Wanda James
CO-01 Democratic nominee?
$24.6K
JUL 1, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleUniversity of Colorado Regent
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyProgressive Democrat
GenderFemale
LocationColorado
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BackgroundUniversity of Colorado Regent
EducationUniversity of Colorado Boulder (graduate, 1986)
Notable personal detailsWanda L. James is an American business owner and public official who has represented Colorado’s 1st Congressional District on the University of Colorado Board of Regents since 2023. She is a Navy veteran and a University of Colorado Boulder graduate, commissioned through the school’s Naval ROTC program. She is also known as a cannabis industry entrepreneur and co-founder/owner of the Denver-based Simply Pure dispensary, and she has worked in political organizing and campaign roles in Colorado.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
Advocates reforming federal tax treatment of the cannabis industry (specifically ending or changing the 280E tax penalty) and expanding access to banking and SBA loans for small cannabis businesses; frames federal legalization and tax reform as necessary to support small and minority-owned businesses and enable economic opportunity. No broad, general statement on overall tax rates or major government spending priorities was found in the sourced materials.
Healthcare
Supports treating health care as a human right and advancing toward Medicare for All or universal health care; would give Medicare power to negotiate drug prices and expand community health centers and VA health care funding.
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Immigration & Border
Supports a humane, modern immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for Dreamers, farmworkers, and long-term essential workers while endorsing targeted border security measures that use technology to stop trafficking and drugs without breaking up families.
Climate & Energy
Supports accelerating investment in renewable energy, energy storage, and next-generation clean technologies; advocates rebuilding the energy grid and expanding electric vehicle infrastructure to create jobs and protect air, water, and public lands. Emphasizes federal incentives and incubators for clean tech and infrastructure investment as part of economic and climate policy.
Public Safety & Guns
The candidate has promoted Second Amendment rights and co-founded a Black-owned gun training business (1770 Armory) that provides firearms safety and concealed-carry training; her public statements emphasize firearms training, safety, and empowering Black gun owners. Available public materials show support for exercising gun rights alongside safety training rather than advocacy for strict new gun-control measures.
News
Wanda James is mentioned in coverage of Democrats shifting their strategy in Utah House races, as candidates in a newly redistricted, Salt Lake City-centered district run on more progressive platforms to win the Democratic primary. The reporting frames the contest as important to Democrats’ broader effort to regain control of the U.S. House, but it provides few specific details about James’ own actions or positions.
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 20262026
LatestCycle 2026
Source: FEC
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We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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