Attorney General of Colorado · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in the Colorado attorney general race?
Michael Allen has the strongest record in the Colorado attorney general race. Michael Allen scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Jena Griswold at 57, as of October 9, 2026. Michael Allen's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Jena Griswold's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican
Strongest record
Michael Allen
On the ballot as Michael J. Allen
64 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- NR
Democratic
Jena Griswold
57 / 100
Public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 65
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Michael Allen
- On the record2026-08-20
Addressed the Colorado Water Congress with Griswold on Aug. 20, 2026; Griswold declined a TV debate with him.
Sources: Colorado Springs Gazette, Aug. 20, 2026, Axios Denver, Sept. 29, 2026
- On the record2026
Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey and the Denver Post questionnaire.
- On the record2024
Reelected district attorney for the 4th Judicial District in 2024 after first winning in 2020; he calls it the state's largest judicial district.
Sources: Denver Post attorney general candidate Q&A, Oct. 3, 2026, CPR News voter guide, Sept. 25, 2026
- Credit1998
Served in the U.S. Navy as an aviation technician and was honorably discharged in 1998.
Jena Griswold
- Mark against2024-10
Her office posted partial voting-system passwords on a hidden spreadsheet tab on its website for months before the 2024 election; she called it an accident and the Denver DA opened an investigation.
Sources: The Colorado Sun (AP), Nov. 12, 2024, Colorado Secretary of State, news release, Nov. 4, 2024
- On the record2026-08-27
Her department said an Aug. 14, 2026 website update exposed records of 59 confidential voters until Aug. 25.
Source: Yahoo News, Aug. 27, 2026
- On the record2026-06-01
Called Democratic Gov. Jared Polis's clemency for Tina Peters an affront to democracy.
Source: The Colorado Sun, June 1, 2026
- On the record2026-09
Declined a TV debate with Michael Allen and skipped Democratic primary debates; addressed the Colorado Water Congress with Allen in August.
Sources: Axios Denver, Sept. 29, 2026, The Colorado Sun, June 11, 2026, Colorado Springs Gazette, Aug. 20, 2026
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Michael Allen. District attorney since 2021 with no Independent Ethics Commission finding or state campaign finance penalty found. Two older IEC complaints listed under 'Allen' concern a different person.
Sources: Colorado Independent Ethics Commission, complaints list, Colorado Independent Ethics Commission, Complaint 17-13 order
Jena Griswold. Secretary of state since 2019 with no Independent Ethics Commission finding or state campaign finance penalty found. Fact checks of her statements by 9News and CBS Colorado are a hand check (see notes).
Sources: Colorado Independent Ethics Commission, complaints list, The Colorado Sun, Oct. 6, 2026
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Michael Allen. No public record found.
Jena Griswold. Publicly condemned Democratic Gov. Jared Polis's 2026 grant of clemency to former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters as an affront to democracy.
Source: The Colorado Sun, June 1, 2026
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Michael Allen. Addressed the Colorado Water Congress with Jena Griswold on Aug. 20, 2026. Griswold declined a TV debate. No open town hall found.
Sources: Colorado Springs Gazette, Aug. 20, 2026, Axios Denver, Sept. 29, 2026
Jena Griswold. Addressed the Colorado Water Congress with Michael Allen on Aug. 20, 2026, but declined a TV debate with him and skipped Democratic primary debates.
Sources: Colorado Springs Gazette, Aug. 20, 2026, Axios Denver, Sept. 29, 2026, The Colorado Sun, June 11, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Michael Allen. Navy veteran and prosecutor for more than 20 years, district attorney for the 4th Judicial District since 2021. No formal conduct finding found.
Sources: The Colorado Sun, Oct. 6, 2026, CPR News voter guide, Sept. 25, 2026
Jena Griswold. Secretary of state for nearly eight years and earlier a state liaison in Washington and a voting rights attorney. No censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Source: The Colorado Sun, Oct. 6, 2026
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Michael Allen. Took the oaths of Navy service and of district attorney (since 2021). No official finding of misuse of office found.
Sources: CPR News voter guide, Sept. 25, 2026, The Colorado Sun, Oct. 6, 2026
Jena Griswold. Has held the sworn office of secretary of state since January 2019; her office's orders figured in Tina Peters's 2024 conviction. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: The Colorado Sun, June 1, 2026, The Colorado Sun, Oct. 6, 2026
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Michael Allen. Elected district attorney for El Paso and Teller counties in 2020 and reelected in 2024; earlier a prosecutor in Kansas, including in the Kansas attorney general's consumer protection division.
Source: Denver Post attorney general candidate Q&A, Oct. 3, 2026
Jena Griswold. Colorado secretary of state for two terms (since 2019) and an attorney; has not served as a prosecutor or in the attorney general's office.
Sources: The Colorado Sun, Oct. 6, 2026, CPR News voter guide, Sept. 25, 2026
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Michael Allen. Proposes specific uses of the office's powers, such as expanding statewide grand juries against multi-jurisdiction criminal networks and stronger Colorado POST training standards.
Sources: The Colorado Sun, Oct. 6, 2026, Denver Post attorney general candidate Q&A, Oct. 3, 2026
Jena Griswold. Proposes specific steps within the office's powers, such as an Office of Worker's Rights and work on the rape kit testing backlog.
Source: Denver Post attorney general candidate Q&A, Oct. 3, 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Michael Allen. Answered Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey and the Denver Post questionnaire, gave interviews to CPR and the Colorado Sun, and spoke at the Water Congress forum.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Michael Allen (Colorado), Denver Post attorney general candidate Q&A, Oct. 3, 2026, Colorado Springs Gazette, Aug. 20, 2026
Jena Griswold. Answered the Denver Post questionnaire, gave interviews to CPR and the Colorado Sun, and spoke at the Water Congress forum. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Denver Post attorney general candidate Q&A, Oct. 3, 2026, CPR News voter guide, Sept. 25, 2026, Colorado Springs Gazette, Aug. 20, 2026, Ballotpedia, Jena Griswold
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Michael Allen. Colorado native who graduated from Arvada West High School in 1991 and lives in Monument in El Paso County.
Sources: CPR News voter guide, Sept. 25, 2026, Denver Post attorney general candidate Q&A, Oct. 3, 2026
Jena Griswold. Born in Colorado, grew up outside Estes Park and lives in Louisville.
Sources: CPR News voter guide, Sept. 25, 2026, The Colorado Sun, Oct. 6, 2026
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Michael Allen. Leads the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office, the state's largest prosecutor's office. No state campaign finance penalty found.
Jena Griswold. Her office posted partial voting-system passwords on its website for months before the 2024 election, which she called an accident, and in August 2026 an update exposed 59 confidential voters' records, the department said.
Sources: The Colorado Sun (AP), Nov. 12, 2024, Yahoo News, Aug. 27, 2026
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Michael Allen. No public record found.
Jena Griswold. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Michael Allen. No public record found.
Jena Griswold. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Michael Allen. No public record found.
Jena Griswold. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Michael Allen. No public record found.
Jena Griswold. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Michael Allen. No public record found.
Jena Griswold. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in the Colorado attorney general race?
Michael Allen has the strongest record in the Colorado attorney general race. Michael Allen scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Jena Griswold at 57, as of October 9, 2026. Michael Allen's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Jena Griswold's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in the Colorado attorney general race in 2026?
Michael Allen (Republican), Jena Griswold (Democratic). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Michael Allen a good candidate for Attorney General?
Michael Allen scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Jena Griswold a good candidate for Attorney General?
Jena Griswold scores 57 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 65 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Colorado race scored, and the Colorado 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.