First Endorsement in Race for CU Regent

Candidate’s campaign for CU Regent picks up as incumbent drops out to run for governor

The Scott Mangino for CU Regent Campaign received their first endorsement Monday morning, Sep. 13. The endorsement comes from, “Progressive Vote – Colorado, the registered political committee of the Denver Chapter of (Progressive Democrats of America),” according to a press release from the campaign’s office.

Mangino is running as a Democrat for an at-large seat on CU’s Board of Regents, a nine-member board of the state government. Members of the Colorado Board of Regents are elected from “each of Colorado’s seven congressional districts and two from the state at large,” according to the Regent’s website. “The board is charged constitutionally with the general supervision of the university and the exclusive control and direction of all funds of and appropriations to the university, unless otherwise provided by law.”

The at-large seat up for election is currently held by Republican Heidi Ganahl, currently the only Republican in Colorado holding a statewide-elected office. Ganahl will not be seeking reelection for the position, as she will be challenging Jared Polis in the 2022 race for Colorado Governor. Her campaign team registered her candidate committee with the Secretary of State’s office the morning of Sep. 10 according to Colorado Newsline, and she made an official announcement of her candidacy on social media on Sep. 14. She hopes to address issues such as crime and the rising cost of living, saying in an Instagram post, “right now, Colorado has been knocked down. Crime rates skyrocketing, kids in a mental health crisis, the cost-of-living soaring, small businesses being shuttered…Colorado needs a comeback, and I’m here to give back to the greatest state in the nation.”

“Scott is committed to being an advocate for all CU students, staff, and faculty to ensure that everyone has an equal voice.” said the Denver chapter of Progressive Democrats of America in their endorsement. “He recognizes the urgency to reduce the cost of higher education, to expand services without cutting staff and to engage the community in participating in the process.” Mangino thanked the organization for their support, saying, “I have admired their commitment to inclusion and progressive principles in higher education.”

The primary election for the opening Regent at-large position is on Jun. 28, 2022. So far, no other Democratic nor Republican candidates have officially announced campaigns, though the filing deadline to do so is Mar. 15. The general election will be on Nov. 8, 2022 (Ballotpedia).

Each CU Regent serves a six-year term, but the elections are staggered evenly over two-year intervals. Two other Regent seats from District 1 and District 4 are up for election in 2022, in addition to the at-large seat Mangino is running for. So far, no candidates have announced campaigns for these positions. The offices are currently held, respectively, by Democrat Jack Kroll and Republican Sue Sharkey (Ballotpedia).

Mangino announced his campaign on May 20, 2021, making the focus of his platform recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. “To ensure our institutions not only recover but thrive over the next decade, the Board of Regents needs to be hyper-focused on inducing innovation, challenging the status quo, and re-thinking every aspect of how we operate,” he said in the press release for his campaign announcement. This will be Mangino’s first campaign for public office.