Elections 2020: Stephany Rose Spaulding, Candidate in Democratic Primary, Colorado U.S. Senate Race

Dr. Stephany Rose Spaulding has a Ph.D. in American Studies from Purdue University. She currently serves as the Senior Pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Colorado Springs, CO. She’s also the founder of For Our Children Children’s Enterprises.

In 2018 she was the first woman and first African American candidate to become the Democratic Party nominee for Colorado’s 5th Congressional District.

In 2019 Dr. Spaulding declared her candidacy to enter the 2020 Colorado U.S. Senate race. She is currently campaigning as a Democratic primary candidate.

Read more of Dr. Spaulding’s biography at her website:

Dr. Spaulding was raised on Chicago’s South Side by parents who were public school teachers that often struggled to make ends meet. Her parents personified sacrifice and hard work as they held down multiple jobs, attended college and raised five children. Their love of education and dedication to faith was passed on to Stephany at a very early age. She would go on to pursue careers in ministry and higher education that would deeply examine many of the issues of inequality that she was confronted with and exposed to as a young African American girl.

She has always been guided by a deep faith and resolve to be a pillar of trust and comfort in the community which has led her to be an activist, author, commentator and an ordain minister. She currently serves as the Senior Pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Colorado Springs, CO. She’s also the founder of For Our Children Children’s Enterprises. She has been named One Colorado’s Southern Colorado Ally of the year for 2019 and the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Diversity and Inclusion Awardee for 2018-2019.

She has achieved an exceptional career in academia as well. She has earned a B.A. in English from Clark Atlanta University, a M.A. in American Literature and a Ph.D. in American Studies both from Purdue University and a Master’s in Divinity and Ministry from the Iliff School of Technology. She began her collegiate teaching career as an Assistant Professor of English at Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC. from 2008 to 2010 before transitioning to Colorado.

In 2010, Stephany joined the faculty of the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs where she would succeed as a scholar and eventually earn her tenure and be appointed as the chair of the Women’s and Ethnic Studies program. However, early in her career at the university, she was candidly told that African Americans often struggled to thrive in Colorado Springs, and many had chosen to leave the city. The community had a reputation as a bastion of conservative values and its leaders were predominantly white men. As a diversity and inclusion expert, the irony of the situation was not lost on her, so she made a conscientious decision to become a bridge builder and became determined to transform various communities throughout the state of Colorado.

In January 2017, her transformation mission led her to join the Women’s March on Washington in DC, where she was inspired by the sheer force of humanity that gathered to repudiate the racism, misogyny and xenophobia of the incoming administration. At the time, she didn’t know where her heart would take her, but within weeks, guided by friends and colleagues who understood her lifelong commitment to fighting for marginalized voices, helped convince her to make the decision to run for the United States Congress. Stephany made history by becoming the first woman and first African American candidate to become the Democratic Party nominee for Colorado’s 5th Congressional District in 2018.

She ran an enthusiastic grass roots campaign which solidified a substantial political base for her by garnering 126,000 votes as a justice democrat. This unprecedented success in 2018 led to her being asked to serve on the transition team for Colorado Attorney General, Phil Weiser.

This year Colorado will see both a caucus and a primary. Candidates for every office except president, e.g. state representative and county commissioner — must either collect signatures or go through caucus and assembly to get on the June 30 primary ballot.

The Colorado Democratic Party local precinct caucuses will be held on March 7th beginning at 2pm statewide.

Find out precinct location information for the Democratic caucus here.

The Colorado GOP local precinct caucuses will be held on March 7th beginning at 10am statewide.

Find out precinct location information for the Republican caucus here.