It became pretty clear on election night that Republicans would retain narrow control of the state Senate and that Democrats would hold onto their House majority.
Now, two questions are on the minds of lobbyists, advocates and Capitol hangers-on. Who will be the new leaders of the four party caucuses, and what new members do I need to get to know?
Answers to the first question will emerge later this week, and we’ve got answers to the second one.
There will be only two brand-new faces in the 35-member Senate, Democrat Stephen Fenberg from Boulder County and Republican Jim Smallwood of Douglas County. Democrat Rachel Zenzinger, who served one session as an appointee, appears to have won her Jeffco seat back from incumbent Republican Laura Woods.
Seven House members are moving to the Senate chambers, including Democrats Lois Court, Rhonda Fields, Daniel Kagan, Dominick Moreno and Angela Williams. Republican Kevin Priola is making the move, as is Bob Gardner, a former House member who’s been out of the Capitol for a couple of years.
Lobbyists, bureaucrats and legislative staff will have more getting-to-know-you-work in the 65-member House, where there are 20 newly elected members. Two of them do have a head start: Democrat Tony Exum and Republican Larry Liston, both of Colorado Springs, previously served in that chamber.
Here are the rest of the newbies in the House (districts in parentheses):
Democrats – Adrienne Benavidez (32), Jeff Bridges (3), James Coleman (7), Matt Gray (32), Chris Hansen (6), Leslie Herod (8), Edie Hooton (10), Dominique Jackson (42), Dafna Jenet (30), Chris Kennedy (23), Barbara McLachlan (59), Donald Valdez (62) and Mike Weissman (36).
Republicans – Susan Beckman (38), Phil Covarrubias (56), Kimmi Lewis (64), Hugh McKean (51) and Dave Williams (15).
The two closest races were in Senate District 19 (Zenzinger vs. Woods) and in House District 59 in southwestern Colorado. Democrat McLachlan appears to have beaten incumbent Republican J. Paul Brown there. As of midday Wednesday, neither race was close enough to trigger an automatic recount.
Get full legislative race results on the secretary of state’s website.