Advance Native Political Leadership Action Fund builds Native political power by helping to elect Native leaders at all levels of public office. We’re proud to support the following candidates in 2027.
Explore our past endorsements: 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022.
STATE AND LOCAL CANDIDATES
COLORADO
KRISTINA MALDONADO BAD HAND
she/her
Rosebud Sioux (Sicangu Lakota)
Office: Denver City Council, At-Large Seat B
Kristina Maldonado Bad Hand is an artist, educator, organizer, and cultural advocate committed to strengthening communities through creativity, collaboration, and Indigenous leadership. A citizen of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe (Sicangu Lakota), she has dedicated her career to expanding opportunities for Indigenous artists, advancing cultural representation, and building community-centered initiatives.
Maldonado Bad Hand is the Co-Founder and Director of áyA Con, an Indigenous arts and comics festival, and helps lead Create áyA, a nonprofit supporting Indigenous artists through exhibitions, education, and community programming. She has also served as Co-Chair of the Denver American Indian Commission, Chair of the Native Futures Collective Giving Circle at The Denver Foundation, and as a cultural consultant on the City of Denver’s Living Land Project and Tribal Embassy initiative.
Maldonado Bad Hand is running for Denver City Council to strengthen community partnerships, expand opportunities for artists and small businesses, and ensure all communities have a voice in shaping the city’s future.