Denver Democrat Andrés Carrera, a former political director for Mayor Mike Johnston, announced on Thursday that he’s running to represent the city’s Senate District 34, where incumbent state Sen. Julie Gonzales faces term limits after next year’s election.

The 32-year-old son and grandson of Mexican immigrants and member of the LGBTQ+ community said he’s running to expand economic opportunities for residents and to fight back against President Donald Trump’s policies, which he characterized as “anti-American.”

“I’m running because my family lived through what so many of our neighbors are still going through — rising rents, unaffordable cost of living and a government that too often ignores working people,” Carrera said in a statement. “It’s killing the American Dream for the janitors, upholsterers, and seamstresses who remind me of my grandparents — hardworking people who deserve better.”

Added Carrera: “As their grandson, it’s my job to keep that American dream alive by increasing incomes, decreasing the cost of living for hardworking families and fighting against Donald Trump’s anti-American policies. This is about creating economic opportunity for everyone.”

A resident of Jefferson Park, Carrera is the first candidate to declare in the overwhelmingly Democratic district, which covers North and West Denver, including Lower Downtown, Highland, Globeville, Ruby Hill and Harvey Park. After emerging from a crowded primary, Gonzales won her first term in 2018 with 83% of the vote and was reelected without opposition in 2022.

Carrera served as Johnston’s political director until late April, when he was named a senior advisor for outreach and engagement with Denver Arts and Venues. He told Colorado Politics, however, that he recently gave his notice so he can devote full time to campaigning.

A year ago, Carrera briefly landed in the public spotlight when a video obtained by 9News showed him urging immigrants who had recently arrived in Denver to seek better opportunities in New York or Chicago — or even “the Canadian border, wherever!”

While Carrera told the immigrants the city could buy them “a free ticket” to their ultimate destination, a spokesperson for the city later clarified that Denver would help immigrants get where they wanted to go but wouldn’t buy them tickets.

Prior to his jobs with the city, Carrera worked as an aide to Gov. Jared Polis and, before that, served as a member of U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper’s staff.

Carrera said he wants to bring his experience as a “coalition builder” to the Capitol, where he hopes to bring together people with different viewpoints — “as neighbors, not enemies” — and restore dignity to public service.

“This district is full of firsts — first homes, first small businesses, first union cards, first college graduates,” Carrera said. “I’m running to protect that legacy and make sure the next generation doesn’t have to leave just to afford to stay,” he said. “The next generation of firsts starts here — and I’m ready to fight for them.

Carrera’s initial list of endorsers includes former state Sen. Penfield Tate, D-Denver, former state Rep. Dan Pabon, D-Denver, former Denver City Councilwomen Ramona Martinez and Debbie Ortega, former Denver City Attorney Scott Martinez, former top Hickenlooper advisor Jamie Van Leeuwen and community leaders Mimi Luong, Father Joseph Dang, Angeles Ortega, Mariana del Hierro, Juanita Chacon, Tish Maes and Patricia Barela Rivera.