How Boulder Democrats tried and failed to block Junie Joseph from November’s ballot

Incumbent Colorado State Representative and former Boulder City Council member Junie Joseph, one of the few Black elected officials in the area, successfully defended her seat in a primary challenge against Tina Mueh, as she prepared for the upcoming general election. Photo courtesy of Junie Joseph website.

State Representative Junie Joseph, the first Black woman to represent House District 10, faced a primary challenge in June.

Despite her strong legislative record, including passing 36 bills in her first term, the Boulder Democratic Party supported Tina Mueh, a retired teacher and former union president, in the primary. This decision marked a rare move by the party, which typically backs incumbents.

In the past 10 years, the party has only challenged two other incumbents. One of those was Coroner Emma Hall in 2014 due to workplace issues and District Attorney Michael Dougherty in 2018 shortly after his appointment. Joseph secured the Democratic nomination with 59% of the vote, prompting discussions about representation and equity within the party.

On this month’s Black Talk, host, Michele Simpson talks with Rep. Joseph about the recent primary, what she believes drove opposition and how the community rallied to support her.

Then we hear from KGNU’s Kenneth Flowe who was recently appointed as Boulder County Democrat’s Outreach and Inclusion Chair and Tim Barnes, a current Lafayette City Council person. Simpson, Barnes and Flowe talk about their takes on the recent primary and challenges faced by Black candidates running for office in Boulder.

Listen:

08_08_24_Blacktalk Alexis Kenyon

Story produced by Alexis Kenyon

Alexis Kenyon

Alexis Kenyon is a radio reporter with more than 15 years of experience creating compelling, sound-rich radio stories for news outlets across the country.