Jillaire McMillan

Jillaire McMillan was born in Delaware. She earned a high school diploma from Viewmont High School, a bachelor's degree in 2000, and a graduate degree in 2001, both from Boston College. Her career experience includes running a small business and serving as the director of volunteers at a nonprofit.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m a mom, devoted community volunteer, small business owner, and former pro-democracy nonprofit leader. I’m a westerner and moved to Colorado in 2016 with my husband and four children. I spent eight years as a leader in a national nonpartisan organization. In 2019 I co-founded a marine robotics company with my husband. My decades as a stay-at-home mom gave me time for volunteer leadership in schools, congregations, and neighborhoods. I’m running for the State House because I want to make the world a better place, and I’m committed to using my voice, skills, energy, and position to do it.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I was the Democratic nominee for HD19 in 2024, stepping up when the incumbent dropped out. With only 89 days to campaign, I lost by just 110 votes. I believe one reason I did so well in 2024 is due to my work as a leader in a nonpartisan national nonprofit where I mobilized women from all along the political spectrum to work on the Child Tax Credit, immigration reform, the environment, and pro-democracy actions. Many candidates say they’ll work across the aisle, but I’ve actually done it. Most people are tired of the extreme partisanship and dysfunction in American politics, and I’ll be a legislator who will respectfully engage with everyone, bringing people together to solve common problems, even if we don't have common backgrounds.Access to healthcare and privacy to make one’s own healthcare decisions are critical matters for our state. I support policies that promote access to reproductive care, enhanced healthcare coverage, and investment in increasing the number of healthcare providers. I want to explore policies to train and retain more providers in Colorado. One specific policy will improve the credit path for students from college high school courses and community college classes when transferring to 4-year universities. There is currently a disconnect where some credits are not transferring and students have to redo coursework, costing more time and tuition and delaying them from entering well-paying healthcare careers that would serve the needs of our state.As a mom and business owner, I see rising costs create challenges for my family and company. Affordability is a top concern among voters, too. Colorado particularly has an affordable housing problem; a single law won’t solve it. We need to address rising rents, housing stock for first-time buyers, and growing insurance costs for current homeowners. We need to reexamine zoning laws and development fees to incentivize building the types of homes we actually need. We must invest in mitigating disaster damages that raise insurance rates. Studies show that stable housing leads to improved educational outcomes and increased household wealth. When we invest in stable housing and home ownership, we invest in the future of our children and economy.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As a mom of four, I have spent nearly 20 years as a volunteer and leader in my children’s schools. I've made calls on bond measure phone banks and canvassed for school board members. As PTA president I advocated for student equity and raised money to provide extra technology and enrichment. Right now we’re funding schools at 1989 levels, and that’s just not good enough for 2026. We're asking schools to do more—in terms of testing, social/emotional health, and safety, to name a few. Students and teachers need access to necessary resources. Teachers need better pay. Public money needs to stay in public schools. I'm passionate about ensuring that Colorado's public education system is a pathway to success for all students.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Sierra Club, Colorado BlueFlower Fund, Everytown for Gun Safety, Colorado Ceasefire PAC, Western States Carpenters, Speaker Julie McCluskie, Majority Leader Monica Duran, Senator Katie Wallace, and more than 50% of House Democrats and dozens of other elected officials and community leaders.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was raised in the western US, and nearly 8 years ago moved to Weld County. I earned bachelors and masters degrees from Boston College in American History. My college education instilled in me a love for our country's history and a commitment to make things even better.

I’ve spent most of the last 22 years as a stay-at-home mom. As my 4 children began entering school, I became an avid school volunteer, eventually becoming the president of the elementary school PTA, middle school PTO, and high school education foundation. My commitment to our neighborhood schools has been at the heart of my public service.

I’ve been a leader in my church congregations, managing large-scale service projects, organizing summer camps for teenagers, overseeing teaching, and managing teams of other volunteers.

​

In 2019 my husband and I started a small business here in Weld County. I manage the human resources and financial side of the company, researching new software and systems and interfacing with state agencies.

​

Over the last 7 years I’ve been actively engaged in nonpartisan political advocacy as a leader in a national nonprofit organization. These experiences have taught me to communicate respectfully with community members across the political spectrum, productively find solutions, and work together to build a brighter future for our kids.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I’m committed to civility and civic engagement. Since 2017 I've participated in conversations about controversial topics with people from all along the political spectrum. By leading out with civility and respect, I've facilitated communication that invites productive conversation and positive action.

Colorado is a model for democratic innovation and civic engagement. As a leader in a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to ethical government, I have been actively engaged in mobilizing volunteers nationwide around issues of our democracy to promote civic engagement. As your legislator, I will keep our innovative statewide programs in place, push back on the most extreme voices, and increase participation in all levels of government.Access to good quality health care and the privacy to make one's own health care decisions are critical matters for our next state representative. I support policies which promote access to reproductive care, enhanced healthcare coverage, and investment in increasing the number of Colorado healthcare providers.

Expanded Medicaid, the Colorado Marketplace, and other assistance to patients are critical. However, that will not be enough if we don’t have the medical providers that we need. There’s especially a shortage of mental health providers. I want to explore policies to train and attract more providers in Colorado, especially in our underserved communities.Gun violence prevention is an issue that I really care about. I have four children who grew up in the post-Columbine world experiencing active shooter drills. I was in a kindergarten classroom many years ago during one of those drills. It was scary for me, and it’s scary for our kids.

I want guns to stay out of schools. I want to maintain current concealed carry permit standards. We need to keep guns out of the hands of our children and those who pose a threat to themselves and others–even when that’s just temporarily. We do not need military grade guns in the hands of civilians. All of these reforms can be accomplished without infringing on the second amendment rights of the many law-abiding gun owners in HD19

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I care a lot about education. My public service has mostly been in schools, and two of my children are in high school now. I've made calls on bond measure phone banks and canvassed for school board members. As PTA president I advocated for student equity and raised money to provide extra technology and enrichment. I’m passionate about ensuring that Colorado's public education system remains a model for the nation. Right now we’re funding schools at 1989 levels, and that’s just not good enough for 2024. We are asking schools to do more–in terms of testing, social/emotional health, and safety, to name a few. Students and teachers need access to new technology. Teachers need better pay. Public money needs to stay in public schools.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I think most people are tired of the extreme partisanship and dysfunction in American politics, and I plan to be a legislator who will respectfully engage with people from all along the political spectrum. Most of my advocacy work has been in nonpartisan spaces, so my experience is in bringing people together to find solutions to common problems, even if we don't come from common backgrounds.

I believe that elected officials need to be good listeners who are willing to learn and who want to find the most efficient solutions that will do the most good for the most people without harming others. I want to be accessible to my constituents so I can learn about what is important to them and represent my district's needs.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I am a mother of four children. I very much want my children to be proud of the public servant that I am. I want them to see that I served with integrity and made life better for other people.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I have a vague memory of the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion in 1986. I was in the first grade and can remember the teachers gathering in clusters, whispering, and being very upset. It wasn't until later that I fully understood why the teachers were particularly affected by this tragedy since Christa McAuliffe, a teacher just like them, had been selected to go on the mission and died in the explosion.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked at All a Dollar as a new 16-year-old during the holiday season. Because I didn't get my drivers license until about a month into the job, my older brothers often picked me up. They just loved to loiter in the store as I finished my shift and ask, "How much is this?" "One dollar," I'd reply." "And this, is it $1, too?" They thought they were hilarious.

One day one of the cash registers stopped working properly and the manager put me on that register, because he knew I could do the math to get totals and to make proper change for the customers (back when more people used cash and wrote checks). When everything is just $1, you learn pretty quickly how to tally up the price and tax for a certain number of items.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think we need leaders who will work hard to learn about issues, will reach out to and listen to constituents and experts, and will apply common sense to governing. Those skills are possible without previous experience in government or politics.

I believe that my experience as a student of American history and my time working as a leader in a national nonpartisan advocacy organization have given me great skills for researching issues and engaging with them in open-minded and solutions-oriented ways that will make me a good and fair legislator.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

I think it's always important to build relationships with colleagues. Having relationships of mutual respect--and sometimes shared interests and backgrounds--can really help when working together on tough problems. When you see someone else as a whole person with a life story, it's easier to understand their perspective and to work as a team.