Diana DeGette

Diana DeGette is a Democratic politician who has represented Colorado's 1st congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1997. Born in Tachikawa, Japan, to American parents, she was raised in Denver, Colorado. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and philosophy from Colorado College in 1979 and a Juris Doctor from the New York University School of Law in 1982. Before entering politics, DeGette worked as an attorney specializing in civil rights and employment litigation and served as a deputy in the Colorado State Public Defender's Office. DeGette's legislative career began in the Colorado House of Representatives, where she served from 1993 to 1997 and rose to become the Assistant Minority Leader. In 1996, she was elected to the U.S. Congress to succeed retiring Representative Pat Schroeder. Throughout her tenure, she has been a senior member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, serving as the Chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. She also served as a Chief Deputy Whip for the House Democratic Caucus from 2005 to 2019 and was the dean of Colorado's congressional delegation. In her congressional service, DeGette is recognized for her leadership in health policy, particularly as a co-author of the 21st Century Cures Act. She also served as one of the House impeachment managers during the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump in 2021. In June 2026, while seeking her sixteenth term, she lost the Democratic primary for her district. DeGette has been a prominent advocate for stem-cell research and reproductive rights, co-chairing the Pro-Choice Caucus for several years.

DeGette's policy positions are generally aligned with the platform of the Democratic Party. In healthcare, she has been a longtime supporter of the Affordable Care Act and has expressed support for transitioning toward a Medicare for All or single-payer system. She is a prominent advocate for reproductive rights, having authored legislation to protect clinic access and leading efforts to codify Roe v. Wade protections at the federal level. On environmental issues, she supports aggressive action to combat climate change, including curbing methane emissions and transitioning to renewable energy, and has frequently introduced the Colorado Wilderness Act to protect public lands. Her economic platform includes support for raising the federal minimum wage, ensuring equal pay for women, and increasing investment in public infrastructure. Regarding public safety, she advocates for stricter gun control measures such as universal background checks and safe storage requirements. In immigration policy, she supports comprehensive reform, protections for DACA recipients, and increased oversight of federal detention facilities to ensure humane treatment.