(The Center Square) – Colorado Senate Democrats on Friday elected Sen. Robert Rodriguez, D-Denver, to serve as majority leader.
Rodriguez will replace Dominick Moreno, a Democrat from Commerce City, who resigned from the Senate to serve as the deputy chief of staff for strategy for new Denver Mayor Mike Johnston.
Sen. Faith Winter, D-Broomfield, also was elected to serve as assistant majority leader.
“I am honored and humbled by the faith and trust the caucus has placed in me, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our state in this new position where I look forward to helping our caucus reach its full potential and delivering big wins for our state,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “Colorado is counting on us, and I am looking forward to delivering real results this session that position our state well for the future and build a stronger, safer and healthier Colorado for us all.”
Winter and Rodriguez both won election to the Senate in 2018 and are term limited in 2026.
Rodriguez previously served as the assistant majority leader, and chair of both the Business, Labor and Technology Committee and the Legislative Audit Committee. Before he was elected to the Senate, he was director of business management at Independence House, a nonprofit organization founded by his father to help former criminal offenders return to society, according to his biography on the Colorado Senate Democrats website.
Winter was chair of the Transportation and Energy Committee and served on the Senate Finance Committee. She previously served District 35 in the House.
“Serving the people of Colorado is the honor of my life, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue serving them in this new capacity,” Winter said in a statement. “We work best when we work as a team, and I am excited to help lead our caucus forward and take on the hard work so we can improve the lives of families all across Colorado and keep our state on the right track for generations to come.”
Democrats hold 23 of the 35 seats in the Senate. A media release from the Colorado Senate Democrats provided its other leaders.
The year in parentheses is when they are term limited or up for election:
Senate President Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, congratulated the newly elected leaders.
“The Colorado Senate Democrats stand ready to continue tackling the challenges that matter most to Coloradans like making housing more affordable, creating safer and more resilient communities, and better preparing our students for success,” he said in a statement. “Democrats have delivered on the issues that matter most to Coloradans, and our new leadership team is well-equipped to build on the progress we’ve made together and continue creating lasting results for the people of Colorado.”
