Colorado Democrats formally slapped Gov. Jared Polis with a censure on Wednesday after he cut the prison sentence of former election clerk Tina Peters, a move that set off a furious backlash inside his own party.
During a virtual meeting, Democrats on the party’s State Central Committee voted overwhelmingly to approve a resolution condemning Polis for commuting Peters’ nearly nine-year sentence to 4.5 years, according to Colorado Public Radio. The measure passed with about 90% support.
The censure bars Polis from speaking at Colorado Democratic Party events or appearing as a featured guest at party functions, a symbolic but stinging rebuke for a sitting governor.
“Reducing her sentence now, under pressure from President Trump, is not justice. It sends a message to future bad actors that election tampering has consequences unless you’re friends with the president,” Democratic National Committee member Stephanie Beal said while reading the censure language to the committee, as reported by Colorado Public Radio.
“That’s a dangerous and disappointing precedent to set. Colorado has spent years building trust in our elections and proving they are secure at a time when democracy and voting rights are under attack across the nation,” Beal added. “Weakening accountability for someone convicted of undermining that trust is a mistake.”
Polis spent months weighing whether to commute Peters’ sentence, including facing public pressure from Trump, and repeatedly argued the punishment was overly harsh.
🚨 UPDATE: The Colorado Democratic Party has CENSURED Gov. Jared Polis because he caved and freed Tina Peters — banning him from speaking or being honored at party events
This is who they are.
They want an old, peaceful woman to rot in prison. SICK.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 21, 2026
Peters served as an election clerk in Mesa County during the 2020 election. In 2021, she allegedly arranged for a conspiracy theorist using a fake name to access electronic voting machines and retrieve voter data. Peters later said she was trying to preserve election records in case there was evidence supporting Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud.
Democrats had urged Polis to leave the sentence intact, warning that any reduction would be read as a political concession at a moment when election integrity disputes remain a national flashpoint.
Polis, speaking last week in an interview with Colorado Public Radio, argued that Peters’ conduct did not involve ballot counting or changing results, but still crossed the line.
“did not interfere with any election, did not have to do with ballot counting, but it was illegal access to the computer room,” Polis said.
“She thought she was trying to back up the software before it was updated,” he said. “She did it illegally. There’s no question about it. And she deserves to go to prison. And I think this is a more appropriate, even harsh, frankly, sentence for that crime.”
Polis also emphasized that the action was not a pardon and said it was aimed at keeping the case focused on the underlying crime, not political speech.
“This is not a pardon,” the governor told the outlet. “It’s really making sure her free speech was not a criteria for her overly harsh sentencing.”
The censure underscores widening tension inside the party over how to handle high-profile election cases, especially when national politics are looming in the background. While the resolution does not carry legal force, it signals that many Colorado Democrats view Polis’ decision as a serious political and moral misstep.
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