Prior to 2012, Mitsch Bush served as a commissioner of
Routt County, Colorado.[5] She then served as a member of the
Colorado House of Representatives for the 26th district from January 9, 2013, to November 2, 2017, after which she resigned to focus on her campaign for Congress.[6][7][8]
In 2016, Mitsch Bush co-sponsored and voted to require state contractors to comply with federal equal pay standards.[10]
Mitsch Bush sponsored the bipartisan Debt-free Schools Act in Colorado in 2016, later signed by the governor, to increase public school funding in Colorado.[11]
Mitsch Bush served as a member on the Colorado House Committee for Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources from 2013-2017, serving as the Vice Chair in 2017.[12]
2018 U.S. House election
In July 2017, Mitsch Bush announced her candidacy for the congressional seat held by
Scott Tipton, and won the Democratic nomination in June 2018.[3][13] She was defeated in the general election by Tipton by eight percentage points.[14]
2020 U.S. House election
Mitsch Bush was the nominee in the 2020 election after defeating seafood executive James Iacino. She faced
Lauren Boebert, a restaurant owner from
Rifle, Colorado, who defeated Tipton in the Republican primary. She lost the November 3, 2020 general election by five percentage points.[15]
2012 When Democratic representative
Andy Kerr ran for the
Colorado Senate and left the 26th district seat open, Mitsch Bush was unopposed for the June 26, 2012, Democratic primary, winning with 1,738 votes;[19] and won the November 6, 2012, general election with 18,470 votes (55.8%) against
Republican nominee Charles McConnell.[20]
2018 During the Democratic primary for Colorado's 3rd district that took place on June 26, 2018, Mitsch Bush defeated two Democratic opponents, Karl Hanlon and Arn Menconi, to win the primary with 42,048 votes (64.12%).[3] Incumbent congressman Scott Tipton defeated her in the general election.[14]
2020 Mitsch Bush was defeated by
Lauren Boebert by six percent on November 3, 2020, 51.27% to 45.41%. Boebert raised $2.4 million and Mitsch Bush raised $4.2 million.[21] Republican groups spent more than $5 million. Democratic groups spent nearly $4 million.[21]