Cary Kennedy

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Cary Kennedy – Life, Career, and Political Impact

Explore the life and political career of Cary Kennedy — former Colorado State Treasurer, Denver Deputy Mayor & CFO, and gubernatorial candidate. Learn her background, major achievements, and influence in Colorado politics.

Introduction

Cary Kennedy is an American politician and public finance expert based in Colorado. She has served in key fiscal and executive roles — most notably as State Treasurer of Colorado (2007–2011) and later as Denver’s Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Mayor. In 2018, she ran for Governor of Colorado. Her career reflects a focus on budgeting, education funding, municipal finance, and public service.

Early Life, Education, and Family

Cary Kennedy was born in 1968 in Colorado. She grew up in Evergreen and Denver, attending Manual High School in Denver.

For her higher education:

• Bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence University

• Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from University of Denver, Sturm College of Law

She is married to Saurabh Mangalik, and they have two children.

Early Career & Public Service

Cary Kennedy’s career has its roots in fiscal and budgeting roles at the state level. Early roles include:

• Budget analyst in the Office of State Planning and Budgeting under Governor Roy Romer

• Fiscal analyst at the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing

• Policy director for the Colorado House Speaker (Andrew Romanoff) in the mid-2000s

These early roles built her expertise in state finance, health policy, and legislative budgeting.

Major Offices & Achievements

State Treasurer, Colorado (2007–2011)

In 2006, Cary Kennedy ran for Colorado State Treasurer and won against Republican Mark Hillman. She took office on January 9, 2007 and served until January 11, 2011. While treasurer, she developed the BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today) program, which has financed renovation and infrastructure improvements for hundreds of aging school buildings across Colorado. In 2010, she ran for re-election but was narrowly defeated by Republican Walker Stapleton.

Denver Chief Financial Officer & Deputy Mayor

After her tenure as state treasurer, Kennedy joined the municipal government of Denver.
In 2011, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock appointed her as Chief Financial Officer and shortly thereafter also designated her as Deputy Mayor, overseeing the city’s finances and serving as Hancock’s second in command. During her time in Denver:

• She led the financial engineering and funding for projects such as the Carla Madison Recreation Center (central Denver recreation center), using a combination of bonds, station sale proceeds, and emergency funds.

• Her role as Deputy Mayor meant stepping in for the Mayor when needed and coordinating cross-departmental policy implementation.

She resigned from her municipal roles in early 2017 to launch a consulting firm and later to prepare for a gubernatorial run.

2018 Gubernatorial Campaign

In April 2017, Kennedy announced her candidacy for Governor of Colorado in the 2018 election. She competed in the Democratic primary but was defeated by Jared Polis, who went on to win the general election. In that primary, Kennedy placed behind Polis, who secured the nomination.

After her campaign, she continued to work in public policy and advising roles.

Later Roles & Influence

After her run for governor, Cary Kennedy has remained active in Colorado’s public policy and governance sphere. She currently serves as a senior advisor to Governor Jared Polis on state fiscal issues. In that role, she has contributed to:

• Tax code reform

• Funding for full-day kindergarten and universal preschool

• Modernization of transportation funding

• Increasing equity and funding in K-12 education

Her academic affiliation: she appears as a lecturer in the CU Denver School of Public Affairs.

Kennedy has also played a role in numerous state ballot measures, including:

• Amendment 23 (2000): Initiated formula to set minimum funding growth for public education in Colorado.

• Referendum C (2005): The balanced budget agreement that provided flexibility for state revenues.

• Amendment 35 (2004): Child Health Plan funding measure.

• More recent measures: Proposition EE (2020) funding preschool, Amendment B (repealing the Gallagher Amendment).

Historical & Political Context

• Kennedy’s rise in Colorado politics coincided with debates about education funding, tax policy, and state infrastructure growth.

• The institution of programs like BEST reflects policy responses in many U.S. states to aging school infrastructure and the financial challenges of updating facilities.

• Her move from statewide office to city executive roles underscores how public finance skills translate across levels of government.

• The 2018 governor’s race was a high-stakes contest in a politically shifting Colorado landscape — her campaign was part of a broader Democratic surge in the state.

• Her continued work as an advisor indicates how former candidates can influence policy outside elected office.

Personality, Style & Approach

Cary Kennedy is regarded as a pragmatic, technocratic leader with expertise in finance, budgeting, and institutional reform. She often frames her work around numbers, policy, and structural improvements — rather than ideological rhetoric.

Her public language emphasizes collaboration, fiscal responsibility, and education investment. Her campaign style was grounded, detailed, and policy-oriented.

Her movement from analyst to elected official to administrator to advisor shows adaptability and a willingness to serve in multiple capacities.

Selected Quotes

While there are fewer widely circulated “famous quotes” compared to literary figures, here are a few remarks attributed to Kennedy in media and campaign materials:

• On education: She has often stated that "kids and their future should not be a political football," emphasizing stability and reliability in education funding.

• On fiscal policy: She has spoken of “balancing the books with fairness rather than cutting essentials.”

• On public service: In interviews, she has emphasized that “true public service means tackling the hardest problems you can’t avoid.”

These reflect her orientation toward responsibility, pragmatism, and public welfare.

Lessons from Cary Kennedy’s Career

From Cary Kennedy’s path we can draw several lessons:

1. Technical expertise is valuable in politics
   Deep knowledge in budgeting and finance can create pathways to leadership and influence.

2. Cross-level experience enhances impact
   Serving in both state and municipal roles gives perspective on how policy plays out on the ground.

3. Public policy is long game work
   Many of her achievements (like BEST) took years of design, funding, and implementation — patience and persistence matter.

4. Even a failed campaign can expand influence
   Though unsuccessful in her gubernatorial bid, her campaign raised her profile and she remains a key actor in policy advising.

5. Infrastructure and education are foundational in state politics
   Her focus on school facilities, equitable funding, and early education aligns with core challenges states face nationally.

Conclusion

Cary Kennedy illustrates a model of public service grounded in fiscal discipline, educational investment, and pragmatic governance. Her career—from state treasurer to city administration to gubernatorial candidate to policy advisor—demonstrates versatility, expertise, and commitment. In Colorado politics, she remains a respected figure whose influence continues through advisory roles and structural policy work.