Daneya Esgar

Daneya Esgar
Member of the
Pueblo County Commission
from the 2nd district
Assumed office
June 1, 2023
Preceded byGarrison Ortiz
Majority Leader of the Colorado House of Representatives
In office
January 13, 2021 – January 9, 2023
Preceded byAlec Garnett
Succeeded byMonica Duran
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives
from the 46th district
In office
January 7, 2015 – January 9, 2023
Preceded byLeroy Garcia
Succeeded byTisha Mauro
Personal details
Born1979 (age 44–45)
Political partyDemocratic
EducationColorado State University Pueblo (BS)

Daneya Leigh Esgar is a politician who serves as a county commissioner in Pueblo County, Colorado. Prior to her tenure on the county commission, she was a Democratic member of the Colorado House of Representatives. She represented District 46, which covered a portion of Pueblo County. She was first elected to her statehouse seat in 2014, succeeding Leroy Garcia. Term limited, she left office in January 2023.

Esgar is a lifelong Pueblo resident and an alumna of Colorado State University Pueblo. Before taking office, she worked as a journalist and community organizer.[1] She is openly lesbian and was a member of the Colorado House's LGBT Caucus.[2][3]

Esgar previously served as the House Majority Caucus Chair. She was also the chair of the Capital Development Committee, the vice chair of the House Health, Insurance, & Environment Committee, and a member of the House Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources Committee and the House Transportation & Energy Committee.[4] Additionally, she served as temporary Speaker of the House during the January 9th, 2023 Speaker election for the 74th General Assembly, making her the first openly gay representative to hold the Speaker's gavel in the state.[5]

Esgar was the first openly gay state legislator to represent the Pueblo community in the General Assembly.[6]

  1. ^ "Representative Daneya Esgar". Colorado Democratic Party. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  2. ^ "A Quick Look at Our Queer Caucus". Out Front. February 2, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  3. ^ "Meet Daneya". Committee to Elect Daneya Esgar. Archived from the original on May 9, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  4. ^ "Representative Daneya Esgar". Colorado General Assembly. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  5. ^ "That's a Wrap".
  6. ^ "Daneya in the news".