[4] After earning a bachelor's degree from Texas A&I University in 1968,[1] Labuda worked for two and a half years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia.
[1] A resident of southwest Denver for over three decades,[5] Labuda served as a board member and chair of the Harvey Park Improvement Association.
[5] In 2006, Labuda sought the Democratic nomination for the open seat vacated by Rep. Fran Coleman, who unsuccessfully ran for the Colorado Senate.
In the party primary, Labuda emphasized her experience in contrast with younger Denver deputy district attorney Alfredo Hernandez,[6] who garnered endorsements from a number of sitting representatives.
Labuda was able to spend more money in the primary, in part by loaning her campaign over $30,000,[7] and won the nomination with around 60% of the vote.
[18] Labuda sponsored legislation to protect the child custody rights of Colorado National Guard troops and military reservists deployed for active duty.
[27] She was also a member of the Task Force on Mental Illness in the Criminal Justice System [28] and the Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension Reform Commission.
[31] She also sits on the Committee on Legal Services,[32] the Task Force on Mental Illness in the Criminal Justice System,[33] and the Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension Reform Commission.