This morning, Republican Sen. Jack Tate announced his departure from elected life two years early. Tate, whose first term in the Colorado State Senate is up in 2020, told Colorado Politics that he decided with his family to forgo a re-election bid over the Thanksgiving holiday, saying:
“After working many important issues like the passage of construction litigation reform in 2017, the reform of our public pension system in 2018, and now engaged in the Gallagher Amendment problem, it will soon be time for another citizen legislator to represent the Centennial and Arapahoe County community in the state Senate. I’m proud of the work I’ve done in the General Assembly, fighting for what’s best for all Coloradans.”
Tate is well-known for being able to help carry legislatively and politically complex issues across the finish line. For example, he is well-known for his work to reform PERA. He will be missed…but, remember, not until the 2021 session.
There’s been no word on who might succeed Tate, potentially leaving his successor to be decided in a Republican primary.
Tate was first elected to the State House in 2014, appointed to his State Senate seat in 2015, and elected to his State Senate seat in 2016. He has a background in business and marketing.