November 23rd 2024.
The recent announcement of Senator Chris Hansen's departure from the state Capitol to take on a new job in southwestern Colorado has stirred up some controversy. In addition to leaving his current position, Hansen has also endorsed two Democrats to fill the political void he will be leaving behind. This decision has not been well received by party officials, who are frustrated with the process that has allowed a third of the state legislature to be replaced in this manner.
One Democratic official from Denver, who prefers to remain anonymous, summarized the situation by saying, "The optics are terrible." The selection of a replacement for a state legislator who leaves office early is typically done through vacancy committees, a process that is often criticized for its lack of transparency and potential for insider politics. However, Hansen's resignation and his endorsement of a House member to replace him, followed by his backing of another person to replace that replacement, has reignited these criticisms and raised concerns about backroom deals.
Out of the eight individuals who have expressed interest in filling Hansen's seat, he has publicly stated his preference for Representative-elect Sean Camacho, who was just elected to the legislature after winning a competitive primary in June. Hansen has also expressed his desire for Katie March, who previously ran for the same seat but was unsuccessful, to take over for Camacho if he moves to the Senate.
Another potential candidate for Hansen's seat is Representative Steven Woodrow, who represents the Washington Park area in the House. However, if Woodrow were to be selected, he would also need to be replaced in the House, and he is linked to Emily Parker, a Democratic Party official who has confirmed her interest in filling his seat if he were to move to the Senate.
This has resulted in a race between two slates of candidates, all vying for seats that are not yet vacant. This has caused frustration among Democratic officials and donors, who worry that the outcome of these vacancy committees, which only involve a select group of individuals, will determine the representation of thousands of Denver voters without any public input. Additionally, the fact that these seats are in Democratic strongholds means that whoever is selected will likely hold the position for years to come.
The first vacancy committee, made up of Democratic elected officials and local party volunteers, will convene in the weeks before or after Hansen's formal resignation on January 9th. This committee will choose one candidate to serve for the next two years in Senate District 31, which covers a large portion of central and east Denver. The selected candidate will then need to run in a regular election in 2026.
If Hansen's seat is filled by a current legislator, such as Camacho or Woodrow, a second vacancy committee will be required to choose their replacements. These committees, which have the power to select representatives for thousands of voters, can range from a few dozen individuals to over 100. In some cases, they can be even smaller, such as when Representative Julia Marvin was selected by a vote of only 9 to 7 last January.
Woodrow has denied any intentions of "handing off" his seat to Parker, and he has not endorsed her as Hansen has done with Camacho and March. Hansen has also stated that the vacancy committee members are free to choose whomever they want, regardless of his endorsements. Camacho and March have both denied any involvement in backroom deals to secure their positions.
Despite these denials, Hansen's resignation and the ensuing jockeying for positions have angered and exasperated many Democratic officials and donors. Representative Emily Sirota, another Denver Democrat, has expressed her disapproval of the situation, saying, "To announce you're leaving a position...and then to very publicly and clearly state your plans for your replacement, and to have had all of these things in the works, it's just not right."
Shad Murib, the chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, has also voiced his concerns about the potential for hand-picked replacements. In response to the resignation of another Democratic state senator, Janet Buckner of Aurora, Murib has called for a change in the process for selecting replacement legislators.
In the case of Buckner's resignation, the state Democratic Party is currently setting up the process to find her replacement, and it is expected that current House members will express interest in the position. However, if one of them were to be selected, yet another vacancy committee would be needed.
This complex situation has also brought up questions about when these candidates became aware of Hansen's resignation. Some have claimed they only learned of it through the news or on election night, while others have stated they were aware beforehand. Hansen has stated that he did not formally accept his new job until after Election Day, but he was contacted about it in early September. He also spoke with Camacho in late October about the Senate seat.
Camacho has denied having advanced knowledge of Hansen's resignation, stating that any conversations he had with Hansen were just rumors at the time. He has also emphasized his desire to move to the Senate to increase Latino representation in the chamber. Camacho's campaign raised a significant amount of money, and with his potential move to the Senate before even serving a day in the House, some have expressed concern about the replacement for his newly won seat.
With so much uncertainty and potential for backroom deals, many are calling for a more transparent and fair process for filling vacancies in the state legislature. As this situation continues to unfold, it is clear that the selection of these replacement legislators will have a significant impact on the representation of Denver voters.
Denver Senator Chris Hansen has decided to leave his position at the state Capitol to take a job in southwestern Colorado. While this is a personal decision for Hansen, it has caused some frustration among party officials and raised concerns about the process of selecting new legislators.
One Democratic official in Denver, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed their disappointment with the situation, stating that "the optics are terrible." They went on to explain that Hansen's departure has reignited criticisms of the vacancy committee process, which is used to fill positions when a legislator leaves office before their term is up. This process, although not perfect, has been accepted in the past, but Hansen's actions have raised questions about backroom deals and insider politics.
Hansen's resignation has sparked a race for his seat, with eight individuals expressing interest in taking over. However, Hansen has publicly endorsed two candidates to replace him - Representative-elect Sean Camacho and Katie March. Camacho, who was just elected to the legislature after a competitive primary, would potentially move from the House to the Senate without ever taking his seat. March, who previously ran for Camacho's newly won House seat, would then take over for him.
But there is another slate of candidates vying for Hansen's seat, including Representative Steven Woodrow and Emily Parker, a Democratic Party official. Woodrow, who represents the Washington Park area, has also announced his intention to run for Hansen's seat. If he were to win, another vacancy committee would be needed to fill his House seat. This has created a complicated and confusing situation, with candidates vying for seats that are not yet open and potentially determining the representation of thousands of Denver voters.
The first vacancy committee, made up of Democratic elected officials and party volunteers, will convene before or after Hansen's resignation on January 9th. This committee will choose one candidate to serve in the Senate for the next two years, with a normal election taking place in 2026. If a current legislator, like Camacho or Woodrow, is chosen to replace Hansen, a second vacancy committee will be needed to select their replacement. These committees can range in size, with some being as small as nine members.
Both Woodrow and Camacho have denied any involvement in backroom deals or insider politics. They maintain that the vacancy committee will ultimately choose the best candidate for the job, regardless of endorsements or personal connections. However, the situation has caused frustration and anger among party officials and donors, who feel that the process should not be influenced by personal relationships or endorsements.
Shad Murib, the chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, has expressed his commitment to ensuring that no legislator is "anointed or hand-picked" for a position. He has called for a change to the current process, especially in light of another Democratic senator, Janet Buckner, also resigning and prompting the need for a vacancy committee. Murib acknowledges concerns about lawmakers choosing their own replacements, stating that "what Chris wants is what Chris wants, but sometimes you don't get what you want."
The other candidates vying for Hansen's seat include individuals from various backgrounds, such as a policy director, a hotel owner, and a member of the Regional Transportation District board. Some of these candidates have stated that they were not aware of Hansen's resignation until it was made public, while others may have had advanced knowledge. The timing of Hansen's announcement has raised questions about potential backroom deals, as some candidates may have had more time to lobby for support from the vacancy committee.
In the end, the vacancy committee will have the important task of choosing a replacement for Hansen, who will serve in the Senate for the next two years. This decision will have a significant impact on the representation of thousands of Denver voters. It remains to be seen how the committee will make their decision and whether the process will be influenced by endorsements and personal connections. But one thing is for sure - this situation has caused frustration and raised concerns about the transparency of the process.
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