Tim Hernández says he is ready to work against oppression, represent District 4 at state Capitol

A former Denver Public Schools teacher will now serve as the representative for District 4 in the Colorado Legislature.  

Tim Hernández will be the first Generation Z member and one of the youngest sitting members to serve in the legislature. This comes after the 26-year-old was selected on Saturday by the Democratic vacancy committee to fill the seat, which was left vacant by Serene Gonzales-Gutierrez earlier this month.  

"It's a really big honor. I grew up in this neighborhood. I'm a kid of this neighborhood," said Hernández. 

Hernández is a teacher currently contracted through CU at Urban Peak, where he is helping the unhoused student population. He also teaches with Aurora Public Schools. While he still plans to teach in some capacity when the legislative session begins, he is also thrilled to bring his passion for organizing and improving the educational system to the capitol.   

"I think young people are at a political precipice," he said. "We're not just the kids of the mass shooting generation, we're the adults and I think now we have the opportunity to expand our political voice." 

Hernández sparked both praise and controversy last spring when he was let go of his role as a teacher at Denver Public Schools, leading to protests among students. Hernández also participated in these protests, saying his position was not renewed despite having high performing evaluation scores.  

"Often community organizers are viewed as wildfires right because that's what we need in the community. We need folks who can rile us up about our issues. We need folks who can point and say this is wrong, we need to change it," said Hernández. "I'm excited to transform that from being a wildfire to a blow torch where I'm going to remain committed to my principles, but I think it means spending our political capital wisely."

A Colorado GOP fundraising flyer is calling the newly-appointed District 4 representative a racist and communist, in response to his history of community organizing.  

Despite some early opposition, Hernández says he is excited for the opportunity to come together with his fellow legislators on issues like stronger funding for public schools across the state, gun violence, and affordable housing.  

"To be bold enough to house the unhoused, to be bold enough to make sure that every kid in the state of Colorado, if they're required to be in school has the right to a free meal. There's a lot of work that we have to do to invest in solutions beyond things like incarceration that make our communities less safe," said Hernández. "I can't fix everything, but I can work against oppression, and I'm excited to do that with a lot of folks."