 2025. He worked as a sheriff’s deputy about 32 years ago, not in Boulder County, and worked on a degree in Pre-Medicine during his evenings. He landed a job with the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner’s office in 2001, and received training and education in areas including forensics and autopsy performance. In 2005, he was “promoted to executive leadership at a multi-county jurisdiction medical examiner’s office which at one point spanned services for 10 counties.” Martin became Chief Deputy Coroner for Boulder County in 2021.
Campaign Website: https://jeffmartinforcoroner.com/
