Lukens raised more than $200,000 in the last cycle, the second most of any candidate running for the Colorado Legislature in 2024.
Two years ago, Steamboat Springs’ Meghan Lukens got a new job, and that job as a Colorado House Representative started with a lot of learning.
“When you are first elected, you just are learning so much,” Lukens said in an interview for an upcoming local news podcast. “The procedures of the building… the public ticks of the building, you’re learning the policy before you, but then you are also learning basics like where is the bathroom.”
Last fall, Lukens hit the campaign trail to visit the 21 towns across her vast Northwest Colorado District to make the case for reelection with a similar message — the three E’s: economy, education and environment — and a host of political wins for her district. Voters appear to have noticed.
Lukens will be sworn in for a second term in the Colorado House on Wednesday after winning reelection by 13 percentage points in House District 26 — once thought to be one of the most competitive districts in the state. She increased her margin of victory across the district, got more votes in every county than she did in 2022 and won with a margin of nearly 40 percentage points in Routt County where she grew up.
But Lukens’ prowess extends. She raised more than $200,000 for her reelection campaign — the second most of any candidate for the Colorado legislature this cycle — and received more votes than almost any Democrat she shared a ballot with, including Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of her party’s ticket. (Some Eagle County Democrats beat her, but she was not on the ballot in all of Eagle County.)
Even in deep-red Rio Blanco and Moffat counties where her Republican opponent beat her by more than 50 percentage points, Lukens saw her share of votes increase. Undoubtedly, there are voters in Northwest Colorado who cast votes for President-Elect Donald Trump and Lukens.
“I know there are some Trump, Lukens voters out there because they had Trump signs and Lukens signs in their yards,” Lukens said.
When asked how she appealed to such voters, Lukens didn’t talk about the bills she passed with Republicans in her first term or the times she voted against her fellow Democrats in Denver. Instead, she credits “the art of being everywhere.”
“This is the community I grew up with… I’ve played hockey at every ice rink in House District 26.” Lukens said, recalling her days as a right winger. “I’m on the road a lot, traveling between those 21 towns.”
“I think that kindness is one of the most underrated qualities in politics quite frankly. … Especially with more culture war topics in politics, sometimes we will shame each other for people’s opinions, but I would never shame a constituent for their opinions,” Lukens continued.
Her first term did not come without criticism. At the start of 2024, the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners sent out a mailer to residents in HD 26 attacking Lukens on gun control as the Legislature considered an assault weapons ban. The mailer alleged Lukens sided with “Denver Marxists” and “gun grabbing sycophants,” while including an image edited to have the faces of Adolf Hitler and Mao Zedong appear above of each of Lukens shoulders.
Lukens would later buck her party on the proposed ban, being one of eight Democrats to join Republicans to vote against the bill in the House, which would later fail in the Colorado Senate.
“In difficult moments, she has voted for her district because of where her district is, what her constituents believe in and that has sometimes been against her fellow Democrats,” said Speaker of the Colorado House, Rep. Julie McCluskie. “That is a compliment to any legislator when they can put their district first and party second… Her commitment to trying to get it right is very genuine.”
Sen. Dylan Roberts, who preceded Lukens in Representing HD 26 and has also stymied his own party’s legislation at times, said he feels Lukens’ work in her first term helped her gain support in a district that has more unaffiliated and Republican voters than registered Democrats.
“At the Capitol, it’s not being afraid to vote against your party if it is right for your district,” Roberts said. “Meghan and I, I think have voted against our party more than any legislator in either chamber, on the Democratic side at least, because we are trying to stay in touch with our district… It seems like that resonated with folks during the election last year.”
Roberts’ said Lukens’ leadership in her first term was also impressive, adding that he trusts her to work as hard as she needs to pass legislation they sponsor together. McCluskie, a Democrat from Dillion, said she was impressed by Lukens as well, which is part of why she appointed Lukens as chair of the House Education Committee, despite it being just her second term.
“Leaders are seen as leaders before they receive titles,” McCluskie said. “I have a lot of confidence in her ability to lead a committee and work through problem legislation and conflict in a way that is productive for the democratic process."
Lukens ability to fundraise for her campaign has also been impressive when compared to her colleagues, with her raising the second most of any candidate from any party for the legislature in the last election cycle. Lukens’ $200,000 in contributions per campaign finance data fell just a few thousand dollars behind Rep. Sean Camacho, who had a competitive primary election his Denver district.
Local party leaders have said her fundraising ability has impressed politicians like Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet and Rep. Joe Neguse, and has some speculating about what could be next for Lukens. When asked about her five-year plan, Lukens said she is just looking ahead to this session.
“I love my job and I’m excited to get back to work at the state capitol,” Lukens said. “I do hope to fill out my eight years at the state capitol and am always interested in opportunities to continue helping the Western Slope, Northwest Colorado and Coloradans in general.”