Colorado Sen. Faith Winter, killed in I-25 crash, remembered for relentless advocacy, ‘tremendous heart’

State Sen Faith Winter was a fierce and relentless advocate for Colorado s families context and transportation who forever altered the state s political landscape by fighting to make it a better place to live her friends and colleagues declared Thursday Winter was killed Wednesday night in a five-vehicle crash on northbound Interstate near Centennial She was years old Winter s death was certified late Wednesday by Gov Jared Polis and legislative leaders and Polis ordered flags be lowered to half-staff in her honor on the day of her memorial operation which has not been reported Our state is shaken by the loss of Senator Faith Winter and I send my deepest condolences to her children loved ones friends and colleagues across our state Polis announced in a declaration I have had the honor of working with her on a multitude of issues to improve the lives of every person and family in our great state and tackling environment change I am deeply saddened for her family her friends and colleagues and her area Faith s work and advocacy made Colorado a better state The Arapahoe County coroner s office on Thursday validated Winter was killed in the crash which also injured three others and closed northbound I- for more than five hours Wednesday night The cause of the crash is under scrutiny and additional information likely will not be distributed until next week Arapahoe County sheriff s Deputy John Bartmann stated Thursday No one has been cited or arrested in connection with the crash Winter s -year career in the statehouse exemplified her deep passion for making the lives of everyday Coloradans better as well as her remarkable resilience in the face of adversity friends and colleagues informed The Denver Post A Democrat from Broomfield Winter served in the House from to moving over to the Senate after she won a seat in She also served on the Westminster City Council earlier in her career Winter was a driving force behind bringing paid family leave to Colorado passing a massive transportation bill to improve the state s roadways and expand transit options and strengthening protections against workplace harassment among plenty of other initiatives Faith was a deeply complex person and she moved through multiple challenges with grace and remained dedicated to the work she was doing state Sen Lisa Cutter explained in an interview Thursday She presumed in the work she was doing maintained in the power of friendship and connection and will reliably live on that way and certainly live on in my heart Winter led the way in addressing sexual harassment in Colorado workplaces as well as her own workplace the halls and chambers of the Capitol Related Articles Colorado Sen Faith Winter killed in -vehicle crash on I- near Centennial RTD directors face barrage of opposition set fare for Access-on-Demand Her accusations against former state Rep Steve Lebsock were followed by similar sexual harassment complaints from other women leading to his expulsion from the House in Winter went on to co-sponsor a bill the Protecting Opportunities and Workers Rights Act that bolstered protections against harassment and discrimination at work Former Speaker of the House Alec Garnett was with Winter the night she commented Lebsock harassed her at a legislative party I was perpetually proud to stand by her side in moments when she was trying to change the heritage of the Capitol Garnett noted She was a leader in that space Garnett met Winter as the two ran and won seats in the House of Representatives and described her as a leader among their class of state lawmakers She understood the Capitol better than preponderance Garnett announced When we started the legislature was very different We were in split chambers with a small majority and she knew how to work across the aisle to get specific of her stuff through Winter also knew when to take a stand Garnett declared including running a paid family leave bill she knew would not pass the Republican-controlled state Senate to get legislators the media and masses talking about the issue Colorado voters went on to approve a ballot measure implementing paid family leave in November Garnett was so inspired by Winter s passion for paid family leave that he accidentally reported that his wife Emily was pregnant while speaking on the issue from the floor of the House Somebody tweeted it and my wife texted me and demanded Did you just announce I was pregnant on the floor of the House ' Garnett reported chuckling I informed her I was so moved by Faith I had to do it Winter also cared deeply for those around her from her family including children Sienna and Tobin to her friends and colleagues at the statehouse The Capitol could be a lonely place and Winter was intentional about connecting with people whether through soup-making parties or field trips to pick sunflowers Cutter noted Flowers brought Winter deep delight and she was known for keeping a tiny vase of flowers on her desk that she would arrange on Monday mornings and leaving single buds or tiny flower arrangements on the desks of her colleagues She had a tremendous heart Cutter announced I don t know where she determined the vitality to do all that I really don t Winter also faced several personal challenges including an ethics complaint for appearing intoxicated at a Northglenn region meeting in which caused her to seek rehabilitation for a substance use disorder Winter s death caused an outpouring of grief from Colorado s local state and federal elected executives on Wednesday night and Thursday In a comment Wednesday night Senate President James Coleman and Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez mentioned they were devastated by her passing Whether fighting for bill to help mothers and families championing groundbreaking transit protocol or purely supporting constituents in moments of need she brought thoughtfulness innovation and humility to every aspect of her work they stated in a joint comment Sen Cleave Simpson the Republican caucus leader in the chamber mentioned in a report posted to X that Winter s legacy was one of courage kindness and unity Senator Winter was not only a dedicated masses servant but also a bridge builder Simpson commented She worked tirelessly with colleagues across the aisle forging strong partnerships with her Republican counterparts Her ability to listen collaborate and find common ground reflected her deep commitment to the people she served and to the integrity of the legislative process House Speaker Julie McCluskie and Majority Leader Monica Duran both Democrats declared in a report that Winter consistently fought for Colorado s the bulk vulnerable Her bravery brought necessary reforms to the Capitol and her kindness filled the building We will all miss her dearly They extended condolences to Winter s family including her children as well as to former state Rep Matt Gray a fellow Democrat to whom she was engaged Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter