The Colorado Capitol on May 9, 2023. (Sara Wilson/Colorado Newsline)
About one quarter of Colorado legislators next session will be new to the Capitol building. The bulk of them will be representatives stepping into their first term in office.
Seven current representatives will also shuffle to the Senate. That includes Democratic Sens.-elect Marc Snyder, Cathy Kipp, Judy Amabile, Lindsey Daugherty and Mike Weissman, and Republican Sens.-elect Lisa Frizell and Marc Catlin.
The Legislature will begin its next session on Jan. 8. In the House, Democrats will hold a 43-22 majority. In the Senate, they will have a 23-12 majority. Those are similar margins to the partisan balance in the last two years. Republicans in the November election flipped three seats in the House and one in the Senate. Democrats flipped one seat in the Senate.
Here is a look at the General Assembly’s new faces in 2025.
Senate
Senate District 13: Scott Bright, Republican
Sen.-elect Scott Bright is the only new face in the Colorado Senate. He flipped Senate District 13 and will replace term-limited Democratic Sen. Kevin Priola. He won the general election with about 56% of the vote. Bright runs his family’s child care and preschool facilities in Weld County and is the president of the Early Childhood Education Association of Colorado. In his candidate survey, Bright said his priority to reduce the cost of living in Colorado.
House
Cecelia Espenoza, Democrat
Rep.-elect Cecelia Espenoza will represent Denver’s House District 4, replacing Democratic Rep. Tim Hernández. Espenoza defeated the more progressive Hernández in the June Democratic primary with about 53% of the vote and then won the general election by 60 points. She has practiced immigration law and was an appellate immigration judge. Espenoza also vied for the seat during a 2023 vacancy committee process, but lost to Hernández. She listed gun safety as a top issue in a Colorado Newsline primary candidate survey, potentially in the form of a tax credit for a gun safe purchase. She will serve on the House Judiciary Committee and the House State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.
Sean Camacho, Democrat
Attorney and Air Force veteran Rep.-elect Sean Camcho will represent Denver’s House District 6, replacing Democratic Rep. Elisabeth Epps. Camacho won the Democratic primary with about 61% of the vote and won the general election in the heavily Democratic district with 85% of the vote. Though he just won his freshman term in the House of Representatives, Camacho plans to compete in the vacancy committee to replace outgoing Democratic Sen. Chris Hansen early this month. If he gets that seat, another vacancy committee will need to meet to replace him in House District 6. During the primary, Camacho said that increasing the housing supply at all price points is his top priority. He will serve on the House Energy and Environment Committee and House Finance Committee.
House District 8: Lindsay Gilchrist, Democrat
Lifelong Denverite Rep.-elect Lindsay Gilchrist will replace term-limited Democratic Rep. Leslie Herod in Denver’s House District 8. She ran unopposed in the primary — four other candidates withdrew or were disqualified — and won in the general election with 87% of the vote. Gilchrist worked for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health and at mothers2mothers, an organization that works to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission. She then founded her own policy and political strategy group. She will serve on the House Health and Human Services Committee and the House Education committee.
House District 16: Rebecca Keltie, Republican
Defense contract engineer and Navy veteran Rep.-elect Rebecca Keltie will replace Democratic Rep. Steph Vigil in House District 16, one of three House districts to flip to Republican favor. Keltie won the race by three votes after a mandatory recount in the Colorado Springs district. She is a member of the CSU Extension Advisory Board. She will sit on the House Judiciary Committee and House Business Affairs and Labor Committee in the upcoming session.
House District 18: Amy Paschal, Democrat
Rep.-elect Amy Paschal will replace Democratic Rep. Marc Snyder in House District 18 in western Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs. Snyder is heading to the Senate. Paschal defeated her Republican opponent in the general election by about 7 points. Paschal began her career as a software engineer and then became a stay-at-home mother. She has been politically active for over a decade and has held positions with the Democratic Party in El Paso County and the Colorado Democratic Party. She will be on the House Energy and Environment Committee and the House Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee.
House District 19: Dan Woog, Republican
Rep.-elect Dan Woog flipped House District 19 by defeating Democrat Jillaire McMillan by a bit over 100 votes following an automatic recount in November. The district, which includes Erie and Frederick, is currently represented by Democratic Rep. Jennifer Parenti, who dropped out of her reelection bid over the summer. Woog previously served in the House for one term from 2020 until 2022 and was then replaced by Parenti. He is a small business owner and president of the Aspen Ridge School Building Corporation. In the upcoming session, he will serve as the ranking member of the House Energy and Environment Committee.
House District 20: Jarvis Caldwell, Republican
Rep.-elect Jarvis Caldwell will replace outgoing Republican Rep. Don Wilson in House District 20 in northern Colorado Springs. He defeated one primary challenger in June and then won in the general election with about 70% of the vote. Caldwell is an Air Force veteran and has experience in the Legislature as an aide and communications director for the House GOP. He wrote that he wants to protect parents’ rights in their children’s education. He will serve on the House Education Committee and House Judiciary Committee.
House District 24: Lisa Feret, Democrat
Arvada City Council member and Rep.-elect Lisa Feret will replace Democratic Rep. Lindsey Daugherty, who is heading to the Senate, in House District 24. Feret defeated her Republican opponent in the general election by about 15 points. She is a former military police officer in the Air Force and currently works on Medicaid and housing policy for the state. She will serve on the House State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee and House Health and Human Services Committee.
House District 30: Rebekah Stewart, Democrat
Lakewood City Council member and mental health professional Rep.-elect Rebekah Stewart will represent House District 30, replacing term-limited Democratic Rep. Chris deGruy Kennedy. Stewart defeated Kyra deGruy Kennedy, Chris deGruy Kenney’s wife, in the Democratic primary and won the general election with about 63% of the vote. She wrote that affordable home ownership is a top priority during the primary. Stewart will serve on the House Finance and House Transportation, Housing and Local Government committees.
House District 31: Jacque Phillips, Democrat
Rep.-elect Jacque Phillips, an attorney, will replace Democratic Rep. Julia Marvin in Thornton’s House District 31. Marvin defeated Phillips during a 2024 vacancy committee process to get her seat, but Phillips then defeated Marvin in the Democratic primary. She won the general election with 56% of the vote. In her primary survey, Phillips said that education access is a top priority for her. She will serve on the House Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee and House Education Committee.
House District 36: Michael Carter, Democrat
Aurora Public Schools board member and Rep.-elect Michael Carter will replace outgoing Democratic Rep. Mike Weissman, who won a Senate seat, in House District 36. Carter defeated Bryan Lindstrom in the Democratic primary and then won his seat with 71% of the vote in the general election. Carter is an Army veteran and now works as a public defender and a private criminal defense attorney. He won his school board seat in 2021. Carter will serve on the House State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee and as the vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee.
House District 38: Gretchen Rydin, Democrat
Littleton City Council member and Rep.-elect Gretchen Rydin will replace outgoing Democratic Rep. David Ortiz, who did not seek reelection, in House District 38. The social worker won the general election with about 55% of the vote. She will sit on the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee and House Health and Human Services Committee.
House District 45: Max Brooks, Republican
Castle Rock Town Council member and Rep.-elect Max Brooks will replace Republican Rep. Lisa Frizell, who is going to the Senate, in House District 45. Brooks worked in radio for two decades and serves on a handful of local boards and commissions. He defeated one primary challenger and won the general election with about 62% of the vote. He will serve on the House Finance Committee and House Business Affairs and Labor Committee.
House District 48: Carlos Barron, Republican
Fort Lupton City Council member and Rep.-elect Carlos Barron will replace Republican Rep. Gabe Evans, who was elected to Congress, in House District 48. He ran unopposed in the general election. Barron works as the general manager of the oil and gas services company started by his father. Barron was born in Mexico and is one of the few immigrants to serve in the Legislature, as his parents moved to the United States when he was a baby. He will serve on the House Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee and the House Energy and Environment Committee.
House District 49: Lesley Smith, Democrat
Outgoing University of Colorado Regent and Rep.-elect Lesley Smith will replace Democratic Rep. Judy Amabile in Boulder’s House District 49. Amabile is moving to the Senate. Smith had one primary challenger and defeated her general election opponent with about 64% of the vote. She has a background as a scientist and educator at the University of Colorado Boulder and sat on the Boulder Valley School Board for eight years. Smith listed climate change as a top priority for her time in office. She will serve on the House Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources Committee and House Education Committee.
House District 50: Ryan Gonzalez, Republican
Rep.-elect Ryan Gonzalez flipped House District 50 when he defeated Democratic Rep. Mary Young with about 51% of the vote in the general election. He also ran for the Greeley-based seat in 2022. Gonzalez has a background in banking. He will serve on the House Energy and Environment Committee and the House Finance Committee.
House District 52: Yara Zokaie, Democrat
Rep.-elect Yara Zokaie will represent House District 52, replacing Democratic Rep. Cathy Kipp. Zokaie’s background is in tax law and now works as the chief deputy assessor for Larimer County. She had one primary opponent and defeated her general election opponent with about 63% of the vote. She listed tax policy reform — specifically to a progressive tax policy structure — as a priority during the primary. Zokaie is a founding member of the Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian (MENASA) and Muslim Caucus and will sit on the House Judiciary and House Finance committees. She the first Iranian American elected to the Legislature.
House District 50: Chris Richardson, Republican
Rep.-elect Chris Richardson will replace Republican Rep. Rod Bockenfeld in House District 50. He is in his second term as an Elbert County Commissioner and sits on the Legislature’s Property Tax Commission. Richardson is an Army veteran and worked for two decades at Fort Carson. He won the seat with over 75% of the vote. He will serve as the ranking member of the House Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee and on the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee.
House District 58: Larry Suckla, Republican
Retired firefighter Rep.-elect Larry Suckla will replace Republican Rep. Marc Catlin in House District 58 as Catlin heads to the Senate. Suckla won the Republican primary by three votes and then defeated his opponent in the general election with 53% of the vote. The Cortez resident will serve on the House Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee, the House Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources Committee and the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee.
House District 59: Katie Stewart, Democrat
Durango School Board member and Rep.-elect Katie Stewart will replace term-limited Democratic Rep. Barbara McLachlan in House District 59. She won the general election with a bit over 51% of the vote. She is a former emergency medical technician. Stewart will serve on the House Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources Committee and the House Health and Human Services Committee.
House District 63: Dusty Johnson, Republican
Rep.-elect Dusty Johnson will replace Republican Rep. Richard Holtorf in House District 63. Holtorf ran unsuccessfully for Congress. Johnson is the former Morgan County GOP Chair and has experience working for state legislators. In her primary candidate survey, she said the state’s urban-rural divide is the district’s top issue. She ran unopposed for the seat. She will serve on the House Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources Committee, the House Education Committee and the House Health and Human Services Committee.
House District 65: Lori Garcia Sander, Republican
Former public school teacher Rep.-elect Lori Garcia Sander will replace Republican Rep. Mike Lynch, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress this year, in House District 65. She beat one primary opponent and won the general election with about 61% of the vote. The LaSalle resident will sit on the House Appropriations Committee, the House Education Committee and the House Health and Human Services Committee.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.