Investing in Colorado’s future.
Colorado dollars for Colorado
That’s why I’m running for Treasurer
Over my decade of service in the Legislature, I’ve passed bills to fully fund full-day kindergarten, create a first-in-the-nation middle-income housing tax credit, and establish the nation’s strongest paid sick leave policy—with support from both labor and business.
As Chair of Colorado’s Joint Budget Committee, I know our state’s finances inside and out. Even with a $1.2 billion cut caused by TABOR, we increased funding for schools, health, safety, and public lands.
Here’s what I plan to do differently as Treasurer.
Colorado’s Treasurer manages billions of our state’s dollars. Instead of parking your money in Wall Street securities and Washington Treasury bonds, I’ll put Colorado dollars to work right here in Colorado where you can see and feel the difference:
Housing that working people can actually afford
Infrastructure that creates good-paying jobs and builds our economy
Clean energy that lowers your bills while fighting global warming
While DC creates chaos, we’ll double down on helping Coloradans thrive. We’ll use our state’s fiscal resources to protect our land, water, and people, regardless of federal dysfunction. We’ll invest in small businesses, protect PERA, reform TABOR—and we’ll do all of it together. Because that’s just how we do things here in Colorado.
As always, if you have questions, ideas, or need a good Thai spot in Aurora, please text my personal cell at (303) 358-5551.
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Homegrown Coloradan
I grew up here in Colorado, and I remember when my parents paid off credit cards with credit cards to get their small business off the ground. Back then, even struggling families like ours could live in a good home in a great school district. For too many Coloradans today that’s of reach. By investing our state’s fiscal resources directly into our people, we can make a more affordable Colorado where everyone has the opportunity to work hard and earn a good life.
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Fiscal Track Record
I just led the state’s Joint Budget Committee through a billion dollars in cuts because of TABOR while protecting education, healthcare, and public safety. I’ve done the work to make government more efficient and effective, and I know all the nooks and crannies of our state’s finances. Before chairing the budget, I led a variety of committees across my nine years of legislative service—from appropriations, to finance, to sales and use tax simplification.
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Support Across Colorado
I’m proud to have support from folks across the state. That’s part of why I've been successful building diverse, bipartisan coalitions to pass laws that benefit all of Colorado. I’m proud to have endorsements from every federal and statewide elected official who has endorsed in this race, including Secretary Ken Salazar, Congressmen Joe Neguse and Jason Crow, former Treasurer Cary Kennedy, and so many others.
Join Team Bridges
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Meet Jeff
Colorado raised, Colorado values
I grew up right here in Colorado, and it's shaped everything from my boots to my heart. With our frontier spirit and independent streak, we're a state that values self-reliance but knows when to come together. This balance between independence and community has guided my approach to making government work efficiently and effectively, ensuring our shared investments lead to shared prosperity for all Coloradans.
About a year ago Rie and I welcomed our son Kit. We're raising him with the same Colorado values we both grew up on. He's already developing a love for our mountains and an understandable frustration with traffic on I-70. Along with our floppy dog Walt, we enjoy long walks on the community trails here in Greenwood Village.
Values-led problem solving
A few years ago I earned a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard. It's one of the most religiously diverse schools in the country, with people of all faiths and none. My time there taught me to bring diverse groups of people together around shared values, whatever the source of those values.
Just this year, as Chair of Colorado's Joint Budget Committee, I balanced our state's $16.5 billion budget despite more than $1 billion in required cuts because of TABOR. Despite this challenge, we protected investments in education, public safety, and Medicaid, earning unanimous support from the bipartisan budget committee. The budget is a moral document that puts in dollars and cents exactly what we value and how much we value it. Good financial management isn't just about numbers—it's about values and priorities.
“Nice boots”
While earning my master's degree I met my wife, AnnMarie. She noticed my cowboy boots from across the room, came over and said, "Nice boots." Feeling out of place and thinking she had just insulted me, I shot back, "Look, I'm from Colorado, so I can wear cowboy boots." Without missing a beat, AnnMarie replied, "Yeah, I'm from Colorado too, and I like your boots."
Naturally my only option was to marry her.
The NICU parent club
Everyone says kids change your life. Our 1-year old son Kit came into the world at just over 2 lbs, very suddenly and very unexpectedly 2.5 months early. (At 29 weeks exactly, for you fellow NICU parents.)
After 65 days in the NICU, Kit came home the same day we heard the 2024 budget in the Senate. I gave a tribute on the Senate floor expressing my gratitude to Kit’s wonderful caregivers at Rose Medical Center. And then promptly left to go get my baby!
To mark Kit’s 1st birthday in January 2025, I introduced legislation to extend Colorado family leave to cover NICU stays. It doesn’t cost Colorado tax payers even one more cent, but it’s a small way we can come together to support NICU families—and provide clarity for their employers—during one of the hardest periods of their lives.
Endorsements
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Secretary Ken Salazar
​​“I’ve known Jeff Bridges for many years, and I’ve seen his commitment to public service up close. When Jeff worked for me in the U.S. Senate, he brought together Democrats and Republicans to save a program that protected American soldiers’ lives in combat. That’s who Jeff is. As a legislator and as Chair of Colorado’s Budget Committee, he’s shown that same courage, compassion, and commitment to working together that Coloradans expect from their leaders. Jeff Bridges will make an outstanding State Treasurer.”
—Ken Salazar, Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, U.S. Senator, and U.S. Ambassador to Mexico
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Treasurer Cary Kennedy
“I know what it takes to serve as Colorado’s Treasurer, and I know Jeff Bridges has what it takes. I’ve watched him lead with integrity, humility, and a deep commitment to doing right by people. Jeff is someone I trust, not only because he understands the numbers, but because he never forgets what those numbers mean for families across Colorado. That’s why I believe he will be an exceptional Treasurer.”
—Cary Kennedy, Former Colorado State Treasurer
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Congressman Joe Neguse
“I’ve known Jeff Bridges for decades, and I can tell you he’s the real deal. Jeff has always understood that budgets are about more than numbers, they’re about people. As Chair of the Joint Budget Committee, he’s proven he can balance the books while still investing in what matters most for Colorado families. He brings both financial expertise and deep Colorado values to everything he does, and that’s why I’m proud to endorse him for Treasurer.”
— Joe Neguse, U.S. Representative for Colorado’s 2nd District
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Congressman Jason Crow
“I’ve known Jeff Bridges for years, and what stands out to me isn’t just his expertise with budgets, it’s his leadership. Jeff shows up, he listens, and he does the work with humility and integrity. I trust him because I know he’ll always put Colorado families first. That’s the kind of Treasurer we need.”
—Jason Crow, U.S. Representative for Colorado’s 6th District
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President James Coleman
“I’ve served alongside Jeff Bridges for nearly a decade, and I’ve seen him lead with heart and skill. Jeff is a husband, a father, and a public servant who never forgets why the work matters. As Chair of the Joint Budget Committee, he helped balance a billion-dollar deficit while protecting Colorado families, schools, and small businesses. Jeff brings people together to solve tough problems and deliver real results. That’s the kind of steady, values-driven leadership we need in our next State Treasurer.”
—James Coleman, President of the Colorado State Senate
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Congresswoman Betsy Markey
“As a business owner and as a former candidate for Treasurer, I know how important it is to have someone who not only understands the numbers but can also turn them into opportunities for small businesses and families. Jeff Bridges has the experience and vision to make Colorado’s dollars work harder for all of us.”
—Betsy Markey, Former U.S. Representative for Colorado’s 4th District
Full List of Endorsements
A background you can bank on
Leadership
Chair, Joint Budget Committee
Senate Majority Whip
House Majority Whip
Chair, Senate Finance Committee
Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee
Chair, Senate Education Committee
Chair, Joint Technology Committee
Chair, Sales and Use Tax Simplification Task Force
Chair, NCSL Smart Cities Foundation
Chair, Colorado Sportsmen’s Caucus
Chair, Aerospace and Defense Caucus
Vice Chair, Senate Transportation & Energy Committee
If you want to really nerd out on the budget…
My nontoxic approach to politics has been acknowledged by one of Colorado’s harshest critics… Kyle Clark!
Legislator of the year or equivalent
Legislative Accomplishments
Recent Leadership (2022-Present)
Chair of the Joint Budget Committee
Balanced Colorado's $16.5 billion budget while protecting education, healthcare, and public safety despite facing over $1 billion in TABOR-mandated cuts
Fully funded public K-12 education to Amendment 23 levels for the first time in more than a decade
Managed through post-pandemic fiscal challenges while preserving critical state services
Affordable Housing Solutions
Created the Middle Income Housing Authority (MIHA) to keep Colorado livable for teachers, nurses, firefighters, and middle-income workers
Passed the first-in-the-nation Middle-Income Housing Tax Credit to increase affordable home ownership opportunities
Led investments in housing programs that support working families across the state
Financial Oversight and Transparency
Championed performance audits for state programs to ensure taxpayer dollars deliver results
Led efforts to make Colorado's budgeting process more transparent and accessible to citizens
Applied private-sector financial metrics to evaluate program effectiveness and return on investment
Pandemic Response (2020-2022)
Economic Recovery Leadership
Sponsored the Restaurant Recovery Act helping small businesses survive during COVID
Created a $25 million small business grant program to preserve jobs and support local economies
Passed legislation to protect workers and businesses during an unprecedented economic crisis
Worker Support
Authored Colorado's comprehensive paid sick leave policy ensuring every Colorado employee earns six days of paid sick leave annually
Co-sponsored a family and medical leave insurance program for all Colorado workers
Created protections for frontline workers during the pandemic
State House & Senate (2017-2020)
Education Investment
Sponsored historic Full-Day Kindergarten legislation that passed the Senate unanimously
Created the Colorado Imagination Library, providing monthly books to children ages 0-5
Expanded concurrent enrollment programs letting high school students earn college credit
Innovation and Infrastructure
Co-sponsored bipartisan transportation package investing billions in roads, bridges, and transit
Authored landmark autonomous vehicle legislation positioning Colorado at the forefront of this technology
Sponsored legislation to improve vehicle safety through advanced crash avoidance technologies
Fiscal Responsibility
Sponsored legislation creating a "Return on Investment Report" showing costs, debt loads, and earnings for every degree at every public Colorado college and university
Led efforts to ensure economic development incentives delivered promised results
Climate Action
Sponsored legislation to cut Colorado's greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2030
Supported clean energy development creating jobs while protecting our environment
Worked with utilities to expand renewable energy generation
Making a difference beyond legislation
Protecting military lives
While working for U.S. Senator Ken Salazar, I received a letter from a Colorado soldier whose friend was killed by an IED while in a Humvee gunner's seat. He asked about automated turrets (CROWS) that would have saved his friend's life.
I discovered Congress was about to eliminate this program despite field commanders praising its effectiveness. Working across party lines, I helped save and expand the program. Today, thousands of these systems protect our military personnel overseas.
Advancing equality with faith communities
When President Obama prepared to sign an executive order banning LGBTQ+ discrimination by federal contractors, he faced pressure to include a religious exemption that would have weakened the protections.
As Associate Vice President at Union Theological Seminary, I brought together diverse faith leaders—Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish—who opposed the exemption. Our coalition argued that people of faith should be exemplary, not exempted. Our work helped ensure the order protected LGBTQ+ Americans without loopholes.