Meet Daneya
Commissioner Daneya Esgar began her service on the Board of Pueblo County Commissioners on June 1, 2023. Since taking office as a County Commissioner, she has been focussed on growing Pueblo’s economy, making our community safer, ensuring Southern Colorado’s water and agriculture remain safe, and championing women's rights.
Born and raised in Pueblo, Esgar is the proud granddaughter of steelworkers, a product of Pueblo School District 60, a proud South Colt, and a graduate of Colorado State University-Pueblo. She has worked as a television news producer, in higher education, and as a community organizer focusing on poverty and communities of color in Pueblo.
During her eight years in the state legislature, Commissioner Esgar passed a variety of important bills to help improve our community. Many of these bills passed with bipartisan support, as she knows the importance of working across the aisle. Some of her most rewarding bills included the Reproductive Health Equity Act, protecting access to all reproductive healthcare in Colorado. She also sponsored out-of-network Health Care Services which prevents hospitals and insurance companies from sending surprise bills for out-of-network services to the consumer. She passed collective bargaining for all state and county employees, and created and funded the Front Range Passenger Rail Commission which brings the possibility of passenger rail to Pueblo. She also secured over 70 million dollars in capital projects for Pueblo, growing the economy.
During her four terms in the State Legislature, she served as House Majority Leader, a member of the Executive Committee of the Legislative Council, the Chair of the Joint Budget Committee, and Vice-Chair of the Appropriations Committee. She also served as Vice Chair of the House Agriculture Committee, Vice Chair of the Legislative Water Resources Review Committee, Chair of the Capital Development Committee, Vice Chair of Health Insurance Committee, and Vice Chair of Transportation.
Commissioner Esgar lives with her wife Heather, their children, and two dogs in Pueblo. In her free time she enjoys boating at Lake Pueblo, exploring Pueblo’s food scene, and watching the Denver Broncos.
Agriculture & Water - Daneya has fought to protect Southern Colorado Farmers by preserving our farmlands, connecting our family farms to more customers and always protecting our water rights from in-state and out-of-state water grabs. She has worked with the Pueblo Chile Growers Association to promote the Pueblo Chile Brand and is responsible for the Pueblo Chile license plate. While serving as a legislator, she was the Vice Chair of the House Agriculture Committee and the Vice Chair of the Legislative Water Resources Review Committee. Bringing her experience from the state, as a County Commissioner, she serves on both the Arkansas Basin Roundtable and the Fountain Creek Watershed, Flood Control and Greenway District.
Public Safety - Daneya believes in giving law enforcement the tools needed to safely do their jobs and protect our community. As a commissioner, she has supported the Sheriff’s budget requests to do so. She’s also proud to have earned the endorsement of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers Local 837, the Sheriff Deputies. As a mother, she believes in keeping our communities safe by stopping crime before it starts, by ensuring there are early intervention services for people struggling with addiction or mental health crises in our community.
Women’s Rights Champion - Daneya is a fearless advocate for women’s rights, tirelessly working to ensure equality and justice for all. With a proven track record of championing policies that address gender disparities and protect reproductive rights. Before the fall of Roe, she passed the Reproductive Health Equity Act, guaranteeing women's access to abortion in the state of Colorado. During her time at the state she also championed bills that ensured access to the birth control of a woman’s choice, fought for pay equity, and helped to push health care coverage of IVF.
Grow our Economy - Daneya knows that a key to making Pueblo an even better place to live is to make sure our neighbors and families do more than just get by, they need to thrive. She’s been working her entire career helping students get ahead in higher education or preserving access to a job in the trades. She knows that to attract new businesses Pueblo needs workers with the skills we have right now. While the County is looking at a new transition from coal, she is working everyday to help us find a new way forward. As a County Commissioner, she has been pushing for more housing that’s affordable for all of us, while also always advocating against electric rate hikes and predatory practices, keeping more money in our pockets.
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