20th Judicial District Attorney Michael Dougherty announced Tuesday morning that he will run for Colorado attorney general in 2026.

Dougherty, a Democrat who has served as the district attorney for the 20th Judicial District for seven years, has worked as a prosecutor for 27 years and recently prosecuted the Boulder King Soopers mass shooting case.

In a launch video and release, Dougherty said that as attorney general he will fight for Colorado’s water, consumer protection, workers, public safety and individual rights, and he emphasized the need for fairness and a justice system removed from politics.

“With Donald Trump and Elon Musk in power, it’s easy to feel powerless as they dismantle our institutions, subvert the rule of law, and target our vulnerable communities,” Dougherty said.

He continued, “I’m ready to fight for Colorado because together we can begin to heal America’s divisions and restore faith in the government and our justice system.”

Dougherty graduated from Nassau Community College, Cornell University and Boston University School of Law before serving as a prosecutor for 13 years in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Following his specialization prosecuting sex crime and homicide cases, he became a deputy chief and then administrative assistant DA, according to the Boulder County website and a release put out by his campaign.

In 2010, Dougherty moved to Colorado, where he worked as a supervisor of the Colorado DNA Justice Review Project for the Colorado Attorney General’s Office where, according to his Boulder County webpage, he reviewed post-conviction cases to determine whether biological evidence exists that might, through DNA analysis, demonstrate innocence.

“I moved to Colorado to work for the Attorney General’s Office and head up the state’s DNA Justice Review project, which exonerated an innocent man who was wrongly convicted of murder,” Dougherty said in the launch video.

In 2011, Dougherty served as the deputy attorney general of the Criminal Justice Section, where “he supervised several units, including Special Prosecutions, Homicide Assistance for the State of Colorado, Environmental Crimes, Financial Fraud, Securities Fraud, Insurance Fraud, Medicaid Fraud, and the Peace Officer Standards and Training Unit,” according to a release by his campaign.

In 2013, he was appointed to be assistant DA for the First Judicial District, which includes Jefferson and Gilpin counties, before becoming district attorney, according to the Boulder County webpage.

“I know what it takes to lead, to fight for what is right and the important role the justice system can play when it is being guided by the rule of law and not by politics,” Dougherty said. “I will use my decades of experience in the courtroom and leading offices to protect our values and defend our rights against Donald Trump and anyone who endangers Colorado.”

Dougherty has also served on the boards of Voices for Children and the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance and has focused efforts toward gun safety, mental health and substance abuse support.

According to the release, Dougherty recently served as the co-chair of the Sentencing Reform Task Force and was on the School Safety Resource Center Advisory Board.

“Since 2018, I’ve had the privilege of being an elected district attorney, fighting for victims and community safety. Working to improve the justice system, and implementing incredibly successful diversion programs to help people and to improve public safety,” Dougherty said in the video.

More than 50 Colorado leaders have endorsed Dougherty including Sen. Judy Amabile, Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett, former 20th Judicial District Attorney Stan Garnett, Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson, Boulder County Commissioners Claire Levy and Ashley Stolzmann, Lyons Mayor Hollie Rogin, Former attorney general candidate Brad Levin and Former U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer.

Dougherty’s launch video can be viewed at www.michaelforag.com.