Copyright Westword
Denver residents have long seen Rayna Kingston’s and Justine Sandoval’s names on their social media feeds; from Kingston highlighting local events and businesses on her popular TikTok account, to Sandoval discussing green chile spots and political happenings on the City Cast podcast. Soon, their names will appear on the Denver ballot. Kingston and Sandoval will face off to represent House District 5 in the Colorado Legislature during the 2026 Democratic primary election. Current Representative Alex Valdez is term-limited, leaving the Democratic stronghold district up for grabs for the first time since 2018. Neither candidate has run for public office before. However, they are both well-known community organizers, online and off. Kingston used her social media audience to launch the Denver Activist Women’s Group last year, connecting its approximately 3,000 members with local nonprofits, volunteer opportunities and advocacy efforts. Sandoval has been a political consultant for over two decades, working with the Colorado Democratic Party, politicians such as Congresswoman Diana DeGette and interest groups like Cobalt. “We need to meet people where they are,” Kingston says. “I’ve been creating community and building up Denver for the past three years, just naturally. I think it’s time that I bring those skills to a higher office to do some more good work.” “It’s fun to have an unsolicited opinion from the outside,” Sandoval says of her work with City Cast, “but it’s a big step to be elected for a job. I’ve spent a lot of time on the ground, talking with people and doing the outside work to help impact change. It’s the right time for me to take that next step.” The rival candidates have a lot in common. They’re both progressive Latinas who were born and raised in the Denver metro area. They each studied political science and decided to enter the race after being urged to do so by their communities. As a result, they’re both running on community-driven platforms, vowing to be accessible representatives who uplift the voices of their constituents. But as the Democratic primary election nears, their differences will take center stage. Kingston, a 29-year-old full-time content creator, lives in North Capitol Hill and is originally from Littleton. She is more openly critical of the Democratic establishment than her opponent, arguing that the party’s recent electoral losses are due to “shutting out the progressive voices.” “We have to stop putting up more of the same,” Kingston says. “The voices have become so monotonous because the new voices are being cut off. There’s a whole generation out here with ideas and drive that represent a new generation of thinking. To leave those voices out of politics is not the way forward. It’s honestly setting us backward.” Kingston points to Congresswoman DeGette, who has been in office for as long as Kingston has been alive, as an example of establishment Democrats blocking new leaders from rising to power. As a political consultant, Sandoval has worked to keep DeGette in office, serving on DeGette’s reelection campaign for four years. She’s a proud lifelong Democrat, previously serving as president of Denver Young Democrats and Colorado Young Democrats. Sandoval is a 39-year-old, fourth-generation Denver resident from Curtis Park. She notes the value of policy experience, something DeGette enjoys as the state’s longest-serving congressmember, and an edge Sandoval has over Kingston. She spent nearly a decade working in abortion rights advocacy with Cobalt, fighting against anti-abortion bills in the legislature and serving as a field director for Amendment 79, the 2024 ballot measure that enshrined the right to abortion in the Colorado Constitution. “I really got to see how it works, from crafting the legislation to actually seeing the bills signed into law,” Sandoval says. “I know what the people on the outside are doing to get legislation passed. I can be an advocate for these grassroots groups who are trying to get things done to make everyday people’s lives better.” Sandoval says her career has taught her how to bring different groups together and find compromises. If elected, she says one of her goals will be uniting the Democrats in the legislature, in addition to working across the aisle to “find common ground.” Meanwhile, Kingston emphasizes the importance of connecting with constituents over fellow legislators. She champions herself as a peer who can inspire the youth to re-engage in politics. As a content creator, Kingston says her work has centered around building community; encouraging Denver residents to get out of the house, support local businesses and make the city “less lonely.” After Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, she used those community connections to create the Denver Activist Women’s Group, mobilizing thousands of people to support local immigration, women’s rights and community health activism efforts. Since announcing her candidacy, Kingston has launched a “Denver Politics 101” series, posting videos explaining things like Colorado’s 2025 ballot measures and the difference between state and congressional districts. “What makes someone qualified to run for politics?” Kingston asks. “Sometimes we think of it as a checklist of who you’ve worked for and for how long. But that gets us into the situations we are in now, where people are expected to take on the role. They feel it’s their turn. I say, that’s not healthy. Why do we want people who, more or less, feel like they deserve a role, instead of people who are already making positive change in their communities?” Sandoval also promotes herself as a candidate who can mobilize the community. She has deep roots in Denver; both sides of her family have lived in the city since the 1920s. She currently lives just blocks away from the Curtis Park houses in which her grandmothers were born. Her grandmother, Ana Marie Sandoval, was a leader in Colorado’s Chicano rights movement, inspiring Sandoval’s own advocacy. “Taking that lived experience into the Capitol is important,” Sandoval says. “I’m with the people. I am struggling with the same issues — economic issues, health issues, environmental health issues — within the neighborhood. Denver is my life. It’s my home. When I’m in office, I want to bridge that gap between the community. I want to be a connector.” If elected, Sandoval says her primary policy goals include protecting labor rights, preserving health care funding and improving access to housing and transportation. “I’ve spent over twenty years working on policy within the City of Denver,” Sandoval says. “I’ve done the work that’s required of somebody who wants to make law and policy in Colorado. This is the natural next step for me. …I’ve made the commitment to public service and I’m ready to do a good job for the people. I know where we have been, I can see where we want to go, and I’m along for the ride with them.” Kingston says her policy priorities include implementing rent stabilization, investing in public transportation and improving Denver’s air quality. “My main goal is to get people to care about politics again,” Kingston adds. “We need to get the people back. Colorado politics is lacking a person who is a communicator, who can get people excited again, who is actually in the community. The people want someone that they recognize and that they know in office, and I think they’re really excited to finally see some new, younger representation.” The Democratic primary election is scheduled for June 30, 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. Note: Democrat Thaddeus Clayton also filed to run for House District 5 in 2026, according to state records. However, he is located in Colorado Springs, outside of the bounds of HD5, suggesting that he likely meant to file for Congressional District 5 instead. Clayton did not respond to Westword’s inquiries attempting to clarify his candidacy.
