Steering Committee

Chair

Shane Wittstruck

Shane serves as the Chair of the Political Worker’s Guild. They served in one session as a legislative intern and three sessions as a legislative aide in the General Assembly—interning for then Majority Whip Rep. Duran, two sessions as an aide for Rep. Mabrey, and most recently for Rep. Marshall. As an aide, Shane has advanced the progressive agenda in the areas of housing, labor, and criminal justice. Within PWG, Shane is proud to help build worker power in the Colorado political sphere!

Shane is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Psychology at the University of Colorado Denver. In their free time, they are a community organizer and enjoy a good hike or concert.

Vice Chair

Chris Crosby

Chris serves as the Vice Chair of PWG. Like many in the union, his experience as an aide and campaign worker has shown him both sides of the political process. He is committed to helping get both Legislative Aides and Campaign Workers to a point where we can comfortably work in Colorado politics and have the support needed to stay. We have chosen to be here not for the great benefits, high reputation, or the living wage; but for some higher reason. And for as much external pressure there is in political work, it is the internal pressures that force us out. Chris is in PWG because it is important to him to help strengthen our relationships with employers so that we are comfortable at home and at work 1) to help ourselves and 2) to let us serve others better.

Worker rights, dignity, and pay has fallen squarely in the middle of Colorado’s political environment, and he believes this issue is not something our majority party can be divided on. In service of increasing pay and working conditions for Colorado’s political workers, Chris believes that the only way to achieve our shared needs is in solidarity with one another.

Chief Steward & Organizing Chair

Abbie Marksbury

Abbie is Chief Steward, Organizing Chair, and a proud union sibling of PWG. She currently works as a full time legislative aide and campaign manager. She became involved in our union after being organized by Sophia Braman-Sickling, quickly jumping in to help however she could. Motivated by her own experience of mistreatment in a legislative office, Abbie has dedicated herself to the fight for fair and equitable working conditions for all political workers. As a steward, Abbie is a fierce advocate and a trusted resource for her fellow workers, always maintaining an open door policy. She played a key role at the bargaining table in winning severance pay for a legislative aide for the first time in April 2025.

For decades, political workers in Colorado have faced exploitation both in legislative offices and on the campaign trail, with little to no accountability for those in power. Abbie is determined to help change that. Only by working together with her fellow union siblings, she will continue to advance our vision of securing better wages, benefits, and working conditions.

Secretary-Treasurer

Maggie Mixer

Maggie is the Treasurer and Secretary for PWG. She entered the campaign world as a campus organizer during college and went on to manage a State House race before becoming a legislative aide. She is committed to improving the working conditions for campaign and legislative workers, to help make political work a viable path for anyone passionate about helping their community in Colorado.

Bargaining Committee Chair

Elijah Dimon-Ainscough

Elijah is the Bargaining Committee Chair of the Political Workers Guild of Colorado and a seasoned political strategist with nearly a decade of experience in campaigns, organizing, and progressive infrastructure. He joined the Guild in 2021, just months after its founding, and quickly worked to become a core voice in its development. Elijah played a key role on the bargaining team for the Colorado Democratic Party’s 2022 Coordinated Campaign, helping to secure one of the most labor-friendly contracts of the cycle.

Elijah also serves as a Legislative Aide in the Colorado General Assembly, where he advocates for better working conditions, fair pay, and expanded rights for all legislative aides. His work is grounded in the belief that the people behind the scenes of our democracy deserves dignity, voice, and power.

Campaign Committee Chair

Brian Courtney

Brian Courtney is the Chair of the Campaign Committee with the Political Workers Guild of Colorado. With over 14 years of experience working on local, state, and federal campaigns, he knows that a winning campaign relies on staff who are trained well and treated fairly.

Brian grew up in Iowa in a Union household, and he knows the power that a collective voice brings to people in all walks of life. As chair of the campaign committee, he’ll work to ensure that candidates across Colorado have staff who (are treated with dignity and respect, and win because of it)

Ombudsman

Tom Byron

Tom serves as Campaign Certification Chair of the Political Workers Guild of Colorado. His nine years of experience at every level of political campaigns have reinforced the need for worker power in the industry, and he’s proud to help campaign workers fight for fair wages and working conditions through PWG. He currently works part time in the campaign world and part time as a Legislative Aide in the Colorado State Capitol.

Contact Us

To contact the Steering Committee, please email: pwgcolorado@gmail.com