Kelley Dennison

Dennison grew up in Estes Park, Colorado, and is reported to be 27 years old. The Estes Valley Voice reports that she was adopted by parents nearly five decades older, and she describes the household she was raised in as "Kennedy Democrats."[1][2] She earned a diploma from Estes Park High School.[2] According to the Estes Valley Voice, she briefly attended college before completing more than 1,200 hours of massage therapy training, and she graduated from the Academy of Natural Therapy in 2023.[1][2]

Dennison works as a licensed massage therapist, operating a private practice and working as a contractor in Windsor, Colorado.[1][2] She describes herself as a business owner and activist, and the Estes Valley Voice reports that she worked as a campaign staffer for another Republican candidate, Adam DeRito, before running herself.[1][2] She entered the Republican primary days before the filing deadline as a first-time candidate and won the nomination on June 30, 2026.[1][4] In the general election she challenged Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse.[5] She received 23.6% of the vote to Joe Neguse's 74.5%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[3]