Colorado’s political scene is heating up as Governor Jared Polis weighs whether to cut loose Tina Peters, the infamous former elections official now locked up for nearly a decade over a bombshell breach of election data. Peters, 70, who has battled lung cancer, landed a nine-year stint behind bars after four felony convictions tied to tampering with voting equipment back in 2021—a saga that has rocked the Centennial State.

Polis recently spilled to CBS Colorado that he sees the sentence as ‘severe’, especially considering Peters’ age and illness. “When people in their seventies or eighties are in prison, we have to ask—are they still a danger to anyone?” the governor mused, hinting broadly that he’s reviewing her and other elderly inmates’ cases to decide if they deserve a break in their twilight years.

Adding fuel to the fire, former President Donald Trump jumped in on Truth Social, blasting the punishment as outrageous. “God Bless Tina Peters, who is now, for two years out of nine, sitting in a Colorado Maximum Security Prison, at the age of 73, and sick, for the ‘crime’ of trying to stop the massive voter fraud,” Trump raged, issuing a bogus ‘pardon’ in December—a purely symbolic gesture, since only federal offenses can be cleared by a president’s pen.

Trump didn’t spare Polis or local DA Dan Rubinstein, calling them out in a venomous social media tirade. “I wish them only the worst. May they rot in Hell. FREE TINA PETERS!” he howled, stoking his base while reigniting Colorado’s long-running mail-in ballot drama and Republican gripes over alleged unfair elections.

For now, Peters’ legal fate is in limbo. DA Rubinstein told Colorado Public Radio that Polis hasn’t made any decisions yet—and plans to confer with multiple stakeholders before acting. Meanwhile, Peters’ attorney, Peter Ticktin, says their camp has formally requested clemency and praised Polis for giving the case a second look: “The governor gets it. Tina’s punishment just doesn’t fit. We appreciate the fresh perspective.”

If the parole board doesn’t act first, Peters is set to remain behind bars until at least December 2028, though Colorado’s ‘earned time’ rules could see her head out the door sooner—if the governor’s conscience doesn’t get there first.