The cannabis industry won’t be sending one of its own to Congress this year.
Industry veteran and University of Colorado regent Wanda James finished a distant third in the Democratic primary for Colorado’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday.
Democratic socialist Melat Kiros won the primary with 51.3% of the vote to advance to the November general election to represent the district, which covers most of metropolitan Denver.
She unseated 15-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, who won 41.7% of the vote, according to elections officials.
James secured just 7% of the vote.
Can cannabis win elections?
In a statement Tuesday evening, James framed the loss as a starting point rather than an ending.
“What we built together was never just about one election,” she wrote in an e-mail blast to supporters.
“We proved that Denver is ready for change,” she added.
“We proved that a grassroots campaign funded by real people can go toe to toe with 30 years of institutional power. We proved that this community is alive, engaged and hungry for real representation.”
James will continue serving in her role as a CU regent.
Did the US cannabis industry support Wanda James’ campaign?
Despite direct appeals to the national U.S. cannabis industry to support electing an operator to Congress, James’ opponents raised significantly more money.
James, who owned the now-closed Simply Pure marijuana store, raised $291,448, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Her campaign spent $265,718.
Kiros pulled in $660,193, while DeGette, who has held the seat since 1997, raised $1.4 million.
James’ campaign emphasized sending a cannabis industry insider to Washington, arguing the sector needs representation at the federal level.
When James launched her campaign, she said that rescheduling marijuana is a positive step that doesn’t go far enough.
Subscribe to the MJBiz Factbook
Exclusive industry data and analysis to help you make informed business decisions and avoid costly missteps. All the facts, none of the hype.
What you will get:
- Monthly and quarterly updates, with new data & insights
- Financial forecasts + capital investment trends
- State-by-state guide to regulations, taxes & market opportunities
- Annual survey of cannabis businesses
- Consumer insights
- And more!
“Full-on legalization is the only real answer,” she told MJBizDaily at the time.
“It’s the one thing that fixes all the problems – 280E, SAFE banking, landlord gouging and access to capital.”
