Secretary of State finalists are in. A seven-member advisory panel selected term-limited Sen. Ken Gordon and term-limited House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, both Denver Democrats, and outgoing Rep. Bernie Buescher, a Democrat from Grand Junction.
Like Face The State, former Denver Election Commissioner Jan Tyler has been closely following the appointment process. As an advocate for election neutrality, Tyler said she was relieved to see Federal Election Assistance Commission Chairwoman Rosemary Rodriguez did not make the list. “I would have loved to see Scott Gessler as a finalist because of the fact that he is well versed in election administration issues and has enough integrity to remove himself from partisan politics,” she added. “Aaron Harbor would have been a good choice, too. He actually has an applicable degree and is quite knowledgeable.”
While Ritter has received a lot of grief from both sides of the aisle over his inability to make a decision, Tyler said she actually approves of his use of a panel in this case. In light of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s arrest for trying to benefit financially from his position to appoint Pres.-elect Barack Obama’s replacement in the U.S. Senate, Tyler says Ritter’s method of appointing a SoS keeps the process transparent.
Tyler makes a good point, but Ritter still can’t help giving himself political cover for every decision. He is now soliciting public comments through Dec. 16, which can be e-mailed to sos.comments@state.co.us.