The woman destined to become Colorado’s first Latina House speaker in January was called one of “5 Badass Female Politicians” in a headline Tuesday on the liberal website The Huffington Post. The headline continues “… Tell Us About The Women They Admire Most.”

Duran picked her mother and grandmother as her role-models:

“My grandmother, who couldn’t read because she was taken out of school in the third grade, and my mother, who managed to raise three kids while getting a college degree, and have a successful career as an advocate for affordable housing, both motivated me to be well-prepared for life’s challenges and taught me the importance of integrity and good character. They encouraged me to believe that anything was possible with hard work and determination and perhaps that’s why I’ve spent most of my career working to ensure others have tools to succeed. The past two sessions, I focused on workforce development initiatives so that Coloradans have access to the skills they need to get good-paying jobs.”

Duran spoke of her grandmother in her speech to the Democratic National Convention last summer.

The other “rising stars” profiled by The Huffington Post post were New York City public advocate Letitia James, Pennsylvania House Rep. Leanne Krueger-Braneky, New Mexico Secretary of State-elect Maggie Toulouse Oliver and Boston City Councilor at-Large Ayanna Pressley.

Duran has represented House District 5 in central Denver since 2011. Last February she was named the Colorado Democratic Party’s Rising Star, and in March she was named a rising star by the left-leaning, pro-choice EMILY’s List.