The first woman to enter the crowded race for U.S. senator, also hopes to be Colorado’s first female to fill the post.

Peggy Littleton, an El Paso County Commissioner, announced Tuesday she will join the list of nine other Republicans hoping to unseat U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat from Denver, in 2016.

“It would be an honor. It would be exciting,” Littleton said of breaking the glass ceiling in Colorado for the highest political office in the state. “I don’t want people to think that that’s a reason to vote for me, though. I want them to look at my record, my track record of success and say she is the best qualified candidate out there.”

Littleton, 56, is in the middle of her second term as county commissioner. She also served seven years on the State Board of Education, a seat that is elected by voters in the 5th Congressional District. She is currently a part-time realtor and is president of a charter school.

“They were excited to have someone who just didn’t go along with the status quo,” Littleton said of her candidacy. “Someone who is a crusader against corruption.”

Littleton said she was the first to call for the resignation of Republican Sheriff Terry Maketa after reports of his misdealings in the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office were revealed. She said she pushed for a second vote on a “deceptive term limit question” that actually extended the term limits for county commissioners rather than decreasing it.

She pushed for the issue to be on the ballot in 2012 and she said overwhelmingly voters agreed with her that they hadn’t intended to extend term limits.

Littleton also said she opposed the adoption of Common Core Standards when she was on the State Board of Education.

“I led the effort against Common Core before it was popular to lead against common core,” she said.

Littleton noted that she also has been successful in a purple district, noting that the political breakdown of her district seat is split in thirds between Democrats, Republicans and independent voters.

But at least one thing will be different during this campaign than in her previous races.

Littleton will be campaigning as “Peg Littleton.”

“I’m no longer Peggy Littleton, county commissioner,” she said. “Now I’m Peg Littleton U.S. Senator.”

–

Contact Megan Schrader: 286-0644

Peggy Littleton.