About

Robin Kniech was raised in a working-class family, the daughter of factory and construction workers. The values, grit and determination of her roots have fueled her dedication to creating more equitable and just communities for those struggling to make ends meet and those facing historic disadvantage through her elected public service and non-profit leadership. In 2023 Robin completed three terms as an At-large member of the Denver City Council. Elected in 2011, she was the first out LGBTQ member to serve on Council and in 2023 she was the longest serving out LGBTQ elected officeholder in the state of Colorado. Robin leaves a City Council legacy of bold accomplishments in access to and funding for affordable housing, good paying jobs, sustainability, inclusivity and equity.

More about Robin  

During her Council tenure, Robin spearheaded Colorado’s first and only local minimum wage, the highest real minimum wage in the nation when compared to cost of living, which has delivered raises to hundreds of thousands of workers. She championed the passage of two crucial, permanent funding streams for affordable housing and reducing homelessness across Denver which, by 2030, will provide nearly a billion dollars for these efforts to build more than 10,000 new homes and support stability for more than 100,000 families. Robin was also instrumental in moving Denver toward more equitable land use and zoning, including legalizing roommates, zoning for group living and for Tiny Home Villages and Safe Outdoor Spaces, filling the gap between shelter and housing for those experiencing homelessness. She was instrumental in state legislative reform and a 2022 Denver ordinance requiring affordability in new development and many other housing policies and programs, including renter protections.  

Robin also strengthened independent police oversight, passed one of the strongest immigrant protection ordinances in the nation, and has been a relentless advocate for workers’ rights and protections. In these ways and more she transformed the role of Denver’s government to focus on the needs of underrepresented people and include their voices in ways that were unthinkable when she was first elected. This included catalyzing Denver’s first public sector Participatory Budget Program, which brought direct resident-led decision-making to fund nine community-prioritized projects across the city in 2022.  

Robin has also partnered across jurisdictions and with state legislators to create impacts and expand opportunity in communities across Colorado. She is a national leader among her local elected official peers, serving on the board of Local Progress for a decade and as a trainer with the re:power Progressive Governance Academy for elected officials. She is also a member of the Colorado Bar.  

Robin has been supported in all of this by her son Nathan and wife Katie. 

Awards and Recognitions  

Marguerite Salazar Community Service Award, Colorado Democratic Party (2023)  

Human Dignity and Justice Award, Together Colorado (2023)  

Outstanding Elected Official, Recycle Colorado (2023)  

Honoree for Affordable Housing, Enterprise Communities (2022)  

Coalition for Universal Representation Champion (2022)  

Denver Mayor’s Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture (2018)  

Top 25 Most Powerful Women, Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce (2016) 

Professional Woman of the Year, Denver Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (2014)  

Denver Women’s Commission and Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce Honoree (2012)