State Sen. Rhonda Fields running for Arapahoe County commissioner

State Sen. Rhonda Fields is running to serve as an Arapahoe County commissioner after she leaves the Colorado Legislature.

The Aurora Democrat is term-limited after her current term, which ends in January 2025.

She has served in the Legislature since 2011, when she was first elected to the House of Representatives. She was elected to the Senate in 2016 and is the first Black woman to occupy the District 28 seat.

“Rhonda has been a force for good and has prioritized public safety, crime prevention, affordable housing, and the protection of our land and air in Colorado,” her campaign website reads. “Throughout her legislative career, Rhonda Fields has consistently given voice to the voiceless and sought to represent the most vulnerable people in Arapahoe County, and throughout the state.”

Fields began her political advocacy following the double murder of her son, Javad Marshall-Fields, and his fiancee, Vivian Wolfe, in 2005. Many of her legislative accomplishments have revolved around gun violence prevention and community safety, including legislation this year to ban ghost guns in Colorado and outline a timeline for victims’ notices.

As a county commissioner, Fields said she would prioritize affordability, community safety, economic growth and responsible expansion that preserves the environment. She would support the “recruitment, training, and retention of more neighborhood and community policing” and address homelessness through “wrap around services that include job training, mental health, and addiction services,” according to her website.

Outgoing Commissioner Bill Holen has already endorsed Fields for the job. She is the only candidate to file for the seat so far.

Democratic state Rep. Mike Weissman is running for the Senate District 28 seat in 2024.

Editor’s note: This story was updated to state that Mike Weissman is running for the Senate District 28 seat.