Wanda James

Wanda James served in the U.S. Navy from 1986 to 1991.[1] James earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1986.[1][2] Her career experience includes owning a business.[1]

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?

An Economy that Works for Everyone.

Creating an economy where ingenuity and fairness move together. I will fight to guarantee living wages that rise with the cost of living, expand the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, and unleash small businesses and local entrepreneurs with federal microloans, procurement access, and tax credits for job creation.

I will advocate for federal seed funding and incentives for clean tech, while building national incubators and accelerators so startups can scale everywhere. Expanding infrastructure jobs so that innovation is not limited to coastal cities but reaches every community from Denver to America’s heartland.Education changed my life; Pell Grants made college possible. As a CU Regent, I see education strengthening families and fueling Colorado’s economy. I will fight in Congress for the same chance for every student.

I will protect and expand Pell Grants, which open doors for students not born into wealth, ensuring college is accessible without lifelong debt. I will also restore a strong Department of Education to partner with students, teachers, and families, prioritizing civil rights, public education, and workforce investment.

I support a national "College for All" plan: tuition-free public four-year colleges for families earning under $125,000, and free community college for everyone.Healthcare as a Human Right

Health care should never depend on wealth. I will move us toward Medicare for All, and give Medicare the power to negotiate the cost of life saving medicines. Community health centers and mobile clinics with guaranteed language access will bring care to every neighborhood.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Social justice and criminal justice reform policies that protect communites and give them opportunites to thrive. For example, full cannabis legalization and regulation. I am the only person running in Congress who has the actual experience to get this done.

Campaign websiteJames' campaign website stated the following:Protecting Voting Rights and the John Lewis Voting Rights ActThe right to vote has always been contested for Black Americans, and when voting rights are attacked for Black people, they are ultimately weakened for everyone. From poll taxes and literacy tests to modern voter suppression, the goal has been the same: concentrate power by silencing voices that challenge injustice.The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is essential to restoring protections that were stripped away when the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act. This legislation would require states with histories of discrimination to prove that new voting laws do not harm voters before they take effect, protecting Black communities and strengthening democracy for all people.Defend Democracy and Demand IntegrityDemocracy is not self-executing. It lives or dies by our choices. I will vote to codify Roe v. Wade, protect contraception, strengthen the Voting Rights Act, and end dark money. I will press for sweeping anti-corruption reforms including bans on congressional stock trading and strict limits on lobbyist influence because public trust is the backbone of a free society.Healthcare as a Human RightHealth care should never depend on wealth. I will vote to move us toward Medicare for All, or Universal Healthcare and give Medicare the power to negotiate the cost of life saving medicines. Community health centers and mobile clinics with guaranteed language access will bring care to every neighborhood.Humane, Modern Immigration ReformI will fight for a path to citizenship for Dreamers, farmworkers, and long-term essential workers. Smart, technology-driven border security can stop drugs and trafficking without tearing families apart. Protecting Civil RightsBlack, Latino, and immigrant communities have always been at the center of America’s struggle for justice and equality. Yet for generations, these communities have faced systems that exclude, surveil, and punish rather than protect and empower.Civil rights are not abstract ideals. They shape whether Black, Latino, and immigrant families can buy homes without discrimination, whether students are treated fairly in schools, whether entrepreneurs can access capital, whether workers are protected from exploitation, and whether communities can live without fear of state or private violence.In Congress, I will fight to strengthen civil rights enforcement for Black, Latino, and immigrant communities. I will work to close racial and economic gaps in wealth and opportunity, hold institutions accountable when discrimination occurs, and push for sustained federal investment in communities that have been systematically underfunded and ignored. I will defend policies that expand opportunity, protect vulnerable communities, and ensure that the law works for everyone, not just the powerful.The struggle for civil rights is not history. It is ongoing. Protecting civil rights means confronting racism, xenophobia, and inequality directly, and building systems that finally deliver justice, safety, and opportunity for Black, Latino, and immigrant communities across this country.Homes People Can Afford and Communities that ThriveA good home is the foundation of dignity. I will work to expand the National Housing Trust Fund, grow Housing Choice Vouchers, and offer first-generation homebuyer credits so families can build wealth. Confront the Climate Crisis and Lead on Clean EnergyClimate action is both moral duty and economic opportunity. I will accelerate investment in renewable energy, energy storage, and next generation clean technologies. Rebuilding America’s energy grid and expanding electric vehicle infrastructure will create good paying jobs while protecting clean air, water, and public lands.Honor and Support VeteransAs a Navy veteran, I know service does not end when the uniform comes off. I will fully fund VA health care, modernize clinics, and expand job training, entrepreneurship programs, and mental health and suicide prevention services for those who served.I Have Worn the Uniform of this Country.I am the daughter of a Vietnam veteran. I know what war asks of our service members, our families, and our nation. And I believe this with absolute clarity: war is the greatest failure of mankind.It is what happens when leadership breaks down, when diplomacy is ignored, and when the cost is paid in human lives. That is why I believe the use of force must be rare, deliberate, and reserved only for moments when there is a clear and imminent threat to the United States or our treaty allies.Foreign Policy: Strength, Discipline, and Constitutional AccountabilityWar Must Be Reserved for Imminent ThreatsI will not support sending American troops into conflict or funding war in any country without a clear, imminent threat of attack. Not vague intelligence. Not political pressure. Not open ended missions that drift for decades. If we are asking Americans to risk their lives, the threat must be real, immediate, and undeniable.We have seen what happens when that standard is ignored. Endless conflicts. Shifting missions. Lives lost without a clear path to victory. Trillions of dollars spent while communities here at home go without. That is not strength. That is the ultimate failure of humanity.How We Lost Control of War PowersThe Constitution gives Congress the sole authority to declare war. That was intentional. The founders understood that no single person should have the power to send a nation into war. In 1973, after the devastation of Vietnam, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution to reclaim that authority. It required presidents to consult Congress before deploying forces.But over the past several decades, that law has been steadily ignored and weakened.Presidents from both parties have relied on outdated Authorizations for Use of Military Force, especially the 2001 AUMF, to justify military action across multiple countries that were never part of the original authorization. What was meant to target those responsible for 9 11 became a blank check for global military engagement.Congress allowed it.Instead of reasserting its authority, Congress ceded it. Year after year, administration after administration, we normalized a system where presidents initiate military action and Congress reacts after the fact or not at all.That is how we lost control.No President, Democrat or Republican, should have the unilateral power to take this country to war.Not without debate. Not without a vote. Not without accountability to the American people.I will fight to restore Congress’s constitutional authority over war. That means:Repealing outdated and overly broad AUMFsEnforcing real consequences if the executive branch bypasses CongressEnding the practice of funding unauthorized conflicts through backdoor appropriationsWhen we send Americans into harm’s way, every elected representative should have to stand up and be counted.The Cost of WarWar is not distant. It is not abstract. It shows up in the lives of Americans every single day. It shows up in the loss of life and the lifelong physical and emotional impact on our veterans and their families.It shows up in rising gas and energy costs that hit working people first and hardest. It shows up in the threats we are already seeing here at home, including antisemitic attacks in Michigan, attacks targeting ROTC students in Texas, and a broader rise in terrorism across the Western world.War reshapes our economy, our security, and our communities. And too often, the people making the decisions are far removed from the consequences.Being Anti-War Is Not About Being Weak. It Is About Being Disciplined.America must remain strong. We must be prepared to defend ourselves and stand by our allies when truly necessary. But strength without restraint leads to overreach. And overreach leads to endless war.I will push for a foreign policy that prioritizes:Aggressive diplomacy to prevent conflict before it beginsClear, limited objectives when force is necessaryShared responsibility with allies instead of unilateral actionFull transparency with the American peopleReal investment in veterans when they return homeThis Is Why I Will Never Treat War As Politics.I will treat it as what it is, a decision that determines who lives, who dies, and what kind of country we choose to be. We cannot afford more endless wars. We cannot afford more blank checks. We cannot afford more silence from Congress. It is time to restore accountability. It is time to bring war powers back where they belong. And it is time to lead with the strength and judgment this moment demands.My Commitment To YouAn Economy that Works for EveryoneWe can create an economy where ingenuity and fairness move together. I will fight to guarantee living wages that rise with the cost of living, expand the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, and unleash small businesses and local entrepreneurs with federal microloans, procurement access, and tax credits for job creation.I will advocate for federal seed funding and incentives for clean tech, while building national incubators and accelerators so startups can scale everywhere. We will expand infrastructure jobs so that innovation is not limited to coastal cities but reaches every community from Denver to America’s heartland.Through universal STEM education, apprenticeships, and workforce training, every American will have a clear path to prosper in the next economy.Why This Vision Inspires American IngenuityThis campaign is about fairness and shared prosperity because people who work hard deserve decent wages, safe neighborhoods, health care they can trust, and a home they can afford.It is about innovation and future readiness meeting the challenge of AI, automation, and climate change and ensuring that American science leads the world.It is about ethics and democracy ending insider stock trades, dark money, and lobbyist dominance so government serves people, not the powerful.It is about urgency and real world impact bringing technology to places left behind, reconnecting Democrats with working class voters, and delivering policies that touch daily life from housing and childcare to health care and clean energy.Above all, it is about American ingenuity the belief that our creativity and determination can build a nation where everyone, in every community, shares in the promise of the future.This is not typical political talk.This is a call to action.It is the work of building a country that is fair, fearless, and ready for what comes next.— Wanda James' campaign website (April 24, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Wanda L. James is the founder and CEO of Simply Pure Dispensary. She is the first African American legally licensed to own a dispensary in America

A former Naval Officer, Fortune 500 Executive, a small business owner, and a leading advocate in the cannabis industry focused on social equity, justice, and ending the drug war, Wanda’s work on cannabis reform has led to her working with a host of politicians including President Barack Obama, Vice President Kamala Harris, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Barbara Lee, and Governor Jared Polis.

She was the first cannabis professional inductee into Ad Week’s Trailblazers along with VP Harris, the women presidents of NBC, Universal, and MSNBC. Wanda was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Cannabis and 50 Most Influential Women in the industry. She has graced the cover of Black Enterprise, Sensi, Cannabis Dispensary, Cannabis & Tech, and Vanguard Magazines.

A first-generation graduate from CU Boulder and the first Black woman commission through CU’s Naval ROTC Battalion. She is now running for CU Regent to represent CD1. There has not been a Black woman on the Board of Regents for 38 years.

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?

Ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion are integral parts of the university system, while developing a national reputation of Affordable Excellence.Create more flexible programs to educate the next generation of doctors, nurses, researchers, teachers and the next generation of CEOs.Support the university researchers working to solve complex problems - like climate change - which will provide a robust higher education system that strengthens Colorado’s economy.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I understand that it’s not enough to enroll students. That’s why my focus will be on helping them find a path to graduation and ensuring the CU system prioritizes a diverse student body and an inclusive faculty and administration. I want to continue CU’s nationally known legacy of excellence and ensure every student has the opportunity to learn from voices that enrich their lives, challenge their intellect and opinions, and teach them how to achieve more.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Morally, I look up to my Dad. He raised me as a single-parent father and gave his all to my well-being and education. He was my rock, I miss his words and laughter every day.

Politically, there is not one person, there are many qualities of many leaders I respect. Tenacity. Honest. Strength of character. Innovated ways to solve daily issues.

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

The 1968 moonwalk. I was 5 years old. From that day forward, I have been amazed by space and wanted to be an astronaut. This was the reason I joined the military. And although I didn't make it to flight school, I did find my way to reach my passion in life through J.E.D.I ( Justice. Equality. Diversity. Inclusion)

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

I was a sacker at Safeway grocery store. I worked there for two years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

so many...

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, because it shows how we are all interconnected.

Wild Seed, because ancient, powerful, African deities are fascinating.

Black Beauty, because I have loved horses my entire life. The time spent with my horses growing up was the most special time of my life.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Caught a Vibe by Willow Smith