Matthew Martinez

Matthew Martinez

Democratic Party

Candidate, Colorado House of Representatives District 62

Colorado House of Representatives District 62

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

2

Predecessor

Donald Valdez

Compensation

Base salary

43,977/year for legislators whose terms began in 2023. $41,449/year for legislators whose terms began in 2021.

Per diem

For legislators residing within 50 miles of the capitol: $45/day. For legislators living more than 50 miles from the capitol: $237/day.

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Next election

June 30, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

Adams State University, 2013

Graduate

Southern New Hampshire University, 2020

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Marine Corps

Years of service

2005 - 2009

Personal

Birthplace

Monte Vista, Colo.

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Educator

Contact

Official website

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Matthew Martinez (Democratic Party) is a member of the Colorado House of Representatives, representing District 62. He assumed office on January 9, 2023. His current term ends on January 12, 2027.

Martinez (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the Colorado House of Representatives to represent District 62. He declared candidacy for the Democratic primary scheduled on June 30, 2026.^[source]

Biography

Matthew Martinez was born in Monte Vista, Colorado. Martinez served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2005 to 2009. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science and government from Adams State University in 2013 and a master's degree in political science from Southern New Hampshire University in 2020. Martinez's career experience includes working as the director of the correspondence education program with Adams State University, an educator, and a higher education instructor for veterans and inmates.

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2023-2024

Martinez was assigned to the following committees:

• Agriculture, Water, and Natural Resources Committee
• House Education Committee, Vice Chair
• Joint Select Committee on Rising Utility Rates

Elections

2026

See also: Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2026

General election

The primary will occur on June 30, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 62

Incumbent Matthew Martinez is running in the Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 62 on June 30, 2026.

		Candidate
		Matthew Martinez

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

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2024

See also: Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Colorado House of Representatives District 62

Incumbent Matthew Martinez defeated Carol Riggenbach in the general election for Colorado House of Representatives District 62 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Matthew Martinez (D)	53.8	21,050
		Carol Riggenbach (R)	46.2	18,109

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 39,159
= 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 Colorado House of Representatives District 62

Incumbent Matthew Martinez advanced from the Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 62 on June 25, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Matthew Martinez	100.0	6,543

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,543
= 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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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 62

Carol Riggenbach advanced from the Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 62 on June 25, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carol Riggenbach	100.0	5,418

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,418
= 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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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Martinez in this election.

2022

See also: Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Colorado House of Representatives District 62

Matthew Martinez defeated Carol Riggenbach in the general election for Colorado House of Representatives District 62 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Matthew Martinez (D)	55.6	17,304
		Carol Riggenbach (R)	44.4	13,812

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 31,116
= 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 Colorado House of Representatives District 62

Matthew Martinez advanced from the Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 62 on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Matthew Martinez	100.0	8,216

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,216
= 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 Colorado House of Representatives District 62

Carol Riggenbach defeated Ryan Williams in the Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 62 on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carol Riggenbach	60.7	4,853
		Ryan Williams	39.3	3,136

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,989
= 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.

2020

See also: Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Colorado House of Representatives District 62

Incumbent Donald Valdez defeated Logan Taggart in the general election for Colorado House of Representatives District 62 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Donald Valdez (D)	57.8	22,945
		Logan Taggart (R)	42.2	16,742

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 39,687
= 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 Colorado House of Representatives District 62

Incumbent Donald Valdez defeated Matthew Martinez in the Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 62 on June 30, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Donald Valdez	59.0	7,525
		Matthew Martinez	41.0	5,227

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 12,752
= 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 Colorado House of Representatives District 62

Logan Taggart defeated Steven Rodriguez in the Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 62 on June 30, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Logan Taggart	68.3	5,500
	Submit photo	Steven Rodriguez	31.7	2,555

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,055
= 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.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Matthew Martinez has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. If you are Matthew Martinez, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

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2024

Matthew Martinez did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Matthew Martinez completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Martinez'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.

My name is Matthew Martinez and I am running for Colorado House District 62. I am a 7th Generation Colorado Native who was born and raised in Monte Vista, Colorado. I enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2005 and I served 2 deployments on the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and my last a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2009. I returned home and graduated from Adams State University in 2013 with my Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. I helped restart the Veterans Club/Center and Adams State University that same year. I was also elected in 2014 to the Monte Vista City Council. I also earned my Master of Science in Political Science from Southern New Hampshire University in 2020. I am now the Director for the Prison College Program at Adams State. I also am the Vice Chair for the Valley Wide Health Systems Board of Directors and I sit on the La Puente Home Board of Directors. I previously sat on the Boys and Girls Club of the San Luis Valley Board of Directors and the Home Lake Restoration and Preservation Board. I reside in Monte Vista with my wife and 3 rescue dogs.

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?

• I oppose the renewable Water Resource plan to take water out of the San Luis Valley
• Economic development is critical for House District 62. We must invest in economic growth in the rural part of the state.
• I have dedicated my entire life to public service, being the voice for the underserved; advocating and influencing change. I will be your champion, your fighter and above all else, your voice.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

- Protecting water rights in the San Luis Valley and opposing any plan that removes water from the San Luis Valley

- Investing in rural Colorado to ensure that their economic success is valued just as much as the metro area
- Improving access to affordable healthcare in rural Colorado

- Improving state support for Veterans mental health care

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.

2020

Matthew Martinez did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Matthew Martinez campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Colorado House of Representatives District 62	Won general	$31,395	$25,355
2022	Colorado House of Representatives District 62	Won general	$35,133	$20,752
2020	Colorado House of Representatives District 62	Lost primary	$7,370	N/A**
Grand total			$73,898	$46,106
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Colorado

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Colorado scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

2024

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show].

In 2024, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 10 to May 8. Centennial Institute Legislators are scored on their votes on issues relevant to the mission of the Centennial Institute and the strategic priorities of Colorado Christian University. Colorado AFL-CIO Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes. Colorado Consumer Health Initiative Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes. Colorado Union of Taxpayers Legislation is scored on its "reduction of taxes, regulation, and spending accountability." Colorado Voters for Animals Legislators are scored on their stances on animal issues. Conservation Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes on bills about Colorado's climate, land, water, and communities. Healthier Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes related to public health issues. Liberty Scorecard Legislators are scored on votes related to "the principles of individual rights, free markets and limited government." Mental Health Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes related to mental health issues. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

2023

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show].

In 2023, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 9 to May 8. Colorado AFL-CIO Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes. Colorado Consumer Health Initiative Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes. Colorado Union of Taxpayers Legislation is scored on its "reduction of taxes, regulation, and spending accountability." Colorado Voters for Animals Legislators are scored on their stances on animal issues. Healthier Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes related to public health issues. Liberty Scorecard Legislators are scored on votes related to "the principles of individual rights, free markets and limited government." Mental Health Colorado Legislators are scored on their votes related to mental health issues. The Arc of Colorado Legislators are scored on votes related to intellectual and developmental disability legislation. Women's Lobby of Colorado Legislators are scored on their stances on women's issues.

See also

2026 Elections

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Newsletters

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External links

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Officeholder

Colorado House of Representatives District 62

Website

Personal

Facebook

LinkedIn

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Donald Valdez (D)	Colorado House of Representatives District 62 2023-Present	Succeeded by -

[show]

Current members of the Colorado House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Julie McCluskie

Majority Leader:Monica Duran

Representatives

District 1

Javier Mabrey (D)

District 2

Steven Woodrow (D)

District 3

Meg Froelich (D)

District 4

Cecelia Espenoza (D)

District 5

Alex Valdez (D)

District 6

Sean Camacho (D)

District 7

Jennifer Bacon (D)

District 8

Lindsay Gilchrist (D)

District 9

Emily Sirota (D)

District 10

Junie Joseph (D)

District 11

Karen McCormick (D)

District 12

Kyle Brown (D)

District 13

Julie McCluskie (D)

District 14

Vacant

District 15

Scott Bottoms (R)

District 16

Rebecca Keltie (R)

District 17

Regina English (D)

District 18

Amy Paschal (D)

District 19

Dan Woog (R)

District 20

Jarvis Caldwell (R)

District 21

Mary Bradfield (R)

District 22

Kenneth DeGraaf (R)

District 23

Monica Duran (D)

District 24

Lisa Feret (D)

District 25

Tammy Story (D)

District 26

Meghan Lukens (D)

District 27

Brianna Titone (D)

District 28

Sheila Lieder (D)

District 29

Shannon Bird (D)

District 30

Rebekah Stewart (D)

District 31

Jacque Phillips (D)

District 32

Manny Rutinel (D)

District 33

William Lindstedt (D)

District 34

Jenny Willford (D)

District 35

Lorena Garcia (D)

District 36

Michael Carter (D)

District 37

Chad Clifford (D)

District 38

Gretchen Rydin (D)

District 39

Brandi Bradley (R)

District 40

Naquetta Ricks (D)

District 41

Jamie Jackson (D)

District 42

Mandy Lindsay (D)

District 43

Robert Marshall (D)

District 44

Anthony Hartsook (R)

District 45

Max Brooks (R)

District 46

Tisha Mauro (D)

District 47

Ty Winter (R)

District 48

Carlos Barron (R)

District 49

Lesley Smith (D)

District 50

Ryan Gonzalez (R)

District 51

Ron Weinberg (R)

District 52

Yara Zokaie (D)

District 53

Andrew Boesenecker (D)

District 54

Matt Soper (R)

District 55

Rick Taggart (R)

District 56

Chris Richardson (R)

District 57

Elizabeth Velasco (D)

District 58

Larry Suckla (R)

District 59

Katie Stewart (D)

District 60

Stephanie Luck (R)

District 61

Eliza Hamrick (D)

District 62

Matthew Martinez (D)

District 63

Dusty Johnson (R)

District 64

Vacant

District 65

Lori Sander (R)

Democratic Party (43)

Republican Party (20)

Vacancies (2)