Left In The Attic

Ana and Deep sit down with Caroline Nutter, policy manager at the Colorado Fiscal Institute, to break down Amendment 87, the graduated income tax on your November ballot and the biggest structural change to Colorado’s tax code since TABOR passed in 1992. Caroline walks through what TABOR actually does and what 87 changes: it strikes one line of the constitution, replaces the flat 4.4 percent with brackets from 3.7 to 8.4 percent, and only raises rates above $500,000. The result is a tax cut for 97 percent of Coloradans and about $2.7 billion a year for healthcare, K-12, and childcare, held in a separate fund with annual audits. Then the myth-busting. Michael Fields claims 87 raises taxes on seniors and veterans. It doesn’t. Pension and Social Security deductions are untouched, and 97 to 98 percent of seniors and veterans get a cut. They also cover what happens if 87 and Prop 136 both pass, why 95 percent of small businesses pay less, and the 1,000 volunteers who gathered 75 percent of the signatures from Creede to Moffat to Durango. In Tea Time: why there are two different progressive coalitions fixing TABOR this year, Lauren Boebert’s $200,000 ethics complaint, the Tamale Act, and next week’s guest, Governor Jared Polis.

The LITA Substack Is Live

Check out our first issue: They Will Call the Graduated Income Tax Socialism. It's a Moderate Compromise. Harshy Kaur Badhesha's debut Harsh Take breaks down Colorado's three November tax measures (vote yes on NN, yes on Amendment 87, no on Prop 136) and makes the case that treating TABOR as untouchable is moderate cowardice. Subscribe to get the next one here: leftintheattic.substack.com/ 

Yes on 87: protectcoloradosfuture.com (phone banks twice a week, donate)

Colorado Fiscal Institute: coloradofiscal.org 

The Taxman, Colorado Public Radio (the Douglas Bruce story): https://www.cpr.org/podcast/the-taxman/ 

City Cast Denver: Lauren Boebert Can’t Lose: https://denver.citycast.fm/lauren-boebert-cant-lose-podcast 

Chapters

00:00 97% Get a Tax Cut

00:32 Today We’re Talking Taxes

00:51 No TV, Just Friends On YouTube

03:18 Meet Caroline Nutter

05:44 “What’s TABOR?” Said The State Rep

07:04 Doug Bruce Was A Landlord

11:04 What Amendment 87 Actually Does

13:26 Marginal Rates And The Buckets

15:17 Michael Fields’ $7.2 Billion Claim

18:47 Seniors And Veterans Get A Cut

24:29 What If 87 And 136 Both Pass?

26:53 95% Of Small Businesses Pay Less

28:32 Where The $2.7 Billion Goes

31:19 CCAP Is Frozen Everywhere

31:50 The Moment Of Courage

32:57 1,000 Volunteers, 75% Of Signatures

36:48 Text Your Group Chat

38:47 Tea Time: Why Two Coalitions?

45:39 Lauren Boebert’s $200K Hush Money

51:23 Next Week: Governor Jared Polis

Meet Your Hosts

Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action. 

Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.  

Links:

Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com

Instagram: @leftintheatticpod

TikTok: @leftintheattic 

Email: [email protected]

Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

Ana and Deep welcome Uriel Espinoza, co-founder of Momento Presents and senior advisor for public engagement at Courageous Colorado, for Hispanic Heritage Month. Uriel breaks down Colorado's Latino registration gap (56% of registered Latinos statewide are unaffiliated, and 250,000 eligible Latinos in Colorado aren't registered at all), why candidates keep treating Latino outreach as an afterthought, and why leading with culture instead of policy forums is the fix. He previews Momento's October 2nd voter registration concert at Levitt Pavilion, featuring DJ Bolo, following their 2024 event that registered nearly 4,000 new voters. He also doesn't hold back on Manny Rutinel, calling out the CD-8 candidate's authenticity. Then in T-Time: Macklemore gets dropped from Ed Sheeran's tour after a pro-Palestine statement, and Ana and Deep connect it directly to Melat Kiros's canceled Denver venues earlier this year. They close by reacting to the Kyle Clark interviews with Mike Johnston, Lisa Calderón, and Shontel Lewis on their relationships to Democratic socialism, including Lisa's contradiction (a dues-paying DSA member who won't call herself one). Plus: the first issue of the LITA Substack is live.

The LITA Substack Is Live

Our first issue dropped this week: They Will Call the Graduated Income Tax Socialism. It's a Moderate Compromise. Harshy Kaur Badhesha's debut Harsh Take breaks down Colorado's three November tax measures (vote yes on NN, yes on Amendment 87, no on Prop 136) and makes the case that treating TABOR as untouchable is moderate cowardice. Plus more! leftintheattic.substack.com/ 

Momento Presents: @momentopresents on Instagram

October 2nd Voter Registration Concert (DJ Bolo, Levitt Pavilion): RSVP here https://tickets.venuepilot.com/e/bolo-2026-10-02-levitt-pavilion-denver-denver-fde919? 

Chapters

00:00 Why Latino Turnout Lags

00:22 Hispanic Heritage Kickoff

01:02 Cinco de Mayo Mythbusting

02:38 The Tejana Hats

04:18 Meet Uriel Espinoza

06:26 Watching His Mom Become A Citizen

08:13 250,000 Unregistered Eligible Latinos

11:07 Candidates With No Latino Turnout Strategy

14:27 What Actually Moves Latino Voters

18:49 Flipping Burgers To Flipping Sides

22:20 2% Of Elected Officials Are Latino

25:18 Culture First, Policy Second

27:16 The World Cup Watch Party

30:43 Bowling Alone And The Civic Vacuum

33:33 Blue Zones And The Power Of Belonging

34:24 The October 2nd Concert

38:17 How To RSVP And Register

39:00 Ballots Drop October 2nd

40:31 Macklemore's Free Palestine Backlash

47:05 The DSA Question, Three Mayors

47:31 "I'm Not A Card-Carrying Member"

52:27 Lisa Calderón's DSA Contradiction

56:38 Shontel Lewis Defines Democratic Socialism

58:44 The Budget Fumble, Revisited

01:05:06 The LITA Substack Is Live

01:06:01 Mile High Tea: The Twitter Beef

01:07:55 Wrap And Subscribe 

Meet Your Hosts

Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action. 

Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.  

Links:

Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com

Instagram: @leftintheatticpod

TikTok: @leftintheattic 

Email: [email protected]

Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

Ana and Deep sit down with Colorado Common Cause executive director Aly Belknap to break down the biggest threats facing Colorado’s 2026 election from federal pressure on mail voting and voter data to ICE at polling places and proposed ID changes. Aly explains why voter suppression, not voter fraud, is the bigger concern, how Common Cause is preparing through the Just Vote Colorado election protection coalition, and what voters should know about poll monitoring, community defense, and the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline. They also touch on Common Cause’s recent ethics and voting-rights work before closing with Tea Time on Mike Johnston, Shontel Lewis, and the crowded race for Sarah Parady’s seat.

Introducing the LITA Newsletter on Substack: We're expanding. Deep and Ana are launching a Left in the Attic Substack with newsletters, hot takes we can't fit in the show, ballot guides, and a new column from Harshy Kaur Badhesha called "Harsh Takes." Subscribe to be the first to know at leftintheattic.substack.com/ 

LinksColorado Common Cause: commoncause.org/coloradoElection Protection Hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)Just Vote Colorado Coalition: https://www.justvotecolorado.org/ Democracy Defense Fundraiser Ace Eat Serve, Denver, September 23: https://www.commoncause.org/colorado/events/democracy-defense-fundraiser-for-colorado-common-cause/ Drag Out The Vote at Hamburger Mary's — October 8Save the date: Ballot Guide Event — September 30

Chapters

00:00 Voter Suppression Wins Elections

00:29 Show Intro And Housekeeping

01:48 Pumpkin Spice Debate

03:36 Meet Aly Belknap

04:08 From Twitter To Voter Engagement

07:11 What Common Cause Does

08:48 The Opportunity Caucus Complaint

17:21 Colorado's Secure Election System

21:07 Suing Colorado Springs

25:26 Trump's Attack On Mail Ballots

31:07 The Chaos Coming To Colorado

37:21 ICE At Polling Places

45:23 The Just Vote Colorado Coalition

49:30 How Community Defense Wins

50:34 866-OUR-VOTE Hotline

52:43 How To Sign Up As A Poll Monitor

54:19 Watch Out For Prop 362

57:28 Save The Date: Fundraisers

59:23 T-Time Begins

59:53 Introducing Harsh Takes

01:02:00 The 2027 Mayor Race Kicks Off

01:07:49 Mike Johnston's Launch Video

01:14:21 Shontel's Word Cloud Disaster

01:19:22 Ten Candidates For The Vacancy

01:21:28 Wrap And Subscribe

Meet Your Hosts

Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action. 

Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.  

Links:

Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com

Instagram: @leftintheatticpod

TikTok: @leftintheattic 

Email: [email protected]

Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

Ana and Deep welcome Monica Hunter, Vice President of the Denver Public Schools Board and former DPS teacher, for a conversation about what's actually happening in Colorado public schools, what's on the November ballot, and why school board disagreement is a feature, not a bug. Monica walks through her arc from first grade teacher in Montbello to strike captain during the 2019 DPS teachers' strike to founder of the DCTA Black Educators Caucus to her current role at the Colorado Education Association and DPS Board. They dig into Colorado's education paradox (ranked #1 in the country for educational attainment, 49th or 50th in teacher pay), the CMAS results showing 44% of students meeting literacy expectations and only 20% of Black students meeting math expectations, and how Brown v. Board pushed Black teachers out of the profession. Then they turn to the three education funding fights on the November ballot: the DPS Mill Levy ($6/month per median homeowner, $44M for the district), Prop NN (retaining tax revenue for K-12 without raising taxes), and Initiative 195 (the graduated income tax). They also cover the fight to unionize Education Support Professionals (workers of color who currently have no protection), the most expensive school board race in Colorado history (funded by Reed Hastings, Anschutz, and the Waltons), and why Monica refuses to "go along to get along" on the Board. Democracy is messy. That's the whole point.

Denver Public Schools Mill Levy: https://bond.dpsk12.org/page/2026-mill-levy-override 

Prop NN Campaign Support: https://secure.ngpvan.com/HwAyZavU9kaKH5-EYOPXpQ2 

Amendment 87/Initiative 195 (Graduated Income Tax): protectcoloradosfuture.com

Contact the DPS Board about ESP unionization: https://www.dpsk12.org/page/about-the-board 

00:44 Back To School Memories From Three DPS Teachers

04:17 Meet Monica Hunter

05:21 From Church Volunteer To Montbello Teacher

06:59 The Innovation Schools Fight

08:27 Why Teacher Diversity Matters

08:52 How Brown v. Board Pushed Black Teachers Out

13:18 The Colorado Paradox

14:26 CMAS Scores And The Racial Gap

16:32 TABOR And The Colorado Funding Crisis

19:02 Meet The BS Factor

22:43 Three Ballot Measures Preview

23:23 Ballot Measure 1: The DPS Mill Levy

25:53 $6 A Month For $44 Million

28:06 Why Charter Schools Get A Share

28:59 Charters, Equity, And Denver's Model

29:44 Ballot Measure 2: Prop NN

31:16 How TABOR Refunds Actually Work

34:10 Ballot Measure 3: Initiative 195

34:22 Ballot Letters vs. Numbers, Explained

37:42 Why Funding Is Still The Whole Fight

38:57 Unionizing Education Support Professionals

44:22 Who Actually Recognizes A Union

46:10 What The Headlines Get Wrong About The Board

49:43 The Most Expensive School Board Race In Colorado History

52:04 Democracy Is Messy (Sirota Callback)

54:03 The Exit Ticket

Meet Your Hosts

Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action. 

Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.  

Links:

Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com

Instagram: @leftintheatticpod

TikTok: @leftintheattic 

Email: [email protected]

Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

Ana and Deep welcome Rayna Kingston, Denver community organizer, content creator, and founder of Denver Activist Women's Group (DAWG), for a conversation about building political power outside electoral politics. Rayna walks through her arc: from a Christian conservative kid in Littleton, to a food-tour content creator during COVID, to a first-time candidate for Colorado House District 5, to the decision to step away from a race she was probably going to win. She founded DAWG after the 2024 election with a single Instagram Story that reached 500 women instead of the 30 she expected, and the group has now grown to a reach of 11,000+. Then she gets into what she learned running for office and the moment she realized she'd have to lie to voters about how much a junior state rep can actually change. 

Denver Activist Women's Group (DAWG): denveractivistwomensgroup.com 

DAWG on Instagram: @denveractivistwomensgroup

Rayna Kingston on Instagram: @raynakingdenver 

00:00 Cold Open Banter

00:17 Show Intro And Guest

00:43 Matcha, Celsius, And Almost Dying

02:08 Coffee And The Celsius Scare

04:00 Meet Rayna Kingston

04:51 From Federal Boulevard To Full-Time Influencer

07:45 From Content Creator To DAWG Founder

11:02 500 Women Showed Up

14:02 What DAWG Actually Does

15:56 Why Run For Office

19:30 Running Without Permission

19:54 "Who Are You?" Democratic Gatekeeping

22:49 The "Delete It" Story

25:39 The Launch Party And The Momentum

26:28 Why She Walked Away From Winning

29:44 The Democratic Party Is 20 People

34:09 How To Hold Electeds Accountable

38:30 The Revolution Is Low-Hanging Fruit

40:24 Fall Ballot Preview And Wrap

Meet Your Hosts

Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action. 

Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.  

Links:

Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com

Instagram: @leftintheatticpod

TikTok: @leftintheattic 

Email: [email protected]

Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

Ana and Deep welcome Kyle Giddings, Deputy Director of the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition (CCJRC), for a conversation on what's happening inside Colorado's prisons and what's about to happen if voters pass Prop 132 this November. Kyle walks through his own journey from Republican aide, to jail, to being one of the loudest voices for reform in the state. He names the paradox at the heart of Colorado's justice system: crime is at a five-year low, but prison populations are growing. Then they turn to Prop 132, the fentanyl ballot initiative funded by Advance Colorado. Kyle calls it a private prison money grab that would felonize all fentanyl possession, lump sharing drugs with dealing at 8-32 year mandatory minimums, and increase overdose deaths by 41%. If it passes, 25 years of Colorado criminal justice reform gets undone in a single election. Vote NO on Prop 132.

Vote NO on Prop 132: noon132.com

CCJRC (Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition): ccjrc.org

CCJRC on Instagram: @ccjrc

How Advance Colorado gets people to sign ballot initiatives: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Da3R9DIxZNj/ 

Who is Advance Colorado: https://www.whoisadvancecolorado.org/ 

00:00 The Kid At A Party

00:26 Show Intro And Topics

00:45 Nintendo Lore Icebreaker

03:32 Meet Kyle Giddings

04:35 From Republican Aide To Recovery

06:24 "Wait, I Can Vote?"

08:34 Quitting A Six-Figure Job For CCJRC

14:29 The School-To-Prison Pipeline

17:28 Crime Is Down, Prisons Are Growing

22:46 Do Prisons Actually Make Us Safer?

24:57 Community Reinvestment Actually Works

26:44 Designing Neighborhoods For Safety

27:47 What Public Safety Really Means

28:13 The "Lock 'Em Up" Culture

29:05 Jim Crow And The Origins Of Mass Incarceration

31:05 $68,000 Per Prisoner, $18,000 Per Student

33:00 Black Coloradans, 4% Of The State, 17% Of Prisons

37:53 Enter Advance Colorado

38:52 What Prop 132 Actually Does

42:47 Hidden Harms And The $433M Price Tag

49:19 What Actually Works

53:28 Vote NO On Prop 132

55:39 Wrap And Share

Meet Your Hosts

Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action. 

Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.  

Links:

Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com

Instagram: @leftintheatticpod

TikTok: @leftintheattic 

Email: [email protected]

Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

Ana and Deep sit down with David Sirota, founder of The Lever, creator of Master Plan and Meltdown, former Bernie Sanders speechwriter, and one of the sharpest voices in independent political journalism. Sirota walks listeners through the through-line from Obama's supermajority-era failures to Trump's rise, connects it to his 50-year investigation of how the right legalized corruption in America, and offers a warning to the new wave of progressives (Melat Kiros, Zohran Mamdani, Phil Weiser, Abdul El-Sayed) about what happens if they win power and don't use it. Sirota lays out public financing of elections and how Zohran Mamdani couldn't have won New York without it. Denver also has a version of it and it's the single lever that could break the corporate stronghold on Democratic primaries. This is a wisdom-from-an-elder conversation for the movement leaders about to inherit a broken system. We cannot build another cult of personality but instead must build pressure to keep whoever wins accountable.

The Lever: levernews.com 

Master Plan (podcast): search "Master Plan" wherever you get your podcasts: https://the.levernews.com/master-plan/ 

Meltdown (podcast): available on Audible: https://www.levernews.com/meltdown/

00:00 The Supreme Court Just Legalized Bribery

00:40 Show Intro And Sirota Hype

01:15 Rentell Sponsor Read

02:15 Meet David Sirota

03:00 From Sixers Fan To Sports Writer

04:30 Northwestern And A Very Young J.B. Pritzker

06:00 Working For Bernie In The 90s

08:30 Cross-Party Coalitions Against The Corporate Middle

10:30 The Matrix Moment

11:45 Zooming Back To 2008

13:00 Obama Promised Populism, Governed Moderate

15:00 Ten Million Foreclosures And A Bank Bailout

17:00 Obama Raised More Wall Street Money Than Anyone

18:30 Corruption vs. Capture

19:45 What The Master Plan Actually Is

21:00 Watergate Was A Dark Money Scandal

22:00 Lewis Powell's Memo And The Court That Followed

23:00 From Bribes To Gratuities

24:00 Organized People Beat Organized Money

25:00 The Uprising: Then vs. Now

27:00 Democrats Are Finally Angry At Their Own Party

28:30 How Not To Be Obama 2.0

29:15 Cults Of Personality Have To Go

30:00 Michigan Is The Next Test

31:15 Rip Power Out

32:00 Democracy Is Messy (And That's The Point)

33:00 AIPAC And Bending The Knee

34:00 Public Financing Of Elections

35:30 How Zohran Won New York

36:00 Denver's Model Works

37:00 Wrap And Subscribe

Meet Your Hosts

Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action. 

Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.  

Links:

Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com

Instagram: @leftintheatticpod

TikTok: @leftintheattic 

Email: [email protected]

Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

When Graham Platner dropped out of the Maine Senate race and Eric Swalwell exited California’s Governor’s race over sexual assault allegations, the coverage focused on the campaigns. Ana and Deep sit down with Tracing the Steps founder Kelsey Harbert to ask what the political conversation keeps missing: what about the survivor? Kelsey walks through what actually happens when a survivor comes forward in Colorado. She breaks down Colorado's evidence kit backlog, the Missy Woods scandal where a 29-year senior CBI analyst admitted to deleting DNA, and what has to change under incoming Governor Weiser and AG Griswold. We end with a call to action to support her GoFundMe that’s already raised over $100,000 to process backlog kits. This is what accountability looks like from outside the system. 

We're hiring: Left in the Attic is looking for two part-time contract social media roles. Details and application form: https://forms.gle/okrxKoBXzwCvHLv4A 

Kelsey's GoFundMe: Tell Jared Polis to Fund Colorado's Rape Kit Backlog: https://www.gofundme.com/f/wy53b7 

Resources for survivors: National SA Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). Blue Bench Denver: 303-322-7273. Colorado Coalition Against SA (CCASA): ccasa.org

Watch out for Advance Colorado and West Group signature collectors: read before you sign!

00:00 But What About The Survivor?

00:48 Rentell Sponsor Read

01:37 Meet Kelsey Harbert

02:41 From Wiley To Manhattan

04:36 Building Tracing The Steps

07:25 Fired For Testifying

10:29 Platner, Swalwell, And The Vetting Problem

12:43 Two And A Half Hours To A SANE Nurse

14:58 Why CODIS Matters

17:59 The Survivor Gets The Bill

19:27 Colorado's Kit Backlog Exposed

23:54 When Delayed Evidence Goes Stale

26:28 Polis Is The Only Boss

27:58 1,400 Kits Waiting

29:37 Meet Missy Woods

30:58 29 Years Of Deleted Evidence

32:34 The State Won't Retest Her Work

35:54 What Weiser And Griswold Have To Do

40:13 The Report Sitting On A Shelf

44:43 How Campaigns Should Vet Candidates

49:53 $100,000 From Strangers On The Internet

53:10 Wrap And Subscribe

Meet Your Hosts

Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action. 

Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.  

Links:

Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com

Instagram: @leftintheatticpod

TikTok: @leftintheattic 

Email: [email protected]

Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

Ana and Deep break down Colorado's June 30 primary from the winners to the bummers to what's next. Phil Weiser walloped Michael Bennet despite Bloomberg's millions. Melat Kiros ended a 30-year DeGette era in CD-1 with 6,000 volunteers, 116,000 doors knocked, and 500,000 phone calls. Julie Gonzales came within 5 points of Hickenlooper, and Jena Griswold won AG in a fractured four-way field that ranked-choice voting would have fixed. Down-ballot, progressives ran the table: Chela Garcia Irlando, Iris Halpern, Gabriel Cervantes, and Kenny Van Nguyen all beat six-figure dark money attacks. One Main Street may be officially extinct. Then Ana and Deep look ahead to November: CD-3, CD-5, CD-8, the Sarah Parady vacancy for Denver’s City Council, and the fent@nyl, ICE, and graduated income tax ballot measures. Plus Hunter Biden on why "conviction beats caution."

We're hiring: Left in the Attic is looking for two part-time contract social media roles. Details and application form: https://forms.gle/okrxKoBXzwCvHLv4A 

Graduated Income Tax, please sign:

https://protectcoloradosfuture.com/where-to-sign/

Ana asks Michael Bennet about his Trump cabinet votes:  

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DY7udTYxpeN/

Deep’s X: https://x.com/DeepNotShallow/status/1806105148667621661

Ana’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anafiredfed/ 

Join DSA Link: https://act.dsausa.org/donate/membership/ 

Watch out for Advance Colorado and West Group signature collectors: read before you sign!

00:00 Return Of The Jedi

00:32 Rentell Sponsor Read

01:35 Ana's First Primary Season

05:02 Turnout: Denver Up, State Up

07:56 Throw Out The Bums

09:07 Phil Beats Bennet

17:09 Melat Kiros Ended 30 Year Incumbent Career 

19:14 Organized People Beat Organized Money

23:09 Community Built On Every Doorstep

23:39 Now For The Bummers

23:53 Julie Gonzales Came Within 5 Points

25:20 What Julie Left On The Table

26:12 The DSA Support That Never Came

28:05 The Case For A 2028 Rematch

28:57 The AG Race

30:27 Ranked Choice Voting Would Have Fixed It

32:04 Chela, Iris, Gabriel, Kenny: The Down-Ballot Sweep

35:55 November Preview: CD-3, CD-5, CD-8

37:51 The Sarah Parady Vacancy

39:16 Watch The Signature Collectors

41:21 Hunter Biden And The Death Of The Middle

43:11 Call To Action And Outro

Meet Your Hosts

Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action. 

Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.  

Links:

Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com

Instagram: @leftintheatticpod

TikTok: @leftintheattic 

Email: [email protected]

Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

Ana and Deep head "west and south" to break down Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, the largest and most overlooked race on the June 30 ballot. They're joined by Democratic candidate Alex Kelloff, whose family roots in the district go back 130 years. The episode walks through CD-3's wild political saga and what Kelloff is actually hearing at the doors after 13 months of grassroots campaigning. They name the Tina Peters water hostage deal, FEMA's no-show in Meeker, rural hospital closures from the Big Ugly Bill, data centers straining Western Slope water, the 5-1 Garfield County vote against an ICE detention facility, and the Hope Scheppelman bribe that proves Trump will invent fake government jobs to bend a primary his way. Ballots due 7pm June 30. (This episode was taped on June 5th)

Alex Kelloff’s website: https://alexkelloff.com/ 

Colorado Where to Vote: https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/VIP.html

Timeline:

• Monday, June 8 - Last day for voters to change party affiliation; ballots mailed out and 24-hour drop boxes open

• Monday, June 15 - Voter Service and Polling Centers open

• Monday, June 22 - Last day to mail your ballot back and ensure it arrives on time; last day to request a replacement ballot be mailed to you

• Tuesday, June 30 - Election Day; ballots must be in possession of the Clerk & Recorder by 7 p.m.

00:00 Western Colorado Held Ransom

00:23 Road Trip Playlists And Big Head Todd

01:35 Campaign Life On The Road

02:38 Rentell Sponsor Read

03:26 Meet Alex Kelloff

04:16 130 Years In The District

06:39 The CD-3 Saga: Boebert, Frisch, And Hurd

12:17 53,000 Square Miles And 51% Unaffiliated

14:28 What Voters Are Saying At The Doors

16:31 Project 2025 Comes For Public Lands

18:06 The Tina Peters Water Hostage Deal

19:32 The Polis Commutation Question

20:43 Punishing Colorado From Washington

21:02 Meeker Burned. FEMA Never Came.

21:47 Gas Prices And The Iran War

23:01 Colorado Water Law, Explained

25:31 Data Centers Are A Water Problem

27:03 Rural Hospitals After The Big Ugly Bill

29:14 The Case For Universal Healthcare

30:48 Tariffs, Iran, And What Congress Can Fix Now

33:58 The 5-1 Garfield County Vote

35:43 Immigrant Communities And The Latino Vote

37:23 13 Months In, A Last-Minute Opponent

40:13 The Hope Scheppelman Bribe

43:04 Vote By June 30

45:22 Outro And Subscribe 

Meet Your Hosts

Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action. 

Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.  

Links:

Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com

Instagram: @leftintheatticpod

TikTok: @left.in.the.attic

Email: [email protected]

Voicemail: (303) 416-2846