Sara Hagedorn, Ph.D.

Sara Hagedorn is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. Her research focuses on Congressional policy making, 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. Before receiving her doctorate at CU-Boulder, Sara worked as a legislative advisor in the United States Senate in Washington, DC for seven years, helping to draft a Farm Bill and the 2005 Energy Bill. During that time, she also worked on a high-profile US Senate race as policy advisor. Sara continues to serve as an advisor to candidates and issue campaigns. Most recently, she served on the statewide executive committee of Amendments Y and Z, which changed the way Colorado will draw legislative districts.

Sara currently lives in Monument with her husband, two children, one old dog, two cats, two horses, and a lot of coffee. When she is not writing, grading papers, or advising students, 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)

•    Vitatoe, Aaron. 2025. Presidential Inauguration interview. KKTV. January 20, 2025. 
•    Eller, Savannah. 2024. “Youth at the polls: Quiet and 'uncomfortable' times for young Colorado Springs voters.” Colorado Springs Gazette. October 28, 2024. 
•    Jent, Breeanna. 2024. “In likely Gassen-Crank matchup, voters in Colorado's 5th CD have 'real choice'.” The Gazette. July 16, 2024. 
•    Warner, Ryan. 2024. “How the primary shapes the general election; Judy Collins’ Rocky Mountain reflections.” Colorado Matters, Colorado Public Radio. June 26, 2024. 
•    Atchison, Adam. 2024. Live in-studio interview about congressional primaries. KKTV. June 25, 2024. 
•    Siders, David. 2024. “Americans Are Leaving Both Parties. This Colorado City Shows Why. America has more independent voters than Democrats or Republicans. Are they changing American politics?” Politico Magazine. June 7, 2024. 
•    Rogers, Andrew. 2024. “GOP Rivals Jeff Crank and Dave Williams Vie for Colorado’s 5th District Amid Party Tensions.” Colorado Springs Independent. May 17, 2024. 
•    Bauer, Ethan. 2023. “The disruptor: Meet the independent bucking partisanship.” Deseret News. August 21, 2023.  
•    Alvarez, Alayna. 2023. “Mayor-elect Yemi Mobolade ushers in a new era in Colorado Springs.” Axios. May 22, 2023.