Gregory Grahek

Republican Party

How does your experience make you qualified to represent the people?

I am uniquely qualified to serve as Pueblo County Coroner.  I bring a combination of advanced education, extensive medical experience, proven leadership, and specialized medicolegal training.

My educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Biology from the University of Southern Colorado (1997), a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Colorado State University (2005), a Master of Science in Nursing as both an Acute Care and Family Nurse Practitioner from Colorado State University (2007), and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Regis University (2020).

In addition, I hold national board certifications as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (since 2007) and Family Nurse Practitioner (since 2008) through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Most importantly for this role, I am a Diplomate of the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI), demonstrating specialized expertise in death investigation and medicolegal practices.

For more than 20 years, I have served our community in healthcare, caring for individuals from birth through end of life. This experience has provided me with the clinical knowledge, scientific expertise, investigative skills, and compassion necessary to serve families during some of their most difficult moments. I have also successfully managed multi-million-dollar budgets, ensuring responsible stewardship of public resources.

The Coroner's Office requires scientific integrity, medical expertise, investigative competence, transparency, and accountability. My education, professional experience, and nationally recognized credentials have prepared me to lead the office with professionalism, compassion, and commitment to serving the people of Pueblo County.

I will bring unmatched scientific education, advanced medical training, and nationally recognized medicolegal certification to the office of Pueblo County Coroner.

What are your top priorities as Pueblo County Coroner?

My top priorities are transparency, integrity, investigative excellence, and accountability. The Coroner's Office must earn and maintain the public's trust by conducting thorough, unbiased death investigations and communicating openly with families and the community.

I am committed to bringing the office in line with state and national best practices and professional standards. This includes strengthening investigative procedures, improving operational efficiency, enhancing staff training and education, and ensuring the highest level of professionalism in every case.

My goal is to provide compassionate service to families, accurate and timely death investigations, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources while building a Coroner's Office that the people of Pueblo County can trust and rely upon.

What is one issue you think is being overlooked in this race, and how would you address it?

One of the most overlooked issues in this race is the importance of professional qualifications and specialized training for the office of Coroner. This position is too important to be learned solely on the job. It requires scientific knowledge, medical expertise, investigative competence, and a commitment to accountability.

Unfortunately, changes to Colorado law that take effect in August 2026 raise the population threshold requiring coroners to hold certification through the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI) or be a board-certified forensic pathologist. By increasing the threshold from 150,000 to 300,000 residents, Pueblo County is no longer subject to these professional qualification requirements despite operating a high-volume Coroner's Office that handles complex cases similar to larger jurisdictions.

The citizens of Pueblo County deserve death investigations conducted by qualified professionals who meet recognized state and national standards. Public trust depends on accurate investigations, sound scientific practices, and competent leadership.

As Coroner, I will continue to advocate for professional standards, specialized training, and nationally recognized certification within the office. I will work to ensure that Pueblo County maintains the highest level of competence, integrity, and accountability, while also encouraging lawmakers to recognize the importance of requiring appropriate qualifications for those entrusted with this critical public office.

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