Ava Flanell

Ava Flanell (born July 22, 1986) is an American firearms instructor, social media personality, and politician. She was appointed to the Colorado House of Representatives in October 2025 as a member of the Republican Party after the resignation of Rose Pugliese.

Life and career Flanell was born on July 22, 1986, to Mel Bernstein and Terry Flanell. After high school she attended Fordham University where she received degrees in English and Communications in just 3 years. In 2012, Flanell returned to Colorado to film a reality television show about her family's business. In 2017, Flanell founded a marketing and media company to elevate voices in the firearm industry and educate audiences outside the firearm community. The bill ended up passing both chambers of the Colorado General Assembly in March and was signed by Governor Jared Polis in April.

On September 15, 2025, Republican Rose Pugliese, the minority leader of the Colorado House of Representatives, announced her resignation from the House, citing "toxic" behavior from the Democratic legislators. A week later, on September 22, a vacancy committee from the El Paso County Republican Party appointed Flanell as Pugliese's replacement, defeating Joe Woyte in a 28–26 vote in the second round. The following day, Joshua Griffin, whose candidacy he claimed was disqualified, filed a complaint with the Secretary of State of Colorado, claiming the selection process violated state law. The vacancy complied with the Secretary of State, and on October 11, again selected Flanell, defeating two other candidates. Flanell received 32 votes, Joe Woyte received 17 votes, and Troy Vanderhule received 16 votes. Similar to the last vacancy committee, the opponent with the fewest votes withdrew and endorsed Woyte. In the second round of votes, Flanell received a total of 34 votes defeating Joe Woyte a second time with 30 votes.

Electoral history