Yesterday, the Colorado State House and Senate elected new leadership for the 2013 session. Below are the legislators who were elected to leadership positions. Congratulations to all.
House
The Democrats
Rep. Mark Ferrandino – Speaker of the House
Representing Denver’s House District 2, Rep. Ferrandino is the first openly-gay Speaker of the Colorado State House. He is currently an adjunct professor at Metro State University in Denver. He and his partner have a dog named Dagny. Perhaps someone has been reading Atlas Shrugged?
Ferrandino was first elected the Colorado State House via a vacancy committee in 2007. He also has served in numerous positions in the Colorado Democratic Party throughout the years. He also has served in several positions in the Owens administration as well as the Clinton and Bush (the younger) administrations.
Rep. Dickey Lee Hullinghorst – Majority Leader
Dickey Lee Hullinghorst is a Democrat from Boulder. She has worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Colorado Open Space Council, and for Herrick S. Roth Associates, a Denver public policy consulting firm.
Other Democratic House leadership:
Asst. Majority Leader: Rep. Dan Pabon
Caucus chair: Rep. Lois Court
Asst. Caucus chair: Rep. Dominick Moreno
Whip: Rep. Beth McCann
Deputy whip: Rep. Su Ryden
The Republicans
Rep. Mark Waller – Minority Leader
Rep. Waller represents House District 15, which encompasses portions of northeastern Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is currently a private attorney. He also has served as deputy district attorney for the 10th Judicial District of Pueblo Colorado, reservist for the legal office of 21st Space Wing, Peterson AFB, officer in the United States Air Force
Rep. Libby Szabo – Assistant Minority Leader
Rep. Szabo represents Arvada and was elected to the State House in 2010 for the first time. She and her family run a family business.
Other Republican House leadership:
Caucus chair: Rep. Kathleen Conti
Caucus whip: Rep. Kevin Priola
Senate
The Democrats
Sen. John Morse – President
Sen. Morse represents Colorado’s 11th Senate District, and has been a member of the Senate since 2007. Morse’s employment history is varied – he has worked as an Emergency Medical Technician, a Sergeant in the Colorado Springs Police Department, a Police Chief for Fountain, Colorado and as a CPA. He was the subject of scrutiny over the use of his discretionary account for political expenses.
Sen. Lucia Guzman – Senate President Pro Tem
Sen. Guzman represents Denver’s Senate District 34. She has worked for Merritt Memorial united Methodist Church and Berkeley United Methodist Church. She was the owner of Lucías Casa de Café. She also worked as the Denver Public Schools Board of Education vice president. She also Agency for Human Rights and Community Relations as the City and County of Denver Executive Director.
Sen. Morgan Carroll – Majority Leader
Sen. Carroll represents a large portion of Aurora. She was a civil and consumer rights attorney. She has also worked as a Dancer/Teacher for the Boulder Performing Arts Company. She is currently a small business owner. Most recently, she came under fire for her admission that she believes men who wear sleeveless ribbed undershirts are more likely to commit acts of spousal abuse.
Other Democratic Senate leadership:
Asst. majority leader: Sen. Irene Aguilar
Majority caucus chair: Sen. Jeanne Nicholson
Majority whip: Sen. Gail Schwarz
The Republicans
Sen. Bill Cadman – Minority Leader
Sen. Cadman represents the 10th Senate district in Colorado Springs. He has worked as a Marketing Director, a Development Director for Lifeskills of Colorado Springs, and an Office Manager for United States Representative Joel Hefley. He is everyone’s favorite legislator, even Westword‘s favorite, as the alternative publication named him best veteran legislator in 2012.
Sen. Mark Scheffel, Assistant Minority Leader
Sen. Scheffel has been a State Senator since 2009. Scheffel has worked as an attorney for the Colorado Supreme Court, the United States Tax Court, the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, the United States District Columbia Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. He also has worked for Reid and Scheffel, PC.
Other Republican Senate leadership:
Caucus chairman: Sen. Scott Renfroe
Minority Whip: Sen. Kevin Grantham