Honestly, most people in Colorado see the "Regent of the University of Colorado - At Large" section on their ballot and just... blink. It’s one of those "down-ballot" races that sounds incredibly dry but actually controls a $6 billion budget and decides if your kid’s tuition is going to skyrocket next year.
Since we’re sitting in early 2026, the dust has finally settled from the high-stakes 2024 battle, and the landscape for the next cycle is just starting to take shape. You've probably heard the names, but the context usually gets lost in the political noise. Let’s talk about who these people actually are and why that "at-large" tag makes their job different from the other regents.
The 2024 Showdown: How Elliott Hood Took the Seat
The most recent race for the regent of the University of Colorado - at large candidates was a nail-biter. It wasn't just a local squabble; it was the only statewide race on the ballot that year, which meant everyone from Julesburg to Durango had a say.
Elliott Hood, a Boulder-based education attorney and former teacher, ended up winning the seat. He was up against Eric Rinard, a Republican design engineer who’d spent decades in the Front Range tech scene. The numbers were tight. Hood pulled in about 50.5% of the vote (roughly 1.47 million votes), while Rinard trailed closely at 46.5%.
Why does this matter? Because Hood’s win kept the Board of Regents in a narrow 5-4 Democratic majority. If Rinard had won, the power balance of the entire CU system—including Boulder, Denver, Colorado Springs, and the Anschutz Medical Campus—would have flipped.
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What Hood Pushed For
- Net Zero by 2050: He’s been vocal about pushing the university toward serious sustainability goals, aiming to eliminate direct emissions by 2040.
- Affordability: This is the big one. Hood campaigned on expanding financial aid and keeping tuition hikes as low as possible.
- Union Rights: He’s a big supporter of collective bargaining for CU employees, a topic that’s been a major friction point on campus lately.
The Rinard Perspective
Eric Rinard didn’t go down easy. He actually outperformed the top of the Republican ticket in places like Douglas and El Paso counties. His platform was basically the "engineer’s approach": focus on core academic excellence, protect free speech from what he called "ideological drift," and keep the university's nose out of partisan politics.
Why the "At Large" Candidates Are a Different Breed
Most of the nine regents are elected from specific congressional districts. If you live in Denver, you vote for the District 1 regent. If you’re in Colorado Springs, you’re looking at District 5.
But the regent of the University of Colorado - at large candidates represent the entire state. This creates a weird dynamic. They have to care about the rural rancher in Weld County just as much as the grad student in Boulder.
The at-large regent often acts as a tie-breaker or a bridge between regional interests. Because they aren't beholden to one specific district’s "vibe," they theoretically have a broader mandate.
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Looking Toward 2026 and 2030
Because regents serve six-year terms, Elliott Hood is locked in until 2031. We won’t see another at-large race for a while. However, the Board is always in flux.
Right now, in early 2026, we’re seeing candidates for other seats start to emerge. For instance, Callie Rennison, who currently chairs the board, announced she won’t seek re-election in District 2. We've got Kubs Lalchandani and Kristopher Larsen already jumping into that fray.
What’s interesting is how these district-level candidates often use the at-large platform as a blueprint. They look at what worked for Hood—focusing on student mental health and "real world" affordability—and try to replicate it in their own backyards.
The "Secret" Powers of a CU Regent
You might think they just show up to graduation and wear fancy robes. Nope. They are basically the "Board of Directors" for a massive corporation that happens to be a school.
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- Hiring the President: They are the ones who pick the person who runs the whole system. Remember the drama with Mark Kennedy a few years back? That was a Board of Regents decision.
- Gun Policy: This is a huge, ongoing debate. Hood campaigned on keeping campuses gun-free, while other more conservative regents have argued for different safety measures.
- Tuition Rates: Every year, they vote on how much you pay. If they don't manage the budget well, that cost gets passed to the students.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think this is a volunteer gig for retired professors. Kinda, but not really. It’s a partisan election. Candidates run as Democrats, Republicans, or third-party (like T.J. Cole of the Unity Party or Thomas Reasoner of the Approval Voting Party, who both ran in 2024).
This means the "at large" race is often a proxy war for state politics. If the state is leaning blue, the at-large seat usually goes blue. But because it’s a six-year term, a regent can end up being a "political ghost" from a previous era, holding onto power long after the state's political mood has shifted.
Actionable Insights for the Next Cycle
If you’re looking at the next set of candidates, don’t just read their "About Me" page. Look at their stance on the TABOR (Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights) and how they plan to fund the university without just tapping students for more cash.
- Check the Donor List: See if they are funded by big tech, energy companies, or teachers' unions. It tells you exactly who they’ll listen to when a vote comes up.
- Attend a Meeting: The regents meet regularly (like the upcoming February 5-6 session in Boulder). You can actually watch them work. It’s the best way to see if they’re actually doing what they promised during the campaign.
- Follow the Budget: The CU system's budget is public. If a candidate says they’ll "lower tuition" but doesn't explain which program they’ll cut to pay for it, they're probably just talking.
The next time you see regent of the University of Colorado - at large candidates on your ballot, remember: they’re the ones holding the keys to the state’s biggest economic and educational engine. It’s worth the five minutes of research.
Next Steps for Informed Voting:
Track the current Board's voting record on tuition via the official CU Regents portal. This allows you to compare what Elliott Hood and other incumbents promised against their actual legislative actions before the next major election cycle begins.