ALAMOSA - The longer he campaigns to be the next Attorney General of Colorado, the more voters are getting to know Michael Dougherty. It isn’t the result of a slick, social media campaign or packaged commercials on selected tv channels. It also isn’t the result of holding high dollar fundraiser events at elite sports clubs that increase visibility among wealthy donors who pay for those ads to be broadcast.

To the contrary, Dougherty’s name is increasingly on voters’ minds because he is campaigning to be Colorado’s AG the old-fashioned way. One town hall, one early morning meet-and-greet at a local diner, one afternoon with a group at a community center at a time plus an added stop at another town that got scheduled at the last minute.

It’s a grueling process that takes its toll. But even at the end of back to back events for two solid days with the last afternoon spent meeting with a crowd in Alamosa, Dougherty seems as energized, focused and present as if he was just starting out.

Maybe the energy is a result of being really healthy as the slim, 53 year old Boulder DA runs every single day,  sometimes for miles on end.

But maybe it’s something else.

Maybe Dougherty’s energy springs from the passion that comes with knowing he’s doing what he was born to do. To be of service to others, to uphold the rule of law, to protect the marginalized, to live by a set of values that reflect, as one endorser said, “a deep sense of integrity, even when no one is watching.”

Michael Dougherty has a compelling and uniquely “American” story. The grandson of Irish immigrants who “came over on a boat with nothing but the shirts on their backs,” he was born and raised in New York City – Brooklyn, to be precise.

From a young age, he knew what he wanted to do. His family “didn’t have much money,” and he knew accomplishing his goal would only come with hard work. So,  he put himself through college, working the night shift at UPS loading boxes on the trucks and working at a deli on the weekends.

His first two years were spent at a community college followed by two years at Cornell followed by law school at the highly ranked Boston University. Not bad for a kid from Brooklyn.

“I know what it means to be a member of a blue-collar family, and I know why unions are important. And that’s why, as AG, I'll continue to lift up workers and address affordability because, if we don’t, we’re going to continue to have a two-tiered system and that income gap will continue to grow. That’s also why we need to have a leader who's familiar with the job, who's spent a lot of time in the courtroom, who knows how to fight and knows how to win.”

And in that one statement, he defines himself to the people who have come to hear to what he has to say.  

Dougherty's not a politician, at least, not in the way people are politicians these days. No, he continues to be what he's always been: a prosecutor.  And he spends the next hour making a very strong case for why he’s the best candidate to be AG. Plus, he has the receipts to prove it.

Listening to him, there's a slight touch in his tone of the CU Law School part time adjunct professor. And there's an equally strong hint of the commitment and compassion he displays teaching free weekly classes on Constitutional rights to immigrant students in various parts of the state. The class is open to anyone who wants to come, and he has taught almost every week for several years, completely on his own time.

He says he enjoys the classes. They're fun.  Teaching, protecting, defending marginalized people is a special passion of his, he says, and the classes are more important now than ever. 

After graduating from law school, Dougherty's first job was with the Manhattan DA’s office where he was Deputy Chief of the Sex Crimes Unit, supervising 50 attorneys. He was so effective that he was then put in charge of the daily management of 1300 people.

After being recruited for a job by the Colorado AG , Dougherty and his family picked up from New York City where they had lived all their lives and headed west to Colorado. He quickly adapted to the job and, after eight months, was named Deputy Attorney General in charge of the entire criminal justice division, prosecuting a myriad of felony crimes .

"I'm the only person in this race who's actually worked in the AG's office and know what's involved.," he says.  He leaves it at that.

As the Boulder DA for the last eight years, Dougherty has  prosecuted – and gotten  convictions on - some high stakes cases that garnered national attention.  After the Marshall Fire that destroyed large swaths of land and homes in Boulder, Dougherty led the thorough and intricate investigation. It enabled residents to sue Xcel for causing the Marshall Fire. That civil suit secured $640 million for the victims, and his leadership was instrumental in securing that outcome.

In describing the situation, Dougherty says Xcel was reluctant to assist with the investigation sometimes, delaying the release of information and putting up other obstacles.  "But we just didn't give up," 

Dougherty also prosecuted the "King Soopers shooter" who was responsible for the death of ten people. As Dougherty says it, those watching him closely might have seen the phrase catch very briefly in his throat, a likely sign of just how difficult the trial was. 

Dougherty then pivots to why those experiences are so foundational.  “We can’t just have a figurehead as AG. We need someone who can be a leader in the courtroom – someone who can win, of course  - but can also be a leader in managing and guiding and advising large groups of attorneys. I have experience doing both.”

At that point, DA Anne Kelly for the 12th Judicial District walked to the front of the room and stood at Dougherty's side.

“I’m a Republican,” she says, smiling. Kelly worked for DA Dougherty for several years before he sent her to the Valley to help out with an unfathomable back log of cases after the previous DA resigned from office. Dougherty also was the one who encouraged her to run for District Attorney. 

"So, Michael and I may not agree on a lot of things," she says. "But these are scary times for Colorado and I know we need an AG who's smart, works very hard, has 30 years of  experience - like he does - and can step into that job ready to work day one." 

She then pauses for a minute before continuing.

"But I’m also very concerned that the candidate leading the Democratic race right now is not being forthright with the voters about how little she has ever really been in court..” Another pause. “We need someone we can trust, and I trust Michael Dougherty to be honest one hundred percent.”

When the event comes to a close, it’s clear how appreciative the people were of all Dougherty has done, from sending attorneys when the DA (previous to Kelly) resigned from office, as well as providing prosecutors to try the Baroz case where 5 women were murdered. He is also on to assist Kelly in the upcoming trial of Barry Morphew.

As the meeting breaks up, and people approach Dougherty to speak with him personally, Alamosa Sheriff Robert Jackson stopped briefly on his way out. Jackson, who has endorsed Dougherty, summed things up for the Vally Courier. "Michael Dougherty has been good for the valley. He’s helped us so much and in so many  different ways. You make sure the people know that.”