SEIU Colorado Leaders Condemn Commutation for Tina Peters: Say Governor Should Have Let Court Case Run its Course 

DENVER — SEIU Colorado, uniting two SEIU union locals that bargain on behalf of more than 35,000 healthcare workers, janitors, airport workers, and state workers, are condemning Governor Polis’ decision to commute the sentence of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters.

The Governor’s decision comes before a much-anticipated re-sentencing hearing, and will see Peters released June 1, almost two years before her current earliest parole eligibility date of March 2028.

Peters was convicted by a jury on multiple felony charges after breaching secure election equipment and allowing unauthorized access to Colorado’s voting systems, all while serving as an elected official responsible for protecting them.

“Governor Polis has gone around the courts to support someone who violated her duty as Mesa County clerk by setting out to undermine our elections,” asked Hilary Glasgow, Executive Director of Colorado WINS. “This demonstrates he is not on the side of election integrity for Colorado, and strengthens our resolve to stand up for all Colorado voters and protect free and fair elections here and across the country.”

“We have heard from many of our members who work at La Vista Correctional Facility–where Peters is being held–that they would love to see her out of there, and we definitely understand their disdain for her. But many of our members also agree that this decision undermines faith in our state’s criminal justice system. We have a backlog of thousands of incarcerated individuals in our prisons who have worked hard to rehabilitate but who are overdue for release because of staffing and programming shortages. This is patently unfair to them and will spark more frustration and unrest in our system,” she added.

“This also undermines faith in our state’s criminal justice system. We have a backlog of thousands of incarcerated individuals in our prisons who have worked hard to rehabilitate but who are overdue for release because of staffing and programming shortages. This is patently unfair to them and will spark more frustration and unrest in our system,” she added.

Stephanie Felix-Sowy, President of SEIU Local 105, said the case underscores the importance of accountability when public officials undermine democratic institutions.

“Working people believe deeply in fairness in our justice system,” said Felix-Sowy. “Our union supports reforms that make the system more just and reduce unnecessary incarceration. But fairness also means that when someone abuses public office and undermines our elections, there must be accountability through the legal process. A jury heard the evidence and reached a verdict, and that process should have been respected,” she said.

“This makes our Governor complicit in nationwide attempts to undermine election integrity,” said Kallie Leyba, SEIU Colorado’s Executive Director. “SEIU Colorado’s members know our election system is not broken and we are going to fight like hell to keep it that way.”   

Peters has not expressed remorse for her crime or taken responsibility for the harm caused by her actions. Indeed, when sentencing Peters, Judge Matthew Barret characterized her as “as defiant a defendant” as his court had ever seen.

SEIU Colorado represents more than 35,000 workers across the state, including state employees, janitors, airport workers, healthcare workers, and security officers who rely on a functioning democracy and fair institutions to advocate for their families and communities.

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