Who is running for Colorado Senate District 22 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for Colorado Senate District 22 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Colorado Senate District 22.
Positions come only from each candidate's own votes, official actions, statements and questionnaire answers, never from party labels. Every item links to its source.
Side by side
Each candidate's position on the issues this office handles, from their own record. Details and sources are in each profile below.
| Issue | Monica Irasema DuranDemocrat | Steve HarkessRepublican |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | No public position | Get rid of it; let employers and workers agree on payQuestionnaire answer · low |
| Healthcare | No public position | Mostly private market; roll back the government's roleQuestionnaire answer · low |
| Abortion | Legal in all cases, left to the woman and her doctorVoted · medium | Legal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)Questionnaire answer · medium |
| Guns | All of that, plus ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazinesVoted · medium | No public position |
| Gender care for minors | No public position | No, ban these treatments for minorsQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| Nuclear power | No public position | Allow new reactors, keeping the NRC's full safety reviews and independenceQuestionnaire answer · low |
| Transgender athletes | No public position | No, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsQuestionnaire answer · medium |
Monica Irasema Duran
DemocratColorado State Representative, District 23
Monica Irasema Duran is the Democratic nominee for Colorado Senate District 22 and a sitting member of the Colorado House for District 232.
Where they stand 3 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
GunsAll of that, plus ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazinesmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB25-003, which bans selling or buying specified semiautomatic firearms with detachable magazines from August 1, 2026, except for buyers who meet training requirements (House third reading, 36 to 28). (2025-03-24) source
AbortionLegal in all cases, left to the woman and her doctormedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HB22-1279, the Reproductive Health Equity Act (House third reading, 40 to 24). (2022-03-14) source
Housing and growthNo single answer fitslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted no on HB24-1152 to increase accessory dwelling units (House third reading, 43 to 19). (2024-04-14) source
- Voted yes on HB24-1313 to allow housing in transit-oriented communities (House third reading, 37 to 24). (2024-04-14) source
- Voted yes on HB26-1001, the HOME Act, which requires larger local governments to allow qualifying organizations to build housing on their land regardless of zoning (House third reading, 35 to 24). (2026-02-06) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Immigration, Energy and climate, School choice, Curriculum and books, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Gender care for minors, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.
Steve Harkess
RepublicanCandidate (current public office: none found)
Steve Harkess is the Republican nominee for Colorado Senate District 221. An iVoterGuide profile lists a University of Denver law degree and service on the Rockton School District 140 school board from 2021 to 20242.
Where they stand 6 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
AbortionLegal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)medium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- In an iVoterGuide questionnaire he wrote that abortion should not be allowed after viability. (2026) source
Gender care for minorsNo, ban these treatments for minorsmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- In an iVoterGuide questionnaire he agreed that attempts to physically or socially transition a child to the opposite sex constitute child abuse. (2026) source
Transgender athletesNo, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- In an iVoterGuide questionnaire he strongly agreed that biological males should not take part in women's sports. (2026) source
Minimum wageGet rid of it; let employers and workers agree on paylow
Questionnaire answer · low confidence- In an iVoterGuide questionnaire he wrote that minimum wage laws tend to have negative unintended consequences. (2026) source
HealthcareMostly private market; roll back the government's rolelow
Questionnaire answer · low confidence- In an iVoterGuide questionnaire he wrote that government is not better than the private sector at running health care and insurance and should generally not be involved, while acknowledging a safety net through Medicaid and Medicare. (2026) source
Nuclear powerAllow new reactors, keeping the NRC's full safety reviews and independencelow
Questionnaire answer · low confidence- In an iVoterGuide questionnaire he named nuclear energy as the most reliable source to meet growing electricity demand. (2026) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Business regulation, Guns, Immigration, Energy and climate, School choice, Curriculum and books, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, E-Verify mandate, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.
Last reviewed 2026-10-08. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.