Recent from talks
Joe Neguse
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Joe Neguse
Joseph D. Neguse (/nəˈɡuːs/ nə-GOOSS; born May 13, 1984) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Colorado's 2nd congressional district since 2019. The district is located in the north central part of the state, based in Fort Collins, Longmont, and Boulder, and includes many rural communities and mountain towns, including Walden, Granby, Steamboat Springs, and Gypsum. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a regent of the University of Colorado from 2008 to 2015. Neguse is the first Eritrean-American elected to the United States Congress and Colorado's first black member of Congress. Neguse has served as House assistant Democratic leader since 2024.
Neguse's parents immigrated to the United States from Eritrea. They met while living in Bakersfield, California, where they married and had Joe and his younger sister. The family moved to Colorado when he was six years old. After living in Aurora and Littleton, the family settled in Highlands Ranch. Neguse graduated from ThunderRidge High School. He then graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he served as student body president, with a bachelor's degree in political science and economics summa cum laude in 2005 and then from the University of Colorado Law School, with his Juris Doctor in 2009.
While he was a student, Neguse founded New Era Colorado, an organization to get young people involved in politics. He worked at the Colorado State Capitol as an assistant to Andrew Romanoff when Romanoff was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. In 2008 Neguse was elected to the Regents of the University of Colorado, representing Colorado's 2nd congressional district, becoming the second African American in Colorado history to serve on the Board of Regents.
Neguse ran for Secretary of State of Colorado in 2014, losing to Wayne W. Williams, 47.5% to 44.9%. In June 2015, Governor John Hickenlooper appointed Neguse the executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), making him one of the youngest state cabinet officials in the country.
In 2017, Neguse resigned from DORA to run in the 2018 elections for the United States House of Representatives in Colorado's 2nd congressional district, seeking to succeed Jared Polis, who successfully ran for governor of Colorado. He also joined the law firm Snell & Wilmer, working in administrative law.
On June 13, 2017, Neguse announced he would run for the Democratic nomination after incumbent U.S. representative Jared Polis announced he would not run for reelection and would run for governor of Colorado. In the June 26, 2018, Democratic primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic district—Neguse faced businessman and former Boulder County Democratic Party chairman Mark Williams. Neguse defeated Williams with 65.7% of the vote, winning all 10 counties in the district.
Neguse then defeated the Republican nominee, businessman Peter Yu, in the November 6 general election, receiving 60.2% of the vote, and winning all but two counties. Neguse became the first Black American to represent Colorado in the House.
He was reelected in 2020 with 61.5% of the vote, defeating Republican Charles Winn.
Hub AI
Joe Neguse AI simulator
(@Joe Neguse_simulator)
Joe Neguse
Joseph D. Neguse (/nəˈɡuːs/ nə-GOOSS; born May 13, 1984) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Colorado's 2nd congressional district since 2019. The district is located in the north central part of the state, based in Fort Collins, Longmont, and Boulder, and includes many rural communities and mountain towns, including Walden, Granby, Steamboat Springs, and Gypsum. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a regent of the University of Colorado from 2008 to 2015. Neguse is the first Eritrean-American elected to the United States Congress and Colorado's first black member of Congress. Neguse has served as House assistant Democratic leader since 2024.
Neguse's parents immigrated to the United States from Eritrea. They met while living in Bakersfield, California, where they married and had Joe and his younger sister. The family moved to Colorado when he was six years old. After living in Aurora and Littleton, the family settled in Highlands Ranch. Neguse graduated from ThunderRidge High School. He then graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he served as student body president, with a bachelor's degree in political science and economics summa cum laude in 2005 and then from the University of Colorado Law School, with his Juris Doctor in 2009.
While he was a student, Neguse founded New Era Colorado, an organization to get young people involved in politics. He worked at the Colorado State Capitol as an assistant to Andrew Romanoff when Romanoff was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. In 2008 Neguse was elected to the Regents of the University of Colorado, representing Colorado's 2nd congressional district, becoming the second African American in Colorado history to serve on the Board of Regents.
Neguse ran for Secretary of State of Colorado in 2014, losing to Wayne W. Williams, 47.5% to 44.9%. In June 2015, Governor John Hickenlooper appointed Neguse the executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), making him one of the youngest state cabinet officials in the country.
In 2017, Neguse resigned from DORA to run in the 2018 elections for the United States House of Representatives in Colorado's 2nd congressional district, seeking to succeed Jared Polis, who successfully ran for governor of Colorado. He also joined the law firm Snell & Wilmer, working in administrative law.
On June 13, 2017, Neguse announced he would run for the Democratic nomination after incumbent U.S. representative Jared Polis announced he would not run for reelection and would run for governor of Colorado. In the June 26, 2018, Democratic primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic district—Neguse faced businessman and former Boulder County Democratic Party chairman Mark Williams. Neguse defeated Williams with 65.7% of the vote, winning all 10 counties in the district.
Neguse then defeated the Republican nominee, businessman Peter Yu, in the November 6 general election, receiving 60.2% of the vote, and winning all but two counties. Neguse became the first Black American to represent Colorado in the House.
He was reelected in 2020 with 61.5% of the vote, defeating Republican Charles Winn.
Recent media