Joe Neguse

Joseph D. Neguse ( ; born May 13, 1984) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Colorado's 2nd congressional district since 2019. The district is located in the north central part of the state, based in Fort Collins, Longmont, and Boulder, and includes many rural communities and mountain towns, including Walden, Granby, Steamboat Springs, and Gypsum. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a regent of the University of Colorado from 2008 to 2015. Neguse is the first Eritrean-American elected to the United States Congress and Colorado's first black member of Congress. Neguse has served as House assistant Democratic leader since 2024.

Early life and education Neguse's parents immigrated to the United States from Eritrea. They met while living in Bakersfield, California, where they married and had Joe and his younger sister. The family moved to Colorado when he was six years old. After living in Aurora and Littleton, the family settled in Highlands Ranch. Neguse graduated from ThunderRidge High School. with a bachelor's degree in political science and economics summa cum laude in 2005 and then from the University of Colorado Law School, with his Juris Doctor in 2009.

Earlier career While he was a student, Neguse founded New Era Colorado, an organization to get young people involved in politics. He worked at the Colorado State Capitol as an assistant to Andrew Romanoff when Romanoff was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. In 2008 Neguse was elected to the Regents of the University of Colorado, representing , becoming the second African American in Colorado history to serve on the Board of Regents.

Neguse ran for Secretary of State of Colorado in 2014, losing to Wayne W. Williams, 47.5% to 44.9%. In June 2015, Governor John Hickenlooper appointed Neguse the executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), making him one of the youngest state cabinet officials in the country.

In 2017, Neguse resigned from DORA to run in the 2018 elections for the United States House of Representatives in Colorado's 2nd congressional district, seeking to succeed Jared Polis, who successfully ran for governor of Colorado. He also joined the law firm Snell & Wilmer, working in administrative law.

U.S. House of Representatives Elections

2018

On June 13, 2017, Neguse announced he would run for the Democratic nomination after incumbent U.S. representative Jared Polis announced he would not run for reelection and would run for governor of Colorado. In the June 26, 2018, Democratic primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic district—Neguse faced businessman and former Boulder County Democratic Party chairman Mark Williams. Neguse defeated Williams with 65.7% of the vote, winning all 10 counties in the district.

Neguse then defeated the Republican nominee, businessman Peter Yu, in the November 6 general election, receiving 60.2% of the vote, and winning all but two counties. Neguse became the first Black American to represent Colorado in the House.

2020

He was reelected in 2020 with 61.5% of the vote, defeating Republican Charles Winn.

2022

Neguse was reelected in 2022 with 70.7% of the vote, defeating Republican nominee Marshall Dawson.

2024

Neguse was reelected in 2024 with 68.4% of the vote, defeating Republican nominee Marshall Dawson in a rematch.

Tenure

Shortly after his election to the House, Neguse was elected by his House colleagues to serve in House leadership as the co-freshman representative.

Neguse voted for the impeachment of Donald Trump in 2019. In December 2022, he was elected chair, the fifth-highest position in the Democratic Party leadership.

On January 12, 2021, Speaker Pelosi appointed Neguse as a House impeachment manager (prosecutor) for Trump's second impeachment trial, making him the youngest impeachment manager in U.S. history. During the trial, Neguse and his fellow House impeachment managers built their case by drawing connections between Trump's false claims of election fraud in the 2020 election and the January 6 United States Capitol attack. In the end, the Senate voted to acquit Trump, but with seven Republican senators voting to convict, it was the most bipartisan impeachment trial in U.S. history.

On March 20, 2024, Neguse was elected House assistant Democratic leader, succeeding Jim Clyburn. Neguse’s questioning of Kristi Noem during a House Committee Judiciary Committee hearing on March 4, 2026 was credited , in-part, with leading to her removal the next day as Secretary of Homeland Security.

Committee assignments For the 119th Congress: Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands (Ranking Member) Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Committee on Rules Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust

Caucus memberships

Black Maternal Health Caucus Congressional Black Caucus Pro-Choice Caucus Congressional Progressive Caucus House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force (vice chair) Congressional Equality Caucus Congressional Cannabis Caucus Congressional Solar Caucus Future Forum Medicare for All Caucus Congressional Coalition on Adoption Rare Disease Caucus

Political positions

Social issues Neguse supported the Equality Act.

Climate change Neguse has called climate change an "existential threat". He has introduced legislation to create a new version of the Civilian Conservation Corps to focus on forest management and wildfire mitigation. Neguse supports the national expansion of COVID-19 testing and voted in support of stimulus funding related to the pandemic. He opposed the Trump administration's decision to leave the World Health Organization during the pandemic. He supports police reform.

Electoral history

Personal life Neguse is married to Andrea Jimenez Rael. They met in Boulder County. was born in August 2018 and their son in May 2023. They live in Lafayette, east of Boulder.