Senator Paula E. Sandoval has received statewide and national recognition for her work in the Colorado State Senate: 

• 2004 Legislator of the Year –American Heart Association/American Stroke Association
• 2004 Legislator of the Year – Colorado Association of Non-Profit Organizations
• 2004 Legislator of the Year – Colorado Food Service Association
• 2004 Recognition from the Colorado Assoc. Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
• 2004 Healthy School Hero, Action for Healthy Kids
• 2004 Guardian of Small Business – NFIB
• 2004 Common Sense In The Courtroom Award
• 2004 Gates Foundation Fellowship to the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government
• 2005-2006 Legislator of the Year – Colorado School Nurses Association
• 2005 Gold Dome Award – American Lung Association
• Selected as 2005 Henry Toll Fellow, Council of State Governments
• Legislator of the year 2006, Junior League of Denver
• 2007 Anti-Hunger Champion, Colorado Anti-Hunger Network
• Pat Schroder Famlies First Award from the Denver Democrats
• 2008 La Raza Roger Cisneros Public Service Award