wistOn Saturday, Republicans gathered to elect a replacement for Rep. Jack Tate, now Sen. Jack Tate, in House District 37. The victory came after three rounds of voting – the winner had to receive more than 50% of the vote. Eventually, several candidates dropped out of the race and threw support behind Wist, giving him a final victory of 39 votes to Ryan Call’s 21. For many, Cole Wist, a lawyer at Holland & Hart, is not a household name. Here are a few facts about Wist from his bio:

  • Grew up in Paonia as part of a coal-mining family
  • Worked in mining through college and law school
  • Ran as a Democrat in House District 58 in 1996
  • Volunteered for Spencer Swalm and Jack Tate’s campaigns
  • Served as a precinct committeeperson from 1998 through 2004
  • Graduated from Leadership Program of the Rockies

The rest of his bio can be found here.  Congratulations to Rep. Wist, may you love your $30,000 per year job fighting with Democrats and listening to constituent complaints.