Stephanie Vigil

Stephanie Vigil was born in Monroe, Michigan. She graduated from Sand Creek High School and attended Pikes Peak State College and Columbia College. Vigil's career experience includes working as a nonprofit director, entrepreneurship, freelancing, and work in the service industry. She has been affiliated with Colorado Independent Drivers United.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m Steph Vigil, and I am once again running to represent Colorado’s House District 16 in the Colorado House of Representatives. I previously served in this seat from 2023 to 2024. I focus most on issues that often don’t get addressed without working-class leadership in government, including protections for renters, more affordable housing, stronger rights for low-wage and gig workers, multimodal transportation, and defending civil rights.

The biggest struggles in HD-16 are no mystery to me: I've lived them myself. From housing and transportation insecurity to the trauma and mental health struggles that are common in our community, I know what it's like. I’ve chosen to turn my survival into a life of public service, and use what I've learned to craft public policy that gets people on their feet. After my very productive first term, big business and the ultra-wealthy spent over $2 million against me, and I missed re-election in 2024 by just three votes.

House District 16 is the most competitive state legislative district in Colorado. I’m running again because I believe working people deserve a stronger voice in government and because Colorado Springs deserves leadership focused on protecting our democracy and providing a solid foundation in life for every Coloradan.

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 believe that protecting democracy and constitutional rights is essential to a free and prosperous society. I will always stand up for due process under the law for citizens and immigrants alike, reproductive freedom, the dignity and equality of LGBTQ+ people, and the protection of our First Amendment rights, including the separation of church and state. Government should protect our fundamental freedoms and ensure everyone has a fair chance to succeed.As a working-class person, I understand many of the economic challenges families face. I believe government should stand on the side of workers, consumers, and everyday people, and hold powerful corporations accountable for their actions. During my first term, I helped advance protections for gig workers, supported stronger renter protections, and maintained a 100% score with the AFL-CIO. I will continue fighting for policies that hold large corporations accountable and make sure economic progress benefits working families across our community.When I was elected in 2022, our community chose a new direction for leadership. During my term in office, I worked hard to deliver meaningful results and stand up for the people of this district. I believe leadership should be rooted in listening to the community, bringing new ideas to government, and having the courage to stand up to powerful interests that harm us. I’m running again because I want to continue building a stronger, more inclusive future for Colorado Springs.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Promoting diverse and abundant housing supply, protecting workers and consumers, expanding transportation choice, protecting public education, pursuing a just and equitable transition to all-renewable energy, protecting civil rights from federal overreach.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

In my previous runs, I've consistently earned endorsements from pro-choice organizations like Planned Parenthood Votes, COLOR Latina, ONE Colorado, and Voices for Choice. I also get strong support from organized labor, including AFL-CIO, CEA, SEIU, CO WINS, Teamsters, Professional Firefighters, Sheet Metal Workers, and IBEW. I have also received support from environmental, progressive, and select professional groups as well, including New Era CO, Sierra Club, Conservation CO, Colorado Ceasefire, Academy of Family Physicians, Nurses for Political Action, and Colorado PACE.

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Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased September 19, 2024

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Earlier this year, the US Supreme Court ruled that the president is above the law, that we have no right to privacy in our own bodies, and they even made their own bench the sole arbiter of whether regulations on big business are fair. This unprecedented situation makes state legislatures more important than ever, among the last governing institutions in this country that operate under the rule of law.

Everything else I have to say about what I've brought to this office, and how I will continue to serve when re-elected is ultimately secondary. The democratic process is the ultimate good: that is, that governments get their legitimacy from the consent of the governed. Anyone who does not believe in this foundational principle of government, is not fit to serve in it. That being said:

I bring a varied life experience to the legislature, from navigating our broken social safety net, to running a sole proprietor small business. I'm one of those rare elected officials with a true working class background, intimately familiar with ordinary people's struggles, and not for sale to big money interests.

A traumatic childhood contributed to serious mental health trouble in my young adult years, and I only had the chance to finally get my feet under me because a few things worked out just in time. Those are terrible odds and I want better for others, so when I started moving into long term recovery I felt very strongly about being part of the solution.

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?

Self-determination is a basic human right and a core Colorado value. Government has no business policing our bodies and bedrooms, banning books, or forcing religion on anyone. These liberties are essential and non-negotiable, and we cannot have a good society without the freedom and diversity of thought that arise from them.We all do better in life when we have a solid foundation to build on, and we as a state should actively ensure that foundation for every Coloradan. All people need a healthy environment, a safe home, and access to opportunities where they can make a living and thrive. These aren't luxuries; they're basic necessities, and state law plays a big role in whether or not ordinary people get these needs met.We should work with the market to produce abundant and diverse housing supply, roll back regulations that inhibit thoughtful infill projects, and create more transportation choices. People need to be able to live, work, and play within a reasonable footprint, which as a bonus, is also healthier for the environment and our local economies.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Transportation and housing, environmental protection, civil rights, worker empowerment. I'm also always interested in ways that we can do smarter, more strategic investment in structural necessities, and deliver good public services.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The work of Heather Cox Richardson has really resonated with me these last few years. I'm also a big fan of Matthew Desmond, Timothy Snyder, Heather McGhee, and Jane McAlevey

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

It takes all kinds to make up the people's House, but broadly speaking: we should all be up-front about our views and stand in whatever values we campaign on. The last thing people need is another wishy-washy politician whose word isn't reliable. We might not be on the same page about every issue, but I'll always tell you what I actually think, and how I plan to vote, or if I need to learn more before deciding.

Additionally, one has got to be a hard worker, a resourceful and creative person, and to be able to deal with difficult people. Being good-humored doesn't hurt either. A customer service background actually goes a long way in this role, and I've found myself relying on those old skills many times in my first term.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

As the incumbent, I'll say that doing thorough stakeholder work on one's bills is super important. You'll still have opposition to a bill at times, but all key players should be part of the conversation. Also you never know when an amendment from oppositional players could actually make a policy stronger.

Constituent services are a big part of the job: being responsive to those needs that require a rapid response, like trouble with unemployment insurance or trying to navigate a bureaucratic challenge. My office has resolved dozens of administrative hiccups, and earlier this year I was able to get a critical urban trail reopened that had been blocked by a CDOT project.

A third responsibility, which might sound obvious -- really digging in and vetting the bills that come to one's assigned committees. No one of us can read literally every line of every bill, but I absolutely read in detail every bill that comes to any committee I serve on. That's the main purpose of having committees of reference, and members need to take that responsibility seriously.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I really want to be a good ancestor. I think it's what we leave behind that matters more than anything we can acquire, and I want to contribute to building a world that any of us would willingly be born into.

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

The Oklahoma City Bombing; I was in fifth grade. To this day, I worry that we don't take homegrown, domestic terrorism nearly seriously enough.

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

The day after my sixteenth birthday, I walked out of the house and down Constitution Ave until I reached a business where I could apply for a part-time, after school job. It was a Sonic Drive-in, so that was my first job. I only worked there a few months until another nearby business offered me something better, but I took what I could get to start drawing an income. When you come from a poor family with few economic resources and no pocket money or allowance, you look for any every opportunity to earn a paycheck.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

They should work with us to be on the same page, but it is also crucially important for any governor in our great state to remember that the legislature is a co-equal branch of the people's government. The legislature works for the people, not for the administration.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Dealing with growth responsibly and thoughtfully. We can't sprawl forever without consequence, and as the great David Attenborough says, "Anything that we can't do forever is, by definition, unsustainable." We'll need to continue the work of moving toward a more circular economy, fulfilling our committment to a just and equitable transition to renewable energy, and adopting sustainable water usage.

We can't just stop people from moving here, and even if we could, who's to say that now is the time to pull up the ladder? There will always be population growth, whether it's from within or from migration, and we have to adopt sustainable practices to ensure long-term wellbeing and prosperity.

Also, as long as some other states' governments choose to attack people's personal freedoms and right to privacy, we're going to see an influx of people coming to Colorado for things like abortion services or gender-affirming care, or to simply live in peace without their family being persecuted because of politics. How we receive those folks is going to set the tone for the rest of the country.

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

It can be, but again - I think it takes all kinds in this world. There's no one skill set or life experience that's the "right" one for this role. In some ways, it's better to have at least some members whose background is more similar to the average person.

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

Absolutely. I put in a lot of time and effort to stay grounded in my community to be sure -- town halls, public gatherings, taking meetings, etc. -- but those 99 other people who I serve with also come into that building with a variety of ideas, perspectives, and priorities, and we need to understand and relate to each other in order to effecitively serve all of you.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I have no interest in serving at a Federal level. That could change someday, but frankly I like working in a place where we actually get things done.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

As of 9/19/24:

Nancy Henjum, COS City Council District 5

Richard Skorman

CO Professional Firefighters

Colorado AFL-CIO

Conservation CO

Sierra Club

Centennial State Prosperity

Academy of Family Physicians

National Association of Social Workers - CO Chapter

New Era Colorado

Teamsters Local 455

Planned Parenthood Votes - Colorado

Cobalt

COLOR Latina Action Fund

CO Education Association

American Federation of Teachers - Colorado

One Colorado

Rocky Mountain Equality

Nurses for Political Action

CWA - CO/WY Council

CO Ceasefire

CO Working Families Party

CO Rural Electric Association

What committees interest you?

I hope to stay on Transportation, Housing, & Local Government. I've really enjoyed Energy & Environment as well, but I'm also interested in Business Affairs & Labor, and I wouldn't mind serving on Finance at some point as well.

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Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased Jun 8, 2022

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a lifelong essential worker and low-income renter who knows all too well why working people and their families are struggling. I'm a survivor of childhood abuse and neglect, as well as a series of mental health crises in my early adulthood that led to disability.

I only had a chance to get stable and healthy, and really start to thrive, because a few supports, including the disability insurance, came through for me at just the right time. So when I went into long-term recovery, I decided that I couldn't stand to watch others go through unnecessary suffering and struggle, and that it was time to pull up a seat at the table. People with my lived experience need to be in the room where our laws and budgets are made, to ensure no one is left behind.

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?

Every one of us is born with inherent worth and dignity.We can make sure every Coloradan gets a solid foundation in life that they can build upon.Self-determination is a basic human right and a core Colorado value.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

My biggest priorities are: tackling our affordable housing crisis with every tool at our disposal; meeting and beating our climate goals, protecting the natural environment, and getting back our air quality; and strengthening the public institutions that support healthy and thriving communities, especially our public schools.

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

I believe it takes all kinds to form a government that adequately serves the public, so no one set of characteristics is the right one. Generally speaking though, I think people whose lived experience is comparable to those who they serve is important, and that we could stand to have a greater presence in all levels of government by those who have historically been excluded.

As far as principles, there are a couple of main ideas I cling to. One is "nothing about us without us" -- that is, decisions should not be made without input and advice from those most directly impacted, and I don't just mean whoever has the most money tied up in something. We've allowed a fairly narrow slice of the population to dominate the political class for too long, and the result is that their privileges are often protected at the expense of the rest of us. The other principle, is that we generally do better when we lean more into curiosity than into certainty -- we need to be always learning and studying and innovating in order to face the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

What legacy would you like to leave?

It's important to me to be a good ancestor. I want future generations of Americans to look back on my generation and feel like we set them up for success. I want us to give them the world that I would have liked to have been born into.

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

Civil war in the former Yugoslavia, particularly the siege of Sarajevo. I specifically remember in third grade, seeing a girl about my age fleeing with her family, wounded and terrified, and just thinking that it made no sense to me. There was no good reason why she was there, and I was here; why she was in a war zone, and I was not. It has really stuck with me over the years, the fact that we don't get to choose the circumstances of our birth, and the hand we're dealt varies wildly from one person to the next and across populations.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Managing our growth gracefully, equitably, and sustainably is the biggest thing. In Colorado, we have some tax laws that have aged poorly and confuse the public about how our tax dollars are collected and used. It's caused us to drop to some of the lowest funding for education among the states, and to fall well behind where we should be on transportation infrastructure, especially for public transit. It's complicated to disentangle from that, but we need to start with some honesty about how it's failing us as a state. We also need to make good use of the water we have while defending Colorado's water rights. We cannot tackle these challenges with more of the same wasteful and short-sighted policies that have put profits over all other considerations.

Colorado is a frontier, bellwether state and we're right to be proud of that tradition. We've led the nation in voting rights, climate action, and other major issues, and we can't get complacent and allow regressive figures to undo what we've accomplished. Right now, there are reactionary political actors who want to slash our world class election system, private everything that should be for the public good, and use their elected office to persecute racial and religious minorities and LGBTQ folks. I believe Colorado is better than that, and that everyone here deserves better as well.

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

I do! It's important of course to stay grounded in one's district, to adequately serve the people who send you there, and I don't discount that. On the other hand, specifically because it's so important to be effective in accomplishing that, we need our legislators to build more trusting relationships among themselves.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Transportation and Local Government

Energy and Environment

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I don't come to this work with a law degree or any formal education in public policy, but as a long time essential worker and a survivor of childhood trauma, poverty, and disability. I got to live to fight another day because our humble social safety net, with some support from siblings, came through for me just in time. Through my lived experience I've learned how porous and how fragile our systems of support are in this country, why they're not working for so many people, and what it would take to turn things around.

I don't accept that this is the best we can do for ourselves: permitting essential resources like healthcare, housing, and transit to be left to the whims of volatile markets, and leaving so many behind. There is no reason why a thriving economy like we have in Colorado should provide anything less than a solid foundation on which all Coloradans can thrive.

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?

A solid foundation in life for all Coloradans.I know the struggle of working people in our community.Investing in our collective long-term wellbeing is more important than short term business interests.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public transportation, livable wages for all workers, renewable energy, adequate stock of affordable housing, racial and economic justice.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I'm a survivor. I do this work to be a voice for those who struggle, because perspectives like mine should be present and accounted for wherever laws are being made and budgets are being set. If anyone cares to go digging into my past for unflattering details, I'll save you some time: I was hospitalized repeatedly in my twenties for a series of mental health crises arising from the trauma of childhood abuse. I was a mess. But today, I present myself to voters in House District 16, and ask that you put me to work for you, not in spite of my messy and chaotic past, but because of it. And together we'll build a solid foundation in life for every Coloradan.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To stand up for the things I ran on, be genuine about who I am and what I'm about, and to be be available to constituents and responsive to their needs.

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

My very first job was at a Sonic Drive-in. It was the closest business to my home, and I walked to it the day after my 16th birthday, applied, got hired within a couple of days. I couldn't wait to get a job because we grew up so poor and I'd always had so little opportunity to generate income for myself. I only worked there for a few months before moving on to a different fast food job (I worked a lot of them in my youth). They're honest jobs where hardworking people bust their tails for insufficient wages and little to no respect. It's a lot of the reason I've gone into politics.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Managing the population growth in a sustainable and equitable way.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Colorado voters approved a plan in 2018 that I think will serve us well: an independent board that draws the boundaries in such a way that representation is fair and reasonable. It shouldn't be a partisan task, and I say this knowing full well that a Democratic majority in both chambers of our legislature could have delivered my side of the aisle a decade of guaranteed majorities, like Republicans have done in Ohio, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and other states. But it's wrong. The people should choose their representatives, not the other way around. Up next: we need to require independent boards for our County Commission districts as well, a bill I will happily vote yes on when elected, and introduce if necessary.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Transportation and Local Government, and Energy and Environment.