In just a few months, Maggie Mixer ’24 went from on-campus organizing to managing an entire campaign. When asked how, Mixer has three words: The Block Plan.
“Campaign work is both a marathon and a sprint, so the Block Plan’s training to manage large volumes of work efficiently in short periods of time is very useful,” says Mixer, a former Political Science major.
Despite finishing up her thesis and still having to meet her on-campus responsibilities, Mixer began her current role as a campaign manager for Katie Stewart back in April, while she was still a student. Stewart is running for Colorado State House District 59, in Southwest Colorado.
While Mixer knew she wanted to make a difference and work in politics, she never would have thought that she would achieve this goal so soon. Last spring, Mixer was talking with young people working at the State House in Denver and, by chance, was connected to the person who had managed the campaign for HD59 in 2022. That person knew that Stewart was looking for a manager and decided to connect Stewart and Mixer.
“Managing a state house campaign hadn’t been on my radar at all as an option right out of undergrad, but I’ve gotten a lot of great training from the people around me,” Mixer says.
Because Mixer was still a student, she began the position remotely and worked part-time until July, when she moved to Durango to work full time on the campaign. A typical morning for Mixer starts in the office, where she coordinates and trains volunteers, does donor research, manages the budget, plans their communications, and works on the endorsement questionnaires for labor unions and special interest groups. She spends afternoons doing fundraising calls with Stewart and going door-to-door to talk to voters.
Mixer feels more than prepared for this position thanks to her significant experience running voter drives and campaign work at CC. Along with Tom Byron ’23, she was co-chair of the CC Democrats, where they worked to increase voter turnout on campus.
“In 2022, I sat in Worner and talked to, or some might say bothered, more that 20 percent of the student body as they walked past about registering to vote and turning in their ballots,” Mixer says. “Luckily, thanks to recent legislation, which Tom and I had the opportunity to testify about at the State House last year, Worner now has its very own polling center, so CC Dems isn’t allowed to bother people about voting on the premises anymore near Election Day.”
Mixer gives a lot of credit on her post-graduate success to her experiences as a student, including on-campus organizing and internship opportunities.
“I had a number of internships while at CC, including on Phil Weiser’s campaign for Attorney General in 2022 and an education and workforce policy internship with the Council of State Governments,” she says. “Both affirmed my interest in domestic policy making. Being a campaign manager for a state house is a great way to get on the ground experience in politics right out of undergrad because you are responsible for helping build and execute every piece of the campaign.”
Mixer says she is proud to work for Stewart, who is in her second term on the Durango School Board and is a mother of five whose family has deep roots in Southwest Colorado.
“Katie’s overarching goal at the state house is to work collaboratively with legislators, community stakeholders, and local governments to build a strong future for rural Colorado,” Mixer says. “She is running for the seat with the endorsement of the departing incumbent, Rep. Barbara McLachlan. This is a Tier One race, meaning it is one of the most competitive state house races in Colorado this year.”
House District 59 includes most of Montezuma, Archuleta, La Plata, and San Juan counties.
“Like many other places in Colorado, cost of living is one of the biggest concerns, and affordable housing is limited – especially in towns like Durango and Pagosa Springs,” Mixer says. “Because it’s a rural district, access to healthcare is limited as well. Many residents need to drive hours to receive the care that they need as rural hospitals struggle to provide comprehensive services. Like many other areas in the mountain west, protecting our water and mitigating fire risks is another major issue. House District 59 also includes the only two federally recognized tribes in Colorado, the Ute Mountain Ute and the Southern Ute, so elected leaders work closely with Tribal leadership to navigate the complicated dynamics between these sovereign nations and the Colorado State House.”
While career possibilities are endless when it comes to the political arena, Mixer knows she wants to stay in Colorado to work in politics. “While Colorado still has many of the same political difficulties that exist at the national level, we have one of the most productive state legislatures and strongest voting systems in the country,” she says. “With the term limits in the Colorado State House, we also have one of the more dynamic state legislatures. Plus, I get to door knock with the mountains and the Animas River in the background!”
If Stewart wins, Mixer plans to serve as her legislative aide at the State Capitol. If not, Mixer will look for open legislative aide positions in other offices. She wants to work a few legislative sessions and then attend law school.