Emma Pinter

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Emma Pinter

Democratic Party

Adams County Commission District 3

Tenure

2019 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

6

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

Principia College, 2001

Law

Suffolk University, 2005

Contact

Campaign website

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Emma Pinter (Democratic Party) is a member of the Adams County Commission in Colorado, representing District 3. She assumed office in 2019. Her current term ends on January 12, 2027.

Pinter (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Adams County Commission to represent District 3 in Colorado. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Pinter completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Pinter earned a B.A. in philosophy and political science from Principia College 2001 and a J.D. from Suffolk University in 2005. Pinter was elected to the Westminster City Council in Colorado in 2013, and she was re-elected in 2017. She has served on the boards of Adams County Economic Development and Youth Initiative of Adams County.

Elections

2022

See also: Municipal elections in Adams County, Colorado (2022)

General election

General election for Adams County Commission District 3

Incumbent Emma Pinter defeated Sean Forest in the general election for Adams County Commission District 3 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emma Pinter (D)	56.0	90,541
		Sean Forest (R)	44.0	71,129

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 161,670
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Adams County Commission District 3

Incumbent Emma Pinter advanced from the Democratic primary for Adams County Commission District 3 on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emma Pinter	100.0	33,323

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,323
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Adams County Commission District 3

Sean Forest advanced from the Republican primary for Adams County Commission District 3 on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sean Forest	100.0	27,343

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 27,343
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

To view Pinter's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.

2018

See also: Municipal elections in Adams County, Colorado (2018)

General election

General election for Adams County Commission District 3

Emma Pinter defeated Larry Hoy in the general election for Adams County Commission District 3 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emma Pinter (D)	57.6	94,385
	Submit photo	Larry Hoy (R)	42.4	69,537

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 163,922
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Adams County Commission District 3

Emma Pinter advanced from the Democratic primary for Adams County Commission District 3 on June 26, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emma Pinter	100.0	33,885

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 33,885
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Adams County Commission District 3

Larry Hoy advanced from the Republican primary for Adams County Commission District 3 on June 26, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Larry Hoy	100.0	22,155

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 22,155
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Pinter was endorsed by the Aurora Sentinel.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Emma Pinter completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Pinter's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

In America, we value our freedoms. Freedom to retire in dignity, decide whether and when we grow our families, and know our kids will make it home safe.

My leadership reflects my working family roots. Raised by a single mother who was a librarian, I learned that you work hard and get the job done. I believe we should lift as we rise and build a community with ladders of opportunity for all.

It’s been a privilege to serve the residents of Adams County and I’m proud of my work as Commissioner. I’m running for re-election because I believe we need to protect our Colorado way of life, provide housing that real people can afford, and build an economy that leaves no one out and no one behind.

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?

• Creating an economy that leaves no one out and no one behind. A robust and thriving local economy will create good jobs and opportunities for everyone to earn a good life. This will help boost the local economy so we all can afford the everyday things we need.
• Protecting our Colorado way of life. We need to ensure that our residents have access to clean air, clean water, and safe recreation for ourselves, our children, and for future generations. We must stand strong to protect the Civil Rights we have come to expect in Colorado. This November our freedoms are on the ballot: the freedom to decide if and when to have children, the freedom to breathe easier with clean air and affordable health care, and the freedom to provide for our families and thrive. We need to join together to protect our freedoms, decide our own futures, and ensure that the will of the people prevails.
• Housing that people can afford. Right now, it’s too difficult for working folks to afford to own a home. We need to work regionally to lower costs for both renters and homeowners. People need access to housing they can afford to be able to build stability and earn a good life.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Across race and place, background and party, we know what keeps us safe. It's living in communities where we look out for our neighbors. It’s having access to the great schools and healthcare we need. I

We do not have enough funding to respond to the spectrum of the mental health needs of our community. We don’t have enough suicide assessment and support services, detox services, or residential treatment beds. We also don’t have enough services for folks who need basic, ground-level mental health support for the various difficulties they face. The Legislature could look at this gap in support for our community and work to develop creative ways to bridge these challenges, including workforce development solutions.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Our role as Commissioners means we're the backbone of the County. We invest in policies that help our hardworking families earn a good life. We partner regionally to bring good jobs to Adams County. We also work to diversify our economy, including investing in renewables. We invest in programs like Work Options which give folks a second chance, training, and a pathway to work. We invest in our small businesses through grants & programs. We invest in housing that people can afford. We support our youth with over a million dollars in scholarships annually. We support our School Districts to build trade schools that encourage hard-working young people to work with their hands again and connect them with good-paying jobs.

The right to economic opportunity needs to be available to everyone. To be able to work hard at a rewarding and good-paying job that supports your family and allows you to put your child to bed at night, clothed, fed, and safe from harm.

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

My first paid job was working in high school in between my classes to clean/clear tables in my high school cafeteria. I am the legacy of a functioning, healthy working class and the daughter of an immigrant. My father and his parents fled to this country as refugees when he was nine-years-old. They built a life here, thanks to my grandfather having the opportunity to get a good job as a Union Steel Worker in Chicago. Everyone in Adams County deserves a chance to earn a good life.

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

Crowded Table, The Highwomen

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Growing up raised by a single mother, we often struggled financially. My mother eventually went back to school to become a public libraries librarian. After my grandparents passed it was just the three of us. My sister and I went with her to work and school. We found refuge in the parks and open space in the City Parks where my Mom's libraries were located.

When my mother unexpectedly passed away when I was 20 I took over care of my little sister while finishing college and law school. It fell to me to ensure that my sister, who was 16, was able to finish high school and college on time as well.

Given the hardships we faced, I felt incredibly lucky to be able to have finished school, and used my grandfather's & mother's unused pensions to pay off emergency medical bills. We were lucky, you shouldn't have to be lucky to make it.

I am running for re-election to continue my work to build a community where our support network is strong, our children are resilient, and everyone has the opportunity to build a good life. That means everyone who lives in my community has access to quality education, feels safe in their own home, and has equitable access to reproductive & medical care. I believe doing this work right means that we will build an economy that leaves no one out and no one behind.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2018

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Emma Pinter completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Pinter's responses.

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

Three of the largest issues facing Adams County are equitable economic development throughout our County, affordable housing, and traffic. Equitable economic development ensures that all parts the County have access to good opportunities and jobs. As Colorado continues to experience economic development, we need to ensure all communities experience this economic growth. Housing people can afford is a crisis for the entire Metro area and certainly for Adams County. During my time on Westminster City Council we have worked as a City to increase access to more affordable housing across all of Westminster with a process ensuring this continues into the future. We have worked with developers to close a funding gap and are committed and optimistic that we will find more solutions to our affordable housing crisis. Traffic is a persistent issue in our community. Excessive traffic is more than just a hassle, without ways to provide alternative routes, traffic will harm the economic viability of Metro Denver and all of Colorado. Investing in infrastructure will mean success or with such investment failure for some communities.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

We should all have a chance to succeed. Addressing the affordable housing crisis must be one of our top priorities. This is an issue that impacts a growing number of working families, millenials who want to buy their first home, seniors looking to downsize and everyone in between. Forecasts show continued growth, and we will have to use smart planning and collaboration to ensure that we have housing that meets the needs of our community. We need more opportunities for everyone who lives here to have a chance to succeed and earn a good life. This means equitable development so they have a good job, this means transportation options to get to their job, and a safe home they can afford.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

It is important for elected officials to have good relationships across the region. Elected Endorsements: Congressman Ed Perlmutter, Commissioners: Eva Henry, Chaz Tedesco, Mary Hodge and Steve Odorisio, Senator Dominick Moreno, Representatives Faith Winter, Adrienne Benavidez, and Dafna Michaelson Jenet, Aurora City Council members: Crystal Murillo, Nicole Johnston and Allison Hiltz, Brighton City Councillor Matt Johnston, and Lynn Baca, Commerce City City Councillors Crystal Elliott, and Steve Douglas, Northglenn City Councillors Julie Mullica and Jenny Willford Thornton City Councillor Josh Zygielbaum Westminster Mayor Herb Atchison, Mayor Pro Tem Maria De Cambra, Westminster City Councillors Shannon Bird, Katheryn Skulley and Anita Seitz Adams 12 School Board Members Kathy Plomer and Laura Philpott Mitchell, Colorado State Board of Education members Jane Goff and Rebecca McClellan Institutional Endorsements: Adams County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 1 Aurora Firefighters Local 1290 CWA CO/WY State(s) Council Colorado AFL-CIO Colorado BlueFlower Fund Conservation Colorado Colorado Professional Fire Fighters Denver Metro Association of Realtors Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Denver IBEW 68 and IBEW 111 Pipefitters 208 SMART Local 9 UFCW Local 7 Vote Pro Choice Westminster Firefighters Local 2889 Working Families Party of Colorado 2018 Awards: PCCC 2018: "Champion of Change" Metro North Chamber & Colorado Women's Chamber 2018 "Woman of Metro North"

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a qualified leader who has dedicated my life to public service whether as an attorney working in legal aid clinics or serving on local boards and commissions. Knowledgeable about the issues facing our communities, I am a Westminster City Council person who was first elected in 2013 with more votes than anyone in the history of Westminster. I also serve on the boards of the Youth Initiative of Adams County, Adams County Economic Development and the Mile High Connects Advisory Board.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

We should lift as we rise and build a community with ladders of opportunity for all. I am running for Adams County Commissioner because I know it is critical we create more opportunities for everyone who lives here to have a chance to succeed and earn a good life. This would include affordable housing, accessible and affordable transportation and an economy that ensures all residents can enjoy the Colorado way of life.

What legacy would you like to leave?

We need to build an Adams County where everyone has a chance to succeed.

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

My first paid job was working in high school in between my classes to clean/clear tables in my high school cafeteria. I am the legacy of a functioning, healthy working class and the daughter of an immigrant. My father and his parents fled to this country as refugees when he was nine-years-old. They built a life here, thanks to my grandfather having the opportunity to get a good job as a Union Steel Worker in Chicago. Everyone in Adams County deserves a chance to earn a good life.

What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?

My favorite item in my home is a large armchair. I have this chair and a footstool by a large window in bedroom. Whenever our daughters get up in the night I comfort them in that chair. Despite growing up to be very big girls I can still hold them in my arms in this chair. This chair isn't new, or fancy, it is comfortable and sturdy, it is just right for our family.

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

Seasons of Love (525,600 minutes)

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

When I was 20, my mother passed away and I took over care of my little sister while finishing college and then law school. It became my responsibility to ensure that my teen age sister was able to finish high school and college. The way our friends and neighbors rallied around us illustrated the power of community. And reinforced what we can accomplish when we work together to support thriving families.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

The oil and gas industry has extensive property and mineral rights in Adams County. Protecting our clean air and water, is more than protecting home values, it is protecting our Colorado way of life for the next generation. Home buyers would never seek to live in an industrial zone, which makes managing the intersection of uses on a parcel of land really important. While I support and believe it is critical to protect the health and safety of all Adams County residents, and that regulation plays an important role in protecting that safety with regard to oil and gas wells, I also believe that regulatory policies must be fair, transparent, and effective.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes. It is important to have qualified leaders serve in local government My leadership reflects my working family roots. Raised by a single mother who was a librarian, I learned that you work hard and get the job done. My mother instilled in me a deep spirit of public service and giving back to my community. Whether we were helping a neighbor, or volunteering at our local church, she encouraged me to contribute and always take a stand for what is right. I brought this work ethic to my tenure on the Westminster City Council. We not only

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Ballotpedia biographical submission form

The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:

“	What is your political philosophy? Emma is a qualified leader and Westminster City Council person who has dedicated her life to public service whether as an attorney working in legal aid clinics or serving on local boards and commissions. She is the daughter of an immigrant and granddaughter of union steelworkers whose leadership reflects working family roots. She was first elected to Westminster City Council in 2013 with more votes than anyone in the history of Westminster. Knowledgeable about the issues facing our communities, she currently serves on the boards of the Youth Initiative of Adams County, Adams County Economic Development and the Mile High Connects Advisory Board. Emma has always loved the Colorado way of life. During college Emma would drive out to Colorado to work as a mountaineering guide. After finishing law school, Emma and her husband made Colorado their home, started a family and founded a business in Westminster. Is there anything you would like to add? Emma was selected as the 'Woman of Metro North' in 2018 by the North Metro Chamber, and also the Colorado Women’s Chamber. Emma is running for Adams County Commissioner because she believes we need more opportunities for everyone who lives here to have a chance to succeed and earn a good life.	”
—Emma Pinter

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