Candidates for Colorado Attorney General, Democrat Jena Griswold and Republican Michael Allen, presented starkly different views Wednesday on whether the state should continue its lawsuits against the Trump administration. Griswold, a two-term Secretary of State, committed to maintaining the state's current legal course, while Allen, District Attorney for the Colorado Springs-based 4th Judicial District, stated he would evaluate each case on its individual legal merits.
The debate, moderated by Aaron Paul of The Colorado Sun and Rafael Contreras of Entravision, also highlighted significant policy differences concerning guns, artificial intelligence, and immigration enforcement. The exchanges grew more personal towards the debate's conclusion, ahead of the November 3 election.
When asked about potentially dropping any lawsuits Colorado initiated or joined against the federal government under Attorney General Phil Weiser, Griswold declined to question Weiser's record. She affirmed that Weiser has done an outstanding job protecting the state and indicated she would not "nitpick his record." Allen, however, emphasized a case-by-case approach, asserting that he would start with evidence and law. He accused Griswold of approaching issues with a predetermined conclusion and a hyper-partisan bias. Allen did not specify which cases he would drop, citing a lack of access to evidence, and called Griswold "reckless" for her blanket commitment. He did, however, question Colorado’s legal challenge to the relocation of U.S. Space Command from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama, stating that President Trump, as commander-in-chief, has authority over military unit stationing. The state’s lawsuit, filed in October 2025, alleges the move was unconstitutional retaliation for Colorado’s mail-in voting practices and that the administration bypassed required procedural steps. Griswold countered by calling Allen "a Trump loyalist" and equated the Department of Defense’s action to extortion, calling the fight against it "patriotic."
Allen frequently highlighted his experience as a trial lawyer, particularly in discussions about potential interstate water disputes. He stated that such conflicts typically go through a compact's resolution process before proceeding to court, emphasizing his courtroom experience. Griswold, conversely, argued that the Attorney General's role is not primarily that of a litigator, but rather "an executive who is managing an office of over 700 people," a role she has experience with from running the Secretary of State’s office.
On the issue of gun control, Griswold expressed support for an assault weapons ban, moving beyond current state law's permit requirements. She stated her belief that individuals should not be able to purchase an AR-15 in Colorado. Griswold further claimed that Allen holds a strong endorsement from the gun lobby and had pledged not to enforce the state’s red flag law. Allen refuted this, stating Griswold does not understand statutory construction and cited his prosecution of the November 2022 Club Q mass shooting, including filing hate crime charges, as evidence of his commitment to enforcing all laws regardless of personal views.
Allen proposed the establishment of a statewide grand jury to address fentanyl rings, cross-county property crime, and human trafficking. He suggested this initiative would not require new funding or cuts to civil programs, citing the Department of Law’s budget growth, which he said increased by about 97 percent since Weiser took office in January 2019. Legislative budget documents, however, show the department’s appropriation rose by approximately 74 percent, before inflation, from fiscal year 2019–20 to the current fiscal year.
Griswold defended the Attorney General's new portal for complaints regarding misconduct by federal law enforcement officers. She asserted that Coloradans should have the ability to report abuses, especially given incidents involving "masked men in unmarked cars grabbing people." Allen remained noncommittal about the portal, questioning its effectiveness for public information gathering, and accused Griswold of hypocrisy, noting she has "undercover law enforcement guarding her." Griswold responded by citing 6,000 threats against her and an arrest made while she was in the hospital giving birth, calling Allen’s remarks an attack on the Colorado State Patrol who protected her. Allen, in turn, criticized Griswold's response, calling it a "lack of her character."
Both candidates pledged to resist any demand by Arizona, California, and Nevada for more Colorado River water at Lee Ferry, and to defend against Nebraska’s lawsuit concerning the South Platte River. Griswold advocated for conservation and continued negotiation to avoid litigation where possible.
Regarding the state’s new law governing businesses’ use of artificial intelligence, Allen suggested the Attorney General's office should educate businesses on the legal boundaries. Griswold, however, expressed a more critical view, stating that AI "has a risk of ending humanity" and pledged to use "every power of the attorney general’s office" against it.
On climate change, Allen, like Weiser, indicated he would not sue oil companies for climate damages. He added that he would not have filed Weiser’s brief supporting Boulder County’s climate lawsuit, believing such compensation efforts should be pursued through legislation. Griswold, in contrast, supported local governments’ right to "fight back against corporate polluters" and deemed the brief a correct decision.
Both candidates, in post-debate interviews, committed to challenging unlawful federal actions on public lands. Griswold, who grew up near the Arapaho National Forest and Estes Park, vowed to "fight like hell" for the people against any unlawful actions by the Trump administration that impact public lands. Allen voiced reservations about the U.S. Forest Service’s proposal to repeal the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, stating that introducing roads into public lands would "changes forever that public land character going forward."