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Ava Flanell
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Ava Flanell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 14th district | |
| Assumed office October 11, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Rose Pugliese |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 22, 1986 |
| Party | Republican |
| Parent |
|
| Alma mater | Fordham University |
| Instagram information | |
| Page | |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Followers | 133 thousand |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Subscribers | 65.9 thousand |
| Views | 115.15 thousand |
| Last updated: November 13, 2025 | |
Ava Flanell (born July 22, 1986) is an American firearms instructor, social media personality, and politician. She was appointed to the Colorado House of Representatives in October 2025 as a member of the Republican Party after the resignation of Rose Pugliese.
Life and career
[edit]Flanell was born on July 22, 1986, to Mel Bernstein and Terry Flanell.[1][2] She was born and raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado and graduated from a local charter high school.[3] After high school she attended Fordham University[4] where she received degrees in English and Communications in just 3 years.[3] Bernstein, nicknamed "Dragonman", worked as a weapons dealer and described himself as the most armed man in the United States.[2] In 2012, Flanell returned to Colorado to film a reality television show about her family's business.[3] During filming her mother Terry was killed after a pyrotechnic device malfunctioned. Flanell moved back to Colorado to help with the family business.[3] She later distanced herself from Bernstein, but they later reconciled.[4][2] Since 2013, Flanell has owned Elite Firearms and Training in Colorado Springs.[5] In 2017, Flanell founded a marketing and media company to elevate voices in the firearm industry and educate audiences outside the firearm community.[3] In January 2025, Flanell testified against Senate Bill 25–3, which would have banned the sale of semi-automatic firearms with detachable magazines.[6] The bill ended up passing both chambers of the Colorado General Assembly in March and was signed by Governor Jared Polis in April.[7]
On September 15, 2025, Republican Rose Pugliese, the minority leader of the Colorado House of Representatives, announced her resignation from the House, citing "toxic" behavior from the Democratic legislators.[8] A week later, on September 22, a vacancy committee from the El Paso County Republican Party appointed Flanell as Pugliese's replacement, defeating Joe Woyte in a 28–26 vote in the second round.[9] The following day, Joshua Griffin, whose candidacy he claimed was disqualified, filed a complaint with the Secretary of State of Colorado, claiming the selection process violated state law.[9] The appointment was shortly after voided by Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, stating that the committee violated state law by holding a meeting less than 10 days after notifying its members.[10] The vacancy complied with the Secretary of State, and on October 11, again selected Flanell, defeating two other candidates. Flanell received 32 votes, Joe Woyte received 17 votes, and Troy Vanderhule received 16 votes. Similar to the last vacancy committee, the opponent with the fewest votes withdrew and endorsed Woyte. In the second round of votes, Flanell received a total of 34 votes defeating Joe Woyte a second time with 30 votes.[11]
Electoral history
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ava Flanell | 26 | 48.15% | |
| Republican | Joe Woyte | 20 | 37.04% | |
| Republican | Andrew Dalby | 8 | 14.81% | |
| Total votes | 54 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ava Flanell | 28 | 51.85% | |
| Republican | Joe Woyte | 26 | 48.15% | |
| Total votes | 54 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ava Flanell | 32 | 49.23% | |
| Republican | Joe Woyte | 17 | 26.15% | |
| Republican | Troy Vanderhule | 16 | 24.61% | |
| Total votes | 65 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ava Flanell | 34 | 53.13% | |
| Republican | Joe Woyte | 30 | 46.88% | |
| Total votes | 64 | 100.00% | ||
References
[edit]- ^ Flanell, Ava [@avaflanell_]; (July 23, 2025). "Yesterday was my birthday. I was supposed to still be in NYC, but came back a little earlier and as a result, didn't have big plans. It turned out to be such a great day though". Retrieved November 13, 2025 – via Instagram.
- ^ a b c van Zuylen-Wood, Simon (March 4, 2019). "The Heavily Armed Millennials of Instagram". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Flanell, Ava. "About Ava Flanell". Retrieved November 30, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Goodland, Marianne (September 23, 2025). "Ava Flanell wins House District 14 vacancy seat in El Paso County". Colorado Politics. Archived from the original on 26 September 2025. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ^ Wilson, Sara (September 23, 2025). "Republicans appoint Ava Flanell to fill vacant Colorado House seat". Colorado Newsline. States Newsroom. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ^ Wilson, Sara (January 29, 2025). "Colorado Senate committee advances bill to ban guns that accept detachable magazines". Colorado Newsline. States Newsroom. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ^ Paul, Jesse (April 14, 2025). "What Colorado's latest gun law actually does". KUNC. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
- ^ Wilson, Sara (September 15, 2025). "Top Republican in Colorado House, citing 'toxic' politics, resigns from Legislature". Colorado Newsline. States Newsroom. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ^ a b Paul, Jesse (September 29, 2025). "Colorado election officials reject GOP vacancy committee's pick for state legislature, saying law wasn't followed". The Colorado Sun. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ^ Coltrain, Nick (September 30, 2025). "Colorado secretary of state invalidates House vacancy election, requiring El Paso County GOP to hold redo". The Denver Post. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ^ a b c Goodland, Marianne (October 11, 2025). "Republicans choose Ava Flanell in do-over of district vacancy election". Denver Gazette. Denver Gazette. Retrieved November 15, 2025.