Joseph Shelton

As we're coming close to election day, this is my annual reminder that if you work on election day, you are allowed up to two hours to go vote. There are certain requirements that must be met first. Check the image to know your rights.

Could someone help? I got a ticket to the event but I still haven't been emailed a location for the event. I emailed Joe's campaign email but haven't heard back yet. @JoeNeguse @pweiser @ShadMurib

After further conversations about Proposition 133 with trusted sources and community leaders, I have decided to change my position. I will no longer be voting YES on Proposition 133. I will be voting NO. This change is not because I believe human traffickers should face less accountability. Those who exploit and traffic children must be held accountable. My concern is that Proposition 133 does not adequately account for the complicated reality of trafficking—particularly people who may have first been victims themselves after experiencing abuse, neglect, coercion, or the desperate hope of finding a safer or better life. We must be able to hold traffickers accountable while recognizing that survivors can be manipulated into circumstances and actions they never freely chose. Prior victims deserve support, resources, and a pathway out of exploitation—not a system that fails to distinguish their circumstances from those who intentionally prey upon others. Changing my position wasn't something I did lightly. But when new conversations and information cause me to reconsider an issue, I believe the responsible thing to do is listen, learn, and be willing to change my mind. For those reasons, I am changing my endorsement on Proposition 133 from YES to NO.

Many of you have asked where I stand on what’s on the November ballot. The images show my candidate endorsements, my choices on judicial retention, and my positions on ballot measures. Please don’t take my word as the final opinion. Look at the information for yourself and make your own decisions. Colorado’s Blue Book provides information on statewide ballot measures and judicial retention. You should receive a copy at home, and you can read it online here: content.leg.colorado.gov/pub…. Sample ballots are also available. If you live in El Paso County, visit the county elections page, open the 2026 General Election section, and select Sample Ballot (clerkandrecorder.elpasoco.co…). I know some of my choices may raise questions or concerns. I’m open to respectful dialogue and to hearing information that could change my mind. You’re welcome to disagree with me, but I won’t engage with anyone who belittles me for sharing my thoughts and opinions.

Proud to be attending the Inside Out Youth Services Ally Up Breakfast! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ Inside Out is such an important part of our Colorado Springs community. For LGBTQ+ young people, having a place where they can find support, resources, community, and people who believe in them can make an incredible difference. Supporting Inside Out means supporting a community where every young person has the opportunity to feel welcomed, valued, and supported for exactly who they are. Unable to make it to the Ally Up Breakfast? You can still show your support by donating today: givebutter.com/InsideOutYout… #AllyUp #InsideOutYouthServices #LGBTQYouth #ColoradoSprings #SupportLGBTQYouth

Here at the rally standing up for transgender youth across Colorado! 🏳️‍⚧️ This November, we have an opportunity to make our voices heard. Join the effort to defeat Propositions 134 and 135 and stand with trans youth, their families, and communities across our state. If you can’t join us at the rally, you can still participate: learn about what’s on your ballot and make sure your voice is heard by voting this November. Learn more: familiesnotpolitics.com/ #ProtectTransYouth #TransRights #Colorado #Vote2026 #FamiliesNotPolitics

I’m asking our community to make its voice heard. I’ve started a petition calling on the District 11 Board of Education to place Superintendent Michael Gaal and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Brandon Comfort on administrative leave pending an independent outside investigation into the serious allegations raised in the recent civil lawsuit. These allegations have not been proven, and everyone deserves due process. Administrative leave is not guilt, and an investigation is not punishment. It is about ensuring the facts can be examined through a fair and independent process. Your signature matters. It shows the Board that our community expects transparency, accountability, and action. 📝 Sign the petition: c.org/LGyCQybG96 📧 If you haven’t already, email the Board and share why this matters to you: [email protected] If the Board has not responded by the next general meeting, I will present these petition signatures to the Board in person. Please sign, share, and make your voice heard.

25 years ago today, our nation was forever changed. On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 lives were taken. We remember those we lost, the first responders who ran toward danger, and the families whose lives were changed forever. A quarter-century has passed, but we must continue to remember their names, their stories, and the courage shown on that day. 25 years later, we remember. We honor. We will never forget. 🇺🇸 #NeverForget #September11 #25YearsLater

I emailed the D11 Board with a pretty simple message: You cannot expect your staff to follow policies and standards you aren't willing to follow yourself. Yes, I know Board policies governing employees don't technically apply to elected Board members. I acknowledged that in my email. But leadership shouldn't be "rules for thee, but not for me." Michelle Ruehl responded, saying she couldn't comment on personnel matters, but then further stated "The example referenced in your email occurred during a staff professional development/preparation day before students returned to school. The policy states that employee dress should promote a "learning environment free from unnecessary disruption.”. There's just one problem: GBEBA states that it applies during "work or work-related activities." A professional development day is a work-related activity. Students don't have to be present. It's simple: Don't hold your staff to standards you aren't willing to model yourself.

Today, many of us fire up the grills for burgers, hot dogs, and ribs. For many, Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer and the beginning of fall. But Labor Day is about more than grilling and changing seasons. It’s about workers. Today, we honor the generations of workers and labor unions who fought for fair wages, safer workplaces, reasonable hours, better benefits, and a voice on the job. Their work helped make our country and our communities stronger. Here in Colorado Springs, I also want to recognize the Colorado Springs Education Association (CSEA) for advocating for our educators and making sure their voices are heard, their rights are protected, and they have the resources and support they deserve. When we stand with workers, we strengthen our communities. So enjoy the cookout and time with family and friends—but remember the workers and unions who made this day possible. Happy Labor Day! 🇺🇸 #LaborDay #UnionStrong #WorkersRights #CSEA #SupportEducators

Recently, D11 elementary teacher Stacy Adair wore a shirt to a Professional Development Day that violated Policy GBEBA. She was reprimanded. Not fired. Not suspended. Not investigated. Reprimanded. Then, at the September 2 Board meeting, Board Member Jason Jorgenson wore the same shirt. GBEBA doesn't apply to Board members, but that's not the point. The message this sends to D11 staff is simple: You have to follow district policy, but we don't have to respect the standards we expect you to follow. It's the old "rules for thee, but not for me" belief. If Jason believes GBEBA is wrong, he's a Board member—change the policy. But don't expect staff to respect district policies while Board members publicly make a show of disregarding them. Leadership means setting the example.

The ongoing heat in our schools is an issue that deserves attention across our community, but I want to specifically address District 11. I am not currently in a place where I can endorse either support or opposition to the proposed D11 bond. I am still looking at what is being proposed and what it would mean for our community. I do know, however, that District 11 has stated the bond would help address facility needs, including air conditioning in schools that currently lack it. But I would be remiss if I didn't point out something important: this problem did not arise yesterday or last week. It has existed for years. I attended North Middle School from 2009–2011 and Palmer High School from 2011–2015. Even then, I remember newer or renovated classrooms having better air systems while older classrooms had little to none. Those rooms could become extremely hot, especially when they faced the sun. That was more than a decade ago. This is a problem that should have been addressed head-on years ago, long before we reached the point of discussing a ballot initiative as part of the solution. Too often, District 11 has allowed problems to sit until they become major issues and then responded, rather than confronting them before they reach that point. That is not fair to the students and staff of today, tomorrow, or the future. Whether this bond passes or fails, District 11 needs a clear plan to address excessive heat in our schools as quickly as possible. We cannot simply allow another year or two to pass before acting. And with all respect to Director Ruehl, I don't care what she says on this particular issue: our students cannot be expected to learn in extremely high temperatures, and our staff cannot be expected to work in them. These conditions are not fair, safe, or secure for the students and staff we are responsible for.

A federal judge has dismissed the lawsuit challenging Colorado’s protections for transgender students. Now it’s time for the school districts involved to rescind policies that harm the very students they were elected to represent. School boards are elected to serve ALL students — including transgender students. It’s time to stop fighting over which students belong and start focusing on helping every student succeed. chalkbeat.org/colorado/2026/…

I emailed Michael Allen and shared this in a Facebook message to him. His campaign looked at the message on Facebook but never replied. Michael, why won't you answer my question? Mr. Allen, I am reaching out with a question about your candidacy for Colorado Attorney General, one that is deeply personal to me. In 2020, I was sexually assaulted by another gay man. After the assault, I did everything I was told I was supposed to do. I reported it to law enforcement. I underwent a SANE exam. I cooperated with the process and provided the information that was asked of me. According to the police officer's report, the man who assaulted me was intoxicated and never denied doing what he did to me. Instead, he said that he thought I was okay with what was happening. The detective assigned to my case was prepared to do everything she could to investigate what happened. However, she ultimately told me that she could no longer move forward with my case because your office had declined to prosecute. The explanation I was given was that because I had never explicitly said "no" or "stop," your office believed it would be difficult to prove that the person who assaulted me knew that I did not want what was happening. I understand that you were not the District Attorney for the Fourth Judicial District in 2020. However, you were an attorney in that office, and that experience has stayed with me. The decision not to prosecute also had consequences that went far beyond whether someone would face criminal charges. After your office's decision, I lost the ability to be considered a victim within the system. I lost access to victim support, including my victim advocate. I was unable to receive victim compensation or assistance for the counseling I needed after being sexually assaulted, which meant I had to pay for counseling services out of my own pocket. I did what survivors are told to do. I reported what happened. I underwent an invasive forensic examination. I cooperated with law enforcement. The detective investigating my case was willing to continue. The person I reported never denied that the sexual acts occurred. Yet, in the end, I was told not only that there would be no prosecution, but that I would no longer be treated as a victim. That experience fundamentally changed the way I view our justice system. So, as you ask Coloradans to trust you to serve as our Attorney General, I want to ask you directly: How should I trust you as Colorado's Attorney General when I could not trust the office you were a part of to protect me when I was sexually assaulted? I am not asking this as a hypothetical or as a political talking point. I am asking as someone who lived through this experience and who wants to understand what you believe should happen when a survivor reports a sexual assault but did not—or could not—verbally say "no" or "stop." I would also like to know whether you believe someone should lose access to victim services, advocacy, compensation, and counseling assistance simply because a prosecutor determines there is not enough evidence to prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt. And finally, I want to know whether you believe the way cases like mine were handled was appropriate and what, if anything, you would do as Attorney General to ensure survivors who freeze, are afraid, or otherwise do not verbally resist are still taken seriously by Colorado's justice system. For me, your answers to these questions matter. The Attorney General is supposed to stand up for the people of Colorado, including victims and survivors. Before I can decide whether I can trust you with that responsibility, I need to understand how you view what happened to people like me under an office in which you served. I appreciate you taking the time to read this, and I sincerely hope you will respond personally and directly. Thank you, Joseph Shelton

Adriano Espaillat was a five-term congressman and a major Democratic leader. Then 32-year-old political newcomer Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated him. Avila Chevalier won roughly 49% to 46% in New York’s 13th Congressional District. Her campaign combined grassroots organizing, a clear progressive platform, and support from the political movement surrounding Mayor Zohran Mamdani. She focused on housing, healthcare, immigration, affordability, and Palestinian rights while presenting herself as a new generation of leadership. Espaillat entered with experience, endorsements, and significant outside support, but those advantages weren’t enough in a district where the Democratic electorate was changing. It was close, but Avila Chevalier built just enough of a coalition to pull off one of New York City’s biggest primary upsets of 2026. #NY13 #NewYorkPolitics #Election2026 #Congress #Politics

Dan Goldman had the money, incumbency, and national profile. Brad Lander still beat him by more than 20 points. Lander defeated Goldman roughly 63% to 37% in the Democratic primary for New York’s 10th Congressional District. So what changed? The district’s Democratic electorate had shifted left, Lander built on the progressive coalition that reshaped New York City politics, and major differences over Israel and Gaza gave voters a clear choice between the candidates. Goldman had the financial advantage, but Lander brought his own name recognition, experience in city government, political organization, and progressive support. This wasn’t a narrow upset. A 63–37 result sent a much bigger message about where Democratic voters in the district were heading. Brad Lander is now the Democratic nominee for New York’s 10th Congressional District. #NY10 #NewYorkPolitics #Election2026 #Congress #Politics

Cori Bush wanted her old seat back. Instead, Wesley Bell beat her by an even larger margin than he did in 2024. In 2024, Bell defeated Bush 51% to 46%. Two years later, the rematch ended roughly 59% to 37%. This time, Bell had the advantage of incumbency and a congressional record to run on. Bush maintained a passionate progressive base, but she needed to convince voters who backed Bell in 2024 to change their minds—and the results suggest she couldn’t. The other candidates combined for only about 4%, making this overwhelmingly a Bell vs. Bush rematch. Two years after narrowly choosing Bell, voters in Missouri’s 1st District chose him again—this time decisively. #MissouriPolitics #MO01 #Election2026 #Congress #Politics

Donavan McKinney pulled off an upset in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, defeating incumbent Shri Thanedar roughly 52% to 48%. Despite Thanedar’s financial advantage and a late polling lead, McKinney built a grassroots campaign around his Detroit roots, progressive policies, and direct voter outreach. He also gained support from prominent progressives, including Bernie Sanders and Rashida Tlaib. Thanedar had the money and incumbency. McKinney ultimately had enough voters looking for a different voice in Congress. Donavan McKinney is now the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s 13th District. #MichiganPolitics #MI13 #Detroit #Election2026 #Congress

William Lawrence started the race polling at just 14%. He ended it as the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. Lawrence won with about 43% of the vote, while Bridget Brink finished around 29% and Matt Maasdam around 28%. So what changed? Lawrence built a clearly defined progressive campaign, gained support from figures like Bernie Sanders and Rashida Tlaib, and made opposition to AI data-center development a major part of his message. Meanwhile, Brink’s early advantages in fundraising, experience and polling didn’t translate into enough votes, while Maasdam remained competitive in the three-way race. Lawrence went from a double-digit polling deficit to a 14-point victory. Now he’ll face Republican Congressman Tom Barrett in November. #MichiganPolitics #MI07 #Election2026 #Congress #Politics

After seven terms in Congress, Thomas Massie has lost the Republican primary in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District. Ed Gallrein defeated Massie 54.9% to 45.1%. Massie built his reputation as one of Congress’ most independent Republicans, frequently breaking with his party and President Trump. Gallrein turned that independence into a central issue, arguing Republicans needed a representative more aligned with Trump’s agenda. Trump endorsed Gallrein, while millions of dollars in outside spending poured into the race. Massie stuck with the approach that defined his career: principles over party loyalty. This time, enough Republican primary voters chose a different direction. Ed Gallrein is now the Republican nominee. #KentuckyPolitics #Election2026 #KY04 #Congress #GOP