Javier Mabrey is an eviction defense lawyer and he represents South West Denver in the Colorado State House. He has represented over three hundred families facing eviction and helped found Community Economic Defense Project in 2020, which has grown into one of the largest anti-poverty organizations in the state. For Javier Mabrey tenants’ rights and poverty are personal.
Javier’s mother, Catherine, was in a near fatal car crash that left her permanently disabled. She raised Javier and his brother on her only source of income, her Social Security Disability check. His mother worked hard to stretch their income, but it was not always enough to get by. Their family frequently had their power or water cut off and relied on food banks to eat. They were eventually evicted and became homeless when Javier was fifteen.
Javier got his GED and worked as a dishwasher and pizza delivery driver to put himself through community college. He understands the hard choices working people face everyday because he has made them too. He took payday loans to get by and struggled to stay stably housed.
After community college, he began working as a community organizer, on Obama’s re-election campaign, on public pressure campaigns to advocate for immigration reform, and for more funding for Colorado schools. He finished his bachelor’s degree and during law school he worked at the East Bay Community Law Center, successfully defending families facing eviction or harassment from landlords.
After graduating, Javier helped start an eviction defense non-profit legal aid group that represents tenants across Colorado and advocates for tenants’ rights, affordable housing and anti-poverty legislation at the Colorado State Capitol.
Javier was elected to the State House in 2022 and, since then, he has led the fight to expand renter’s rights in the state.
He successfully passed some of the most progressive renters’ legislation in the country, including the Good Cause for Eviction Law in 2024. Javier proudly took on big pharma and led the fight to pass a cap on the price of Epi Pens. He has passed legislation restricting the predatory practices of debt collectors and payday lenders and is a leader in the fights for Common Sense Gun safety legislation and expansion of the rights of workers to unionize and fight for living wages.
When the legislature is not in session, Javier continues to represent renters facing eviction, discrimination, or harassment from landlords. He holds his B.A. from the University of Colorado summa cum laude and his J.D. from U.C. Berkeley School of Law.
PAID FOR BY JAVIER MABREY FOR COLORADO