Tim Hernández, teacher who inspired student protests, wins appointment to Colorado House

Tim Hernández, a teacher who inspired student protests at Denver Public Schools last spring, will represent northwest Denver in the Colorado House next year after a vacancy committee selected him Saturday to fill a vacancy left by the district’s longtime representative.

Hernández beat out former immigration judge Cecelia Espenoza and former Greeley House representative Rochelle Galindo in a House District 4 vacancy committee appointment held at Regis University. Hernández was elected with a majority of votes on the committee’s first vote. He will serve the remaining year of Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez‘s term. Gonzales-Gutierrez was elected to an at-large Denver City Council seat in April.

“This moment belongs to those who struggle, who choose to struggle,” Hernández said after his victory was announced Saturday afternoon. He previously told the Denver Post that he planned to run for a full term next year, when the seat is up for a general election.

Hernandez, who teaches in Aurora Public Schools, inspired student protests last spring when his teacher contract with Denver Public Schools wasn’t renewed. He was later put on leave after joining students in the walkout.

Hernández said that housing, gun violence and education funding are among his top priorities. He has voiced support for a ban on assault weapons, reforms to zoning laws and increased protections for renters. He joins a progressive bloc of Denver legislators, many of whom, like fellow Reps. Elisabeth Epps and Javier Mabrey, are also new to the legislature. Denver Sen. Julie Gonzales serves as the state Senate’s majority whip and nominated Hernández on Saturday.

“Those who are most impacted are the best equipped to lead the fight for change,” Hernández said. “I know because of my students, I know because of my colleagues, I know because of the community members I’ve known, I know because of my aunt who’s in the crowd today that if we listen to each other, we can fight for change and we can win.”

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