Life and career
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. [5] 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 buisness. [6] During filming her mother Terry was killed after a pyrotechnic device malfunctioned. Flanell moved back to Colorado to help with the family business. [7] She later distanced herself from Bernstein, but they later reconciled. [4] [2] Since 2013, Flanell has owned Elite Firearms and Training in Colorado Springs. [8] In 2017, Flanell founded a marketing and media company to elevate voices in the firearm industry and educate audiences outside the firearm community. [9] In January 2025, Flanell testified against Senate Bill 25–3, which would have banned the sale of semi-automatic firearms with detachable magazines. [10] The bill ended up passing both chambers of the Colorado General Assembly in March and was signed by Governor Jared Polis in April. [11]
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. [12] 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. [13] 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. [13] 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. [14] 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 least amount of 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. [15]
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