Brittany Pettersen
A lifelong Coloradan dedicated to public service
Rep. Brittany Pettersen serves in Congress to fight for Colorado families. A fourth generation Coloradan, Rep. Pettersen had to take on adult responsibilities at a young age as her mom battled with addiction. She began to work cleaning houses and taking odd jobs at the age of 12, and with relentless hard work and the support of her teachers, she beat tough odds to become the first member of her family to graduate from high school and college. Rep. Pettersen has dedicated her career to civic engagement, building community, and public service. She worked on President Obama’s historic 2008 campaign and engaged a new generation of Coloradans in their democracy through voter registration. In 2012, she ran a successful grassroots campaign in a competitive race for the Colorado House of Representatives and became the youngest woman in the state legislature. In 2018, Rep. Pettersen was one of the young Democratic women nicknamed the “Fab Five,” whose double-digit wins in 2018 helped take the majority in the state Senate. In 2022, she successfully ran for an open seat and became the first woman to represent Colorado’s 7th District in the House. She and her husband, Ian, are proud parents of a young son, Davis, and she is only the second Colorado legislator to give birth during a state legislative session.
A tireless champion for Colorado’s working families
“I’ve spent the last decade fighting for working families, public schools, and small businesses,” Rep. Pettersen has said. “Growing up, the odds were stacked against me, but thanks to the support of Jeffco public schools, I persevered. Now, I’m fighting to make sure future generations have that same chance.” As the only Coloradan on the House Financial Services Committee, she is addressing access to affordable housing and increasing business opportunities for rural and underserved communities. A champion for reproductive rights, in her first speech on the House floor she said, “I will not stop fighting until all Americans have control over their own bodies, their own health care decisions, and their own lives.” Rep. Pettersen has been public about helping her mother, Stacy, whose decades-long opioid addiction and road to sobriety have been chronicled in an award-winning documentary film. She is determined to increase access to health care, including mental health and addiction services that are out of reach for too many, and brings her experience and sense of urgency to the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force. Rep. Pettersen is paving the way for the next generation of women leaders, and she brings a fresh perspective to Congress.
A must-win reelection fight
Republicans saw a pickup opportunity in this seat last cycle, but Rep. Pettersen fought hard and won. Now she is defending it in a must-win race in the fight for control of the House. Let’s show her the full support of the EMILYs List community and keep this champion for Coloradans in the House.