Our politicians have launched deliberate attacks on marginalized Americans, turned loose masked federal agents to kidnap our community members, and passed bad-faith policies that enrich billionaires and rip away access to health care. Congress’s absolute betrayal of working class citizens makes it clear that the response from Democratic Leadership is simply not enough. Wanting to fight back, I searched for a candidate who could listen to the concerns of our community—a candidate who could represent people like myself and meet this moment as a champion for the working class. When I couldn’t find one, I knew that it was time to step up and serve my people.

Santiago Palomino wearing a white cowboy hat, sunglasses, and a navy and white jacket claps at a gathering or protest, with many people in the background holding signs and participating in the event.

I am a proud first generation Irish Mexican American. I was born in San Angelo, TX to a mother who served in the U.S. Air Force and a father who arrived here from Jalisco, Mexico and built a small business with just 50 dollars in his pocket. I grew up understanding the value of working hard with the hopes of achieving my own American Dream. As the oldest brother of four, I helped my single mother clean homes and watched her serve tables at the olive garden to make ends meet. My family struggled when I was a kid, needing to get by on welfare programs like the free lunch program, medicaid, and food stamps. As soon as I could, I took a job at Chipotle to help my mom pay the bills at home. 

While rolling burritos at Chipotle, my family and I discovered Senator Bernie Sanders’s vision for the United States. Inspired by the sense of hope and possibility he represented, I went to his rallies and events before ultimately stepping up to organize my community in preparation for the primaries. His loss crushed me, and the DNC’s acts of sabotage to his campaign alienated me from the party establishment.

After this, I decided that the best way to give back to my community was through teaching. I studied at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor for music education up until the Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting. Incensed by the idea of teaching students in a world where I couldn’t protect them from gun violence, I joined the March For Our Lives rally in Austin, TX. It was a pivotal experience for me, as I realized I couldn’t just sit back and let my voice go unheard. At that moment, I decided I was leaving music education to return to community organizing.

The next few years as an organizer was an invaluable experience. In Texas, I helped Sheryl Cole win her seat as State Representative and flipped Williamson county blue for the first time since 1974 in the Beto for Senate campaign. While working for the Beto for President campaign in preparation for the Iowa caucuses, I built relationships with farmers, small business owners, and blue collar workers in the most rural part of Iowa. My time in Iowa taught me that regardless of our differences in experience, faith, or politics, we all believe in America and her promise.

Santiago Palomino and his brothers as children sitting on a patterned couch, wearing sombreros, cowboy hats, and casual clothing.
Santiago Palomino's mother in military camouflage leaning over a wooden log, smiling.
Santiago Palomino and his mother riding a donkey with two children, one in front and one in her arms, in an outdoor field.
Santiago Palomino and his brothers and father wearing cowboy hats, indoors with a wooden railing and trees outside the window.

“The Stoneman Douglas shooting really hit home to me, realizing that my entire life we’ve been rehearsing our own deaths in school, making sure to hide in the right place... I knew that I had to do something and I couldn’t sit on the sidelines.”

“We have a lot to fight for in this country, whether that is in education to immigration to health care. There’s so much work that needs to be done and community organizing is the heart of those results."

—Santiago Palomino, 2020

Santiago Palomino and two young people holding Bernie Sanders for President signs at a gathering.
Crowd of people with Santiago Palomino holding Bernie Sanders 2016 campaign signs at a rally or event.
Santiago Palomino protesting at a rally, holding a sign that says 'BETO FOR AMERICA', with other protesters and campaign signs in the background.
Beto O'rourke in light blue shirt speaking to seated diverse group including Santiago Palomino in a room with a train mural on the wall.

In the face of adversity, I am not afraid to step up and fight for what’s right. After the horrific murder of George Floyd I marched with millions of others during the Black Lives Matter movement in local and national protest, joined a task force as an alumni of my high school to push the institution into confronting the racial tension within its system, and spoke out at my community’s school board meetings in defense of their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives when it came under attack. I believe public schools are the foundation of our society and deserve to be protected.

During my work as an organizer, I took on student debt and put myself through school at the University of Texas at Dallas. I finished as the first college graduate in my family, earning my Bachelors in Political Science and my Masters of Public Affairs with certificates in Public Budgeting and Financial Management, and Local Government Management. At the same time I worked as a substitute teacher, earning date money to spend on my now-husband, Adam. While studying at the university, I met the first teacher that shared my same lived experience as a Latino man. It was eye-opening to see the personal impact a teacher can create when they share the experiences of and look the same as their students. Inspired by my professor, I applied for and earned my teaching license through the Black and Latino Male Residency Program in Dallas ISD. During my tenure, I was a proud member of the Teachers Alliance AFT,  ran the Student Voters Empowerment Club at my school, and served as a volunteer to register young voters for the upcoming 2024 election. 

Santiago Palomino wearing a graduation cap and gown, smiling, standing outdoors near a fountain with trees and blue sky in the background.
Santiago Palomino standing in a parking lot at night, holding a voting ballot envelope, wearing a grey jacket with a voting sticker, smiling at the camera.
Santiago Palomino and his husband in suits, likely at a wedding, sharing a piece of cake as one helps the other eat it. They are smiling and embracing, with a decorated wedding cake and flowers in the background.

However, the results of the most recent presidential election sent a clear message for me and my husband. The threat of the Trump regime and the increased empowerment of the far-right in the United States made it clear that Texas was no longer a safe place for a queer couple to build a life together. In the same weekend that Trump was inaugurated, Adam and I moved to Denver to find safety and community. Currently, I work as a social studies teacher and union representative at North Middle School, teaching students from all parts of the world. I also teach student government, creating the next leaders of our community. Though my students and I have many differences, we have one major thing in common—we have all chosen Colorado as our home and believe in its promise.

This place is precious, and deserves leaders that are not afraid to stand up to the tyrants in power who would stop at nothing to tear us down. My lived experience in Texas means that I know exactly how much Colorado has to lose. So, after years of knocking on doors, making phone calls, and advocating for my community, I’ve decided the only option left is to put my hat in the ring. It’s time for a leader who will center their decisions around the needs of the working class and fight for the safety and prosperity of our people. 

For too long, the rich and powerful have sold out the working class to line their own pockets.

It’s time to stand up and fight back.

Santiago Palomino with dark hair and light facial hair smiling outdoors, wearing a navy vest over a gray collared shirt, with a park and cityscape in the background.