CO-03: Diane Mitsch Busch (D)
PROFILE
About Busch:
Busch is a former tenured professor, Routt County Commissioner, and State Representative, and has lived and worked in Colorado’s Western Slope for over 43 years.
Raised by a single mother, she experienced an early childhood of financial insecurity. Life changed when her mother joined the public employees union AFSCME, and she experienced firsthand how a stable, good paying job with benefits can provide dignity, security, and stability for working families.
Busch first served the community as a social science policy researcher and through citizen advocacy in numerous non-profit groups for years before running for office and winning her first election for Routt County Commissioner. As a commissioner, she helped balance the county’s budget for 6 years, including during the Great Recession.
Busch worked as a Colorado State House Representative from 2013-2017 and routinely reached across the aisle to extend the Front Range recovery and prosperity to Colorado’s rural areas. She stood up to lobbyists from the oil and gas industry, sponsoring legislation to protect the environment and keep polluters accountable. She also worked to authorize same-day voter registration, ensuring democracy is accessible to all.