Leadership elections are not symbolic. They determine who holds power, whose voices are protected, and whether institutions will stand up for our communities.

On January 15, the CU Board of Regents is planning to elect its next chair. This vote comes at a moment when public institutions and universities across the country are facing escalating attacks from a hostile federal administration and emboldened MAGA extremists.

What’s happening:

• Regent Callie Rennison, who identifies as a progressive and represents Congressional District 2, has stated she plans to vote for a conservative regent from Colorado Springs for chair.
• That decision would hand power to conservative leadership at a moment when it is needed most to defend our students, educators, and communities.

We are living through a federal assault on queer and trans people, immigrants, students of color, and all those targeted by the current administration’s narrow vision of who is allowed to belong. Public institutions are being pressured to comply, stay silent, or abandon their commitments to equity and inclusion.

Who leads the Board of Regents matters because:

• Chairs control agendas, committees, and priorities
• Leadership determines whether institutions resist or accommodate political attacks
• These choices have lasting consequences

This is not a moment for neutrality or trying to compromise with MAGA extremism. Choosing conservative leadership now puts vulnerable communities at greater risk.

Progressive leadership is not a label. It is a responsibility. We need leaders who will fight to protect our communities, not faux-gressives who hand power to conservatives when it counts.

Sending a letter makes clear that this decision is being watched, and that the stakes are understood.

Ask Regent Rennison to:

• Use her power as a progressive to hold the line
• Vote for leadership that will defend equity, inclusion, and the safety of our communities