Armenian human rights activist running for Colorado House

PanARMENIAN.Net - Prominent human rights activist, Democratic Party volunteer and educator Simon Maghakyan announced Thursday, November 21 evening he will run for a Colorado House seat from Denver in 2020, Coloradopolitics.com reports.

Maghakyan, who is Armenians, is seeking the seat held by James Coleman, who is running for the Senate District 33, currently held by fellow Democrat Angela Williams, who is currently running for U.S. Senate.

The Democratic race also includes Bernard Douthit, who filed his paperwork to run on Wednesday, according to the Secretary of State's Office. Douthit ran for state treasurer last year.

Born in Armenia in 1986 to a family of Genocide survivors, Maghakyan has been working on human rights issues and with immigrant communities in the Denver area since 2003.

He teaches international relations and an introduction to business course, with an emphasis on community engagement, at the University of Colorado Denver. He graduated summa cum laude with undergraduate and graduate degrees in political science from UCD.

Maghakyan has been a community organizer for Colorado and 17 other Western states for the Armenian National Committee of America, the nation’s largest Armenian American grassroots organization, for five years. He has helped thousands of immigrants with naturalization and participating in democracy.

He also has advocated on their behalf at the state legislature, as well as coordinating civics and historical education for state Capitol visitors, "teaching schoolchildren how state laws are made and how citizens of all ages, even before they can vote, can participate in democracy," according to his bio.

Maghakyan is a member of the Colorado Democratic Party’s State Executive Committee, and he has volunteered for a number of progressive campaigns.