Colorado state Senate President Leroy Garcia announced this week he will resign his elected position and leadership role later this month to take a Pentagon post with the Biden administration.
After delivering the required praise and adulation, Democrats in the state legislature wasted little time positioning themselves to take his job.
Democrats control the body with a 20-15 majority over Republicans, and it looks like nearly half of them want a crack at a leadership post.
State Sen. Kerry Donovan from the Vail Valley ran against Garcia for Senate president before, and says she will run again.
So is Senate majority leader Steve Fenberg of Boulder.
The Denver Post reports Dominick Moreno of Commerce City is also interested in running for Garcia’s post, or Fenberg’s seat as majority leader if Fenberg should replace Garcia.
Assistant Majority Leader Rhonda Fields of Aurora could also go for either position.
And preening to be courted to run are Janet Buckner of Aurora, Faith Winter of Westminster, and Julie Gonzales of Denver.
The entire Senate will vote on the new president after Garcia’s departure on Feb. 23, and Garcia’s Pueblo Senate seat will be chosen by a party vacancy committee.
We don’t want to see Kyle Clark get all huffy if we neglect to thank the Democrat for all the work he’s done, even if it is contrary to the Republican Party.
So we thank him for that time he thought about running against Congressman Scott Tipton, but chickened out.
And the time he thought about running against U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (checks notes) last month, but found a better job offer with the Biden administration doing a job we have no idea if he’s even qualified for.
Seriously, where in his background does Garcia have the experience for any of that? No disrespect, but he’s a paramedic who spent most of his career in politics.
Now he’s going to be the special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs?
Sounds like a hefty paycheck for a political patronage position to us.
But hey, thanks for everything Garcia, especially for leaving the state Senate.