Boulder Weekly sent candidate questionnaires to all candidates on Boulder County ballots. These are their written responses, edited for length and clarity. Read more Election 2024 content.
Jillaire McMillan
jillaireforco.com
Relevant experience
Director of volunteers at national nonprofit; co-founded marine robotics company with husband; PTA president; leader of church youth ministry; mother of four.
Top three priorities if elected
I want to expand health care access by increasing the number of health care professionals through policies that train, attract and retain more providers.
Public transportation is better for traffic, the environment and for people who can’t afford personal vehicles. District 19 has limited mass transit. Improved transportation access for my constituents will be a priority for me.
Gun violence prevention is essential. We must keep guns out of the hands of children and those who pose a threat to themselves and others — even just temporarily. Common sense reforms can be accomplished without infringing on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners.
When was the last time you paid rent? How much was it? And where?
2016; $3,100/month; Sunnyvale, CA
Tell us about your decision to run for the D19 vacancy. Why are you running, and why now? It seemed to happen fairly quickly — you have no campaign website or presence online.
I’ve always had a deep love for my community, and the thought of running for office has been on my mind for a long time. While I never anticipated running a campaign in 2024, stepping into this race is a true reflection of my life as a dedicated citizen and community member. I’ve consistently been an informed voter, engaging with candidates and supporting those who share my values. My volunteer leadership in schools, church congregations and neighborhoods has seen me raise funds, organize large-scale events and navigate the complexities of coordinating with people with diverse interests and personalities. When I learned about the vacancy on the ballot, I decided that this was an opportunity to run and to serve that I shouldn’t pass up.
What would you say are the top three issues facing District 19, and what are your plans to address them in a way that differs from the current approach? (If different from your priorities, please explain why.)
Affordable housing, the environment and accessible healthcare are some of the top issues facing HD19 residents.
The environment is a critical reason why many people live and stay in Colorado. I support policies which invest in technologies of the future, while also ensuring that our highly skilled workers in the oil and gas industry are not left behind. I also believe that renewable energy should be balanced with the need to ensure abundant energy that supports Colorado’s electrical grid. This balanced approach to legislating differentiates me from many of our current politicians.
Housing has obviously become a priority for many states, but Colorado’s healthy economy has pushed the price of housing out of the reach of too many voters. That needs to be addressed urgently. Wage increases will help, but until housing costs can be addressed, it will not be entirely effective. That will require increasing supply and working with localities to ensure changes in zoning laws to meet the demands of our current housing crisis, while also providing the funding to ensure that our infrastructure keeps up with our growth.
Healthcare is a critical issue, and one that is a major point of distinction in this race. The cost of healthcare is often prohibitive to voters seeking care. An unhealthy population cannot work, study, pay bills or otherwise contribute to their community. We need to educate the next generation of doctors, nurses and mental health care providers, attract more doctors and nurses to the Colorado hospitals and ensure that no one endures suffering simply because of costs. We must also stand up for women’s reproductive healthcare. I am the only candidate in the race who has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado and who will defend the right to choose.
How do you represent and advocate for voters in suburban and rural areas in a state where the focus and power tends to be concentrated in the more urban Front Range, particularly Denver and Boulder?
I will be elected to represent the people of District 19 — all of them.
The suburbs and the rural areas of Colorado need infrastructure and 21st century technology to promote the economic growth and stability of those regions. The legislation must benefit all Coloradoans, and we must address the issues of the ranchers and farmlands from water to our changing climate. We also must ensure that there is equal access to infrastructure and healthcare. Our urban areas need robust resources to support a supply of housing and ensure that those working in those areas are not priced out of building community in the areas where they work.
I have already knocked on hundreds of doors throughout HD19 with a diversity of people and community needs. This approach of direct outreach will continue to inform my time as a legislator.
How can we evolve the transportation systems in suburban and rural areas to meet Colorado’s climate goals, while balancing the realities of car dependency for those who must rely on personal vehicles?
I see public transportation as a win-win-win. It’s a win for traffic congestion. It’s a win for the environment. And it’s especially a win for people who don’t have the resources to purchase, insure, fill up and maintain a personal vehicle. We need to invest more in mass transit to get more cars off the roads. Where that is not possible, we need cleaner cars. Colorado already has strict emissions standards and tax incentives for purchasing electric cars, but we need to build more infrastructure for electric vehicles so people can reliably travel and work to ensure that this transition remains affordable for our most vulnerable residents. Municipalities in HD19 are exploring micro-transit options that can serve residents outside of traditional transit lines — those who might typically rely on a personal vehicle. However, this will leave out residents like myself who live in unincorporated areas, and so I see opportunity for state-led collaboration across city and county lines to ensure that no one is left behind.
Given the realities of a changing climate and limited government resources, how do you plan on balancing mitigation and adaptation for already-impacted populations in D19?
Climate change is an urgent issue and we are seeing environmental issues, such as wildfires and poor air quality, impacting Coloradans quality of life. We can certainly achieve greater green energy reliance especially in the urban corridor where solar arrays can be erected in many public spaces creating shade and rain / snow cover. Transitions to new energy sources will need to be accompanied by training and good-paying jobs for workers who may get displaced. As a candidate, I am committed to building bridges to ensure the policies we make do not exacerbate current environmental concerns.
Do you support plans for the 26-well Draco Pad near Erie? Why or why not? Are there any interventions available to state lawmakers that you would use to alter these plans in any way? If so, what are they and how would you utilize them? If not, why not?
I am continuing to listen to local input on the project and believe that things should not be fast tracked until all stakeholders and residents have had the opportunity to be heard and had their concerns addressed. While I don’t believe that I should use my position to halt particular projects, I believe I have a responsibility to ensure that corporate wishes do not bulldoze the ability for local input. We need the rules governing oil and gas extraction to consider the health and safety of the community, especially our children. Those rules could be updated by the state legislature to require projects to consider the impacts of surrounding communities, not just those immediately around well sites. The Draco Pad project still requires a permit from Colorado’s Energy and Carbon Management commission, and I hope that they vigorously weigh the concerns by residents and policymakers.
How does JEDI factor into your policy making?
JEDI itself has become fairly controversial and a subject of national discourse. I acknowledge that our national history has created a lot of inequities, and going forward we should craft policy that, when possible, levels the playing field and lifts the marginalized. This takes a deep commitment to engaging many perspectives, and my approach to legislating is informed by a desire to listen to all stakeholders. To make good policy, the people most affected by them should be included in the conversations and solutions. I intend to be an accessible legislator who engages constituents in multiple ways, recognizing that in-person forums will not be accessible to everyone. For every issue there is, I am committed to bringing the best resources available in experts, data, and stakeholder conversations so I can make the best decisions for our district.
What efforts do you make in your daily life to consider and understand people with different lived experiences from your own?
I’m a generally extroverted person who enjoys connecting with people. I like to ask questions, learn people’s stories and share my own. I think there are many ways that I try to learn and understand people whose experiences vary from mine. One way I do this is by reading. I love to read, and I believe that books — fiction and nonfiction alike — can expose us to different ideas and teach us empathy. I also try to engage with various news sources so that I’m getting information and perspectives about the world–whether that’s here in HD19, Washington, DC or a different country.
I belong to a church that assigns members to congregations based on geography. This means that I don’t get to choose where or with whom I worship. Wherever I’ve lived, I have had deep friendships with people that I might not have otherwise met had we not been assigned to attend the same congregation–including those with different lived experiences and politics.
Finally, I have moved many times in my life, and I have made an effort to maintain relationships with friends from various countries, religions, ages, family situations and professions. Those relationships teach me that people have different experiences and help me be more understanding and inclusive as I interact with the world.
When’s the last time you changed your mind about something, and what was it?
I was planning to vote for Joe Biden, and now I’m enthusiastically voting for Kamala Harris.
What question would you ask a fellow candidate on the ballot?
Voters of the current HD19 supported Joe Biden for president in 2020. However, Dan Woog attended a “Stop the Steal” rally with Dave Williams, Mike Lindell and others. With another close and contentious election in 2024, I want to ask Dan: Are you committed to supporting the will of Coloradans and Americans no matter who wins?
Lightning round
Do you support local efforts to increase the minimum wage? Yes.
Do you support an end to the state prohibition on rent control? Yes.
Do you support interventions for human-caused climate change? Yes.
Do you support for SB24-157 which narrowed the definition of what constitutes a public meeting?
Yes. I believe government transparency is critical, but negotiation is an essential part of legislating, and ethical conversations held to ensure good policy outcomes often require a push and pull. I believe SB24-157 properly balanced the competing needs of negotiation and public transparency.