Polly Baca

Polly Baca (born February 13, 1941) is an American politician who served as Chair of the Democratic Caucus of the Colorado House of Representatives (1976–79), being the first woman to hold that office and the first Hispanic woman elected to the Colorado State Senate and in the House and Senate of a state Legislature.

She also was the first to co-chair a National Democratic Convention.

In addition, she's currently the president and CEO of "Baca Barragan & Perez Associates", "a consulting firm specializing in political campaigns, multicultural leadership development, diversity training, motivational presentations, policy analysis and development, and government relations." who arrived there in the 1600s. Her parents were farm workers, but later her father worked for an ice storage company, while her mother worked in fishhook and potato chip factories. In addition, her father was the first head of their church's credit union, which helped the parishioners with small loans. Polly has two sisters: Fernie, now a retired Dean from the University of Colorado, and Bettie Baca, a consultant in Washington, DC. Her great-grandfather helped found Trinidad, Colorado. she studied physics, but because she belonged to many political organizations,

Political leadership in Colorado

In 1974, Polly Baca-Barragán won Colorado's 34th district seat in the state's House of Representatives, Senate Bill 87, providing authority to the Colorado district courts to enforce foreign subpoenas, (1985); Senate Bill 139, concerning assessment of civil money penalties by the state banking board, (1985); House Bill 1117, continuing the short-term-loan revolving fund in the division of housing, (1985); House Bill 1336 (1985), regulating the operation of non state post-secondary institutions in Colorado by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, and many others. In addition, she introduced legislation to protect public monies in state national banks.

In 1980 and again in 1984, she was elected Co-Chair of the Democratic National Convention and chaired the Colorado delegation to the 1978 Democratic Mid-term Conference. Baca-Barragán also gladly shared her extensive foreign affairs experience as a participant and panelist to major international conferences in Colombia, Mexico, the USSR, Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, Canada, Belgium, and West Germany. After the long campaign Baca-Barragán retired from public office and became President of Sierra Baca Systems, a consulting firm specializing in program development and evaluation, leadership training, analysis of emission, and motivational presentations. In addition, Baca-Barragán has frequently appeared as a political commentator on both television and radio.

In 1988, she was honored as one of the original 14 members to be inducted into the National Hispanic Hall of Fame and being listed in the World Who's Who of Women. for improve the quality of life for Latinos throughout Colorado with the belief that when you improve the lives of Latinos in Colorado, you improve the lives of all Coloradoans.

In 2011, Baca started to serve as the State Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party. Baca was a respondent in Supreme Court case Colorado Department of State v. Baca, a challenge to Colorado rules compelling an elector to vote for the presidential candidate who received the most votes in the state. The Court ruled unanimously that a state can enforce an elector's pledge to vote for a candidate in the associated case Chiafalo v. Washington and ruled against Baca in a per curiam opinion.

In 2014, Baca was mentioned in the Colorado Senate Joint Resolution 24 which established César Chávez day as March 31.

In 2024, Baca was a presidential elector, pledged to vote for Kamala Harris.

Controversies Baca voiced support for Andrew Romanoff in the 2010 Democratic Primary for governor. In a Westword article, she was quoted saying "Please stay away," in reference to President Obama's visit to Colorado to show support for Romanoff's opponent Michael Bennet.

Baca, alongside Michael Baca and Robert Nemanich, was a presidential elector in the 2016 general election. Colorado Law requires presidential electors to vote for the candidate who won the popular vote, which was Hillary Clinton. Michael Baca voted for John Kasich and was removed as an elector. In response, P. Baca and Nemanich voted for John Kasich.

Personal life Polly Baca met her future husband, Miguel Barragan, a Chicano activist and former priest, in the National Council of La Raza in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1968. The marriage in 1970 produced two children, Monica and Mike, before ending in divorce.

Recognitions In 2000, Baca is inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame, being so one of the 14 original members of the National Hispanic Hall of Fame.