Pueblo GOP Chair announces 2026 run for fellow Republican's seat
The district, currently occupied by fellow Republican Stephanie Luck, includes territory in Pueblo West extending out to Chaffee, Custer, Fremont and Teller counties. Colorado House District 60 residents tend to favor Republican candidates, as evidenced by Luck's three consecutive victories. In 2024, Luck was reelected with nearly 70% of the vote.
With a background in teaching math, Gray was a candidate for Pueblo County treasurer in 2022 and has chaired the local Republican Party since 2023. A July 24 campaign news release shared with the Chieftain states that Gray intends to "challenge the status quo" if elected and will help Republicans win additional seats in the majority Democratic state house.
"The reason I am running, I have prayed about it, I've talked to my family about it," Gray told the Chieftain. "We were in agreement, and I want to bring the change that we have done in Pueblo to the state. That's why I'm running."
Gray said that she is prioritizing solutions to protect agriculture and water rights and ensure access to health care for rural Coloradans — issues that she acknowledged in the press release she has disagreed with Luck on at times.
"(Luck) does have a very strong liberty score, but just voting no isn't enough in this seat... We need to protect our agriculture, and we need to protect our water, and we need to make sure that our rural precincts actually have access to health care."
The "liberty score" is a Colorado Liberty Republicans measure of a legislature's support of "individual rights, free markets, and limited government." Luck has recorded a 2025 liberty score of 98 — tied with Rep. Ken Degraaf for the highest of any state legislator.
In addition to strengthening local agriculture, water rights and access to rural healthcare, Gray said she hopes to work with other Republicans in the Colorado House to amend or rescind "soft-on-crime bills" like those that remove or restrict immunity for police officers.
As of July 25, Luck had not filed to run for reelection, according to Colorado Transparency in Contribution Expenditure Reporting (TRACER). Gray's campaign news release noted that Luck had not filed by the release's publishing and stated that Luck may have a future as a state senator — something that Gray says has been speculated — or a Fremont County commissioner.
"Regardless, I thank Stephanie for her service. We just have very different approaches to what we see as impact and representation," Gray said in the release. "I'm certain she will do well at whatever she decides to do outside of her current role, but if a Primary election exists, I have to honor those trusted voices from the 5 counties that have come to me to seek my participation in this process... Healthy primaries can and do exist. Let's keep it classy.'
The Chieftain reached out to Luck to inquire whether she plans to run for reelection, but she did not respond by the newspaper's deadline.
Pueblo City Politics: Pueblo mayor pitches sales tax increase, changes to half-cent criteria for 2025 ballot
Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Why Pueblo GOP Chair Michelle Gray is running for Colorado HD60
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