Sara Hagedorn, Ph.D.

Sara Hagedorn is a full professor of teaching in the Department of Political Science at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. Her research focuses on Congressional policymaking, campaigns and elections, and minority politics. Her teaching interests include classes on American government, US Congress, Campaigns and Elections, interest groups, and environmental policy. She also leads a study abroad course in Florence, Italy, which discusses gender and international politics.

A Montana native, she grew up on her parents’ cattle ranch and is a proud enrolled Northern Cheyenne tribal member. Before receiving her doctorate at CU-Boulder, Sara worked as a legislative advisor in the United States Senate in Washington, DC, for seven years for two senators, one of whom was Sen. John Thune. She helped draft a Farm Bill and an Energy Bill. During that time, she also worked on a high-profile US Senate race as a policy advisor. Sara continues to serve as an advisor to candidates and issue campaigns.

Sara currently lives in Monument with her husband, two children, two miniature donkeys, two goats, assorted cats, approximately four horses, and a lot of coffee. When not on campus, she likes to garden, cook, ride her horses, go on adventures with her kids, and travel.

• Hagedorn, Sara L. 2023. “The Politics of Policy Making: City Councils and Energy Policy Decision Making.” The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Civic and Political Studies. 18 (2) 1-17.
• "Thoughts on the 2020 Election” (in Elections in America 2022) | PDF
• The American Congress: A Reference Handbook (2019)
• “Congressional Staffing and Homeland Security Policy-making” (in Homeland Security, 2018)
• “Lack of civility is undermining our political culture” (Colorado Politics, January 16, 2018)

• Ramsey, Rachel. 2026. “Jeff Crank and Jessica Killin share latest on campaigns, political analyst weighs in on tight race.” KKTV. October 28, 2026. 
• Logerwell, Michael. 2026. “Yes, you are seeing more campaign ads than normal in Colorado Springs.” KRDO. October 26, 2026. 
• Coltrain, Nick. 2026. “Will Colorado Springs’ congressional seat go blue sooner than expected? Democrats see an opening in a wave year: Jeff Crank is a GOP stalwart in a conservative district, but Jessica Killin is harnessing Trump’s unpopularity.” Denver Post. October 24, 2026. 
• Wood, Liv. 2026. “How Colorado voters are cutting through campaign ad noise: A UCCS political science professor explains what's legal in campaign advertising and how Colorado voters can find reliable information before heading to the polls.” KOAA. October 22, 2026. 
• KOAA CD 5 Debate Commentary, August 26, 2026.
• Ventrelli, Marissa. 2026. “Will Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ independent streak define his legacy?” Colorado Politics. July 18, 2026
• Henry, Melissa. 2026. “National efforts to flip two Colorado congressional seats.” KKTV. April 30, 2026. 
• Coltrain, Nick. 2026. “Democrats set sights on U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank’s district, which he won by 14 points. Will it matter this year?” Denver Post. February 16, 2026.