As Secretary of State Mike Coffman prepares to head to Washington to represent Colorado's 6th Congressional District, Gov. Bill Ritter is left to decide who will represent Coffman.
In true "Blue Ribbon Bill" fashion, he has decided he will rely on a commission assigned with review potential applicants for the job.
The seven-person commission, which will be appointed by the end of the week, will submit a list of finalists. Ritter told The Denver Post he expects to make a decision by mid- to late December.
Potential candidates include:
Term-limted Sen. Ken Gordon, D-Denver – Gordon’s interest in election law is no secret and evidenced by his hand in creating the Colorado Election Reform Commission, of which he now chairs. If Ritter were to appoint Gordon, however, he would be directly defying the will of the people, who elected Coffman over Gordon two years ago.
Outgoing Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver – Face The State previously reported suggestions by insiders that the appointment of the Dems' Golden Boy is a “done deal,” so we’re left wondering if the entire application process is merely for show.
Term-limited Rep. Alice Madden, D-Boulder – Madden told The Rocky Mountain News she has been approached by several people about considering the job.
Rosemary Rodriguez – Former Denver clerk and recorder and former president of the Denver City Council, Rodriguez has a reputation for strong voter advocacy and chairs the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Though she has never served on the state level, Rodriguez’s experience is applicable. Republicans, however, worry that she is too liberal to hold a position that often requires a non-partisan perspective.
Managing Editor of Face The State Brad Jones - Active in his community as a volunteer EMT and a former member of the University of Colorado's student government, Jones, an alleged Republican operative, hopes to diversify the pool of applicants.