Meghan Lukens

Meghan Lukens

Democratic Party

Candidate, Colorado House of Representatives District 26

Colorado House of Representatives District 26

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

2

Predecessor

Dylan Roberts

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

High school

Steamboat Springs High School

Bachelor's

University of Colorado, Boulder, 2015

Graduate

University of Colorado, Denver, 2020

Personal

Profession

Teacher

Contact

Official website

Personal Facebook

Personal Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Personal TikTok

Meghan Lukens (Democratic Party) is a member of the Colorado House of Representatives, representing District 26. She assumed office on January 9, 2023. Her current term ends on January 12, 2027.

Lukens (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the Colorado House of Representatives to represent District 26. She declared candidacy for the Democratic primary scheduled on June 30, 2026.^[source]

Biography

Meghan Lukens earned a high school diploma from Steamboat Springs High School, a bachelor's degree in history and secondary social studies education from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2015, and a master's degree in leadership in educational organizations from the University of Colorado at Denver in 2020. Lukens' career experience includes working as a high school social studies teacher with Steamboat Springs High School, the Peak to Peak Charter School, and the American School of Kosova.

As of 2024, Lukens has been affiliated with the Steamboat Springs Education Association, the Colorado Education Association, the Young Professionals Network of Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Pilot’s 20 Under 40 Class of 2022, and the Steamboat Springs Adult League Hockey.

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

Lukens was assigned to the following committees:

• Agriculture, Water, and Natural Resources Committee
• House Education Committee

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 26

Incumbent Meghan Lukens is running in the Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 26 on June 30, 2026.

		Candidate
		Meghan Lukens

---

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

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2024

See also: Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Colorado House of Representatives District 26

Incumbent Meghan Lukens defeated Nathan Butler in the general election for Colorado House of Representatives District 26 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Meghan Lukens (D)	56.6	27,188
		Nathan Butler (R)	43.4	20,831

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 48,019
= 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 26

Incumbent Meghan Lukens advanced from the Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 26 on June 25, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Meghan Lukens	100.0	6,426

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,426
= 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 26

Nathan Butler advanced from the Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 26 on June 25, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Nathan Butler	100.0	5,033

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,033
= 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

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Lukens in this election.

2022

See also: Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Colorado House of Representatives District 26

Meghan Lukens defeated Savannah Wolfson in the general election for Colorado House of Representatives District 26 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Meghan Lukens (D)	53.6	21,212
		Savannah Wolfson (R)	46.4	18,376

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 39,588
= 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 26

Meghan Lukens advanced from the Democratic primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 26 on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Meghan Lukens	100.0	6,157

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,157
= 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 26

Savannah Wolfson defeated Glenn Lowe in the Republican primary for Colorado House of Representatives District 26 on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Savannah Wolfson	61.5	5,999
		Glenn Lowe	38.5	3,756

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 9,755
= 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 Lukens' endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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

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2024

Meghan Lukens completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lukens' 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.

I am honored to be the State Representative for House District 26, which includes Eagle, Routt, Moffat, and Rio Blanco counties. I grew up in Steamboat Springs, and am proud to represent the communities that raised me. Before getting elected, I was a social studies teacher at Steamboat Springs High School. At the State Capitol, I am proud to advocate for Northwest Colorado, addressing our most pressing issues.

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?

• It is frustrating to see our home become somewhere families can no longer afford. I am determined to build a diverse and thriving economy that empowers everyone in our community. To address housing affordability, I passed legislation to allow state-owned land to be used for affordable housing projects. We also initiated measures to ease financial pressures on families, such as developing childcare facilities and implementing a Child Tax Credit. Despite these steps, I know that many people are still hurting from rising costs due to price gouging and corporate greed. I’m committed to advocating for affordable housing and accessible childcare to support our middle class, address the workforce shortage, and strengthen our local economies.
• As a teacher, I understand the importance of a quality education. During my first term, we secured groundbreaking funding for our schools by enacting the School Finance Act and a New School Funding Formula.These bills boosted funding by over $500 million, with resources designated for the rural schools that need it most. These efforts earned me the Rural Schools Champion award from the Rural Schools Alliance. Still, I know we can do much more to fund our schools and support our students. I’m committed to improving the education our children receive, increasing mental health resources in schools, and addressing the educator shortage many of our communities face.
• Agriculture is a cornerstone of our way of life on the Western Slope. I have consistently advocated for the needs of our farmers and ranchers while working to protect our precious water resources. To tackle the negative effects of wolf reintroduction, I fought for legislation to support and compensate ranchers for any damages, including a bill to implement the 10J rule, which was unfortunately vetoed. We also enhanced Colorado’s drought protection system and allocated funds for conservation. Our ability to adopt effective conservation strategies and back our farmers and ranchers is crucial for bolstering our economy and preserving Northwest Colorado’s character.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

With my background as a teacher, promoting K12 education is a personal passion area of mine. Our children are our future, and investing in kids is an investment in our future.

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

In a world of political noise, I have focused on what matters, finding solutions to help make a difference for the community that raised me. During my first term as State Representative, I delivered results on the issues that matter most to Northwest Colorado: making our economy work for all, investing in education, and protecting our land and water. I am running for re-election to continue reaching across the aisle to find common-sense solutions and real progress for the people I represent. Collaboration isn’t just a strategy; it’s a way of life here on the Western Slope. Each bill I sponsored in the past two years reflects this commitment to people over politics. I firmly believe that real progress comes from dialogue, not division.

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

Listening and learning are necessary qualities to be a successful officeholder. I always tell my students that learning is my favorite activity, and I bring this lens to everything I do as State Representative.

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.

2022

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

I grew up in House District 26, specifically in Steamboat Springs and currently teach social studies at Steamboat Springs High School. I have a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado in History with a Secondary Social Studies licensure and a Master’s degree in Leadership in Educational Organizations with a Principal’s Licensure.

I have always told my students that my favorite activities are learning and listening. We need more legislators that listen and learn. I value collaboration, communication, and partnership. I am a passionate advocate for every member of our community. I will work hard to bring our communities together to create the future that we need and deserve. I’m young, energetic and I have the fire for making change now. I pay close attention to what’s going on at the state legislature, and I feel I have something to contribute, and with my youth and energy I believe I represent the future of Colorado. I cannot wait to run. The time is now. I want to fight for Colorado.

Political engagement and leadership has always been important to me, and I have supported campaigns via canvassing, phone calling, and voter registration.

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?

• Economy: In my district and in many parts of Colorado, our high cost of living makes it challenging for middle-class locals to thrive, especially with the increase in housing prices and the large number of second-home owners. This is a true crisis in Colorado. We need legislation that supports affordable housing. My community in Routt County has seen many benefits of building low-income housing, so more programs like this should be supported. I would work with leaders who have experience implementing these programs so that we can learn from past mistakes and successes. We also must prioritize the early childcare crisis in order to support families who are navigating the high cost of living in Colorado.
• Environment: One of my top priorities is to protect our Colorado culture. Therefore, I support the continuation of the transition to renewable energy by expanding public transit options, improving soil function, producing more infrastructure for electric vehicles, and creating jobs in solar, wind, and geothermal industries. Green energy makes financial sense and supports the rural economy in our district. It is also essential for us to protect Western Slope water rights. I will prioritize water security and multi-benefit water projects at the State Legislature. I am fortunate to have grown up in Colorado, the most beautiful state, and therefore I am dedicated to maintaining our beautiful public lands and addressing climate threats.
• Education: I am currently a Social Studies teacher at Steamboat Springs High School, and I understand that in order for our democracy to be successful, it is imperative we have a quality education system. However, Colorado consistently ranks lowest in comparison to other states when it comes to supporting education, so much so that teachers in Colorado are struggling to afford to live in our beautiful state. It is crucial for the legislators at the State Capitol to support Colorado’s students and teachers, especially in rural districts, by fully funding public schools. My teaching experience and Master’s degree in Leadership in Educational Organizations have prepared me to address education issues with practical solutions.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about representing the issues that matter most to House District 26. The economy, the environment, and education are three key issues within public policy that matter most to our district. In relation to the economy, our high cost of living makes it challenging for middle-class and low-income locals to thrive, especially with the increase in housing prices and the large number of second-home owners. This is a true crisis in Colorado. We need legislation that supports affordable housing and economic policy that benefits everyone. The protection of Colorado’s great outdoors is essential. I attended the CO River District’s State of the River and have studied the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s “Resiliency Toolbox.” The goals for the Resiliency Toolbox that I support include: identifying opportunities for partnership with state and local governments, addressing measurement and infrastructure needs, increasing agricultural viability, and having multiple benefits where possible, including watershed and forest health and restoration. As your State Representative, I will utilize my perspective as a high school teacher and my Master’s degree in Leadership in Educational Organizations to advocate for educational policy that promotes a quality education system, prioritizes student and staff mental health, and improves teacher recruitment and retention programs. By addressing the economy, the environment, and education, Coloradans will be on a better path forward. Add

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.

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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Meghan Lukens campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Colorado House of Representatives District 26	Won general	$199,028	$192,851
2022	Colorado House of Representatives District 26	Won general	$184,205	$183,265
Grand total			$383,233	$376,117
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

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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External links

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Officeholder

Colorado House of Representatives District 26

Website

Personal

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Dylan Roberts (D)	Colorado House of Representatives District 26 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)