Colorado Senate District 30 Candidates 2026: John Carson vs Kevin Leung

Senate District 30 never leaves Douglas County: the legislature lists Douglas as its only county, and in 2022 the county's 94 District 30 precincts accounted for every one of the 86,873 votes the state certified. Its incumbent has never faced the district's voters: John Carson got the seat by appointment in January 2025. Kevin Leung, a former school board director, is the Democrat trying to take it.

Which Douglas County votes here

The redistricting commission's map of Senate districts in Douglas County draws District 30 as the county's northwest suburban block: Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree and Acres Green along the Arapahoe County line, Castle Pines to the south, and Roxborough Park on the west. Castle Rock, Parker and Franktown are in District 2, and the rural rest of the county is in District 4, which we cover on its own page. Leung's site also lists Sterling Ranch; the commission's map does not label it.

The seat has changed hands once since it was last on the ballot, and not by election. Kevin Van Winkle won it in 2022 and, according to Ballotpedia, resigned Dec. 16, 2024, to fill a vacancy on the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners. Douglas County Republicans appointed Carson to finish the term.

The county's own numbers

In 2022, Van Winkle beat Democrat Braeden Miguel 46,751 to 40,122, or 53.8 to 46.2 percent; in 2018 Chris Holbert held the seat 52.8 to 41.6. This June's uncontested primaries ran the same direction: Leung drew 21,989 votes on the Democratic ballot and Carson 18,744 on the Republican one.

Money is even. The Secretary of State's Oct. 3 quick-stats report shows Carson at $136,755.58 raised and $43,630.54 spent, and Leung at $136,948.82 raised and $6,410.98 spent.

John Carson, Republican

Carson's site says he has lived in Highlands Ranch with his wife, Eileen, for 24 years, where they raised three children. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, holds a CU law degree and a Georgetown tax LL.M., and has practiced law in Colorado for 38 years. He served six years in the Marine Corps Reserve and a decade in Washington as counsel to U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard and on two congressional committees; Ballotpedia adds eight years as HUD's Rocky Mountain regional director.

He was elected to the Douglas County school board in 2005, was its president from 2009 to 2013, then served six years as a CU regent. In the Senate he sits on Judiciary and the Committee on Legal Services. Endorsements on his site include Sheriff Darren Weekly, District Attorney George Brauchler, Sen. Lisa Frizell, NFIB and the Colorado Chamber of Commerce.

Where Carson stands

"Colorado is no longer affordable," his home page begins, and his issues page is built around taxes. He pledges to protect TABOR, close what he calls the "fee" loophole and reduce property taxes. He says he fought SB26-115, a 2026 bill he describes as clawing back $300 million in TABOR refunds, and he sponsored SB25-138 to phase out the state income tax over ten years, which died on a party-line vote. His 2026 bills include a 25 percent state tax credit for health savings account contributions (SB26-029), stiffer penalties for drivers who kill or injure (SB26-072, signed) and a children's online privacy bill aimed at social media companies (HB26-1263, signed).

Kevin Leung, Democrat

Leung's site says he came from Hong Kong 38 years ago and has lived in Douglas County for more than 35 of them; in his Ballotpedia survey he writes that he and his wife "raised our three daughters in Castle Pines." He built an IT consulting business and a car wash, holds an MBA and a master's in computer science, and lists the Colorado Governor's Minority Business Award in 2019 and the Colorado Association of School Boards' McGuffey Award in 2020.

He was elected to the Douglas County school board in 2017, served as treasurer and left in November 2021. He won a South Metro Fire Rescue board seat in May 2022, was re-elected unopposed in 2025, and sits on the Castle Pines Urban Renewal Authority and the STEM School Highlands Ranch board.

Where Leung stands

His platform is four headings: working families, children, smart growth and seniors. On schools he points to the 2018 bond and mill levy, "$250 million" for buildings and "$40 million annually for teacher pay," and promises "fully funded classrooms and fairly paid teachers." On growth: "Responsible development that protects our water, our safety, and what makes Douglas County special." On seniors: healthcare access and fraud protection. His site does not mention TABOR or the income tax. Endorsements listed include Sen. John Hickenlooper, Reps. Jason Crow and Joe Neguse, Attorney General Phil Weiser, state Rep. Bob Marshall, South Metro Professional Firefighters Local 2086 and the Colorado Education Association.

"A track record you can verify, not just a promise you have to trust."

That line from Leung's home page reads as a shot at an appointed incumbent, though neither candidate's site names the other.

What this means in Douglas County

Both candidates have run countywide school board races and both lean on Douglas County credentials rather than party. Carson's answer to affordability is lower taxes and a TABOR defense; Leung's is public investment, starting with the school district he helped fund. On public safety, Carson has the sheriff and the DA; Leung has the firefighters' union and a seat on the fire board.

More: every race and measure on your ballot and the county's November ballot guide. We do not endorse candidates. Campaigns can send corrections to hello@discoverdougco.com.