This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.
Republican state senators have selected Sen. Cleave Simpson of Alamosa to replace former Sen. Paul Lundeen as their new Minority Leader. Lundeen resigned his office earlier this week to take a job leading a conservative non-profit.
Simpson was the only person nominated for the position and his selection didn’t come as a surprise; he’d previously served as the Assistant Minority Leader. The caucus chose Sen. Lisa Frizell of Douglas County to pick up that role.
In a virtual meeting with his colleagues Thursday evening, Simpson said he wants to ensure the caucus is functional and effective and will make a difference for all Coloradans and focus on GOP priorities.
He said that means working to make Colorado “an affordable place to live again [with] safe communities and a thriving business community.” He said the state deserves a strong voice from a conservative perspective.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said of leading the caucus. “I look forward to just continuing what we’ve been working on. The challenges are pretty immense and steep.”
GOP Sen. Barbara Kirkemeyer, who sits on the powerful joint budget committee, nominated Simpson for the leadership role and said she thinks he’ll be a great leader for the 12-member caucus.
“We have worked very congenially and worked as a team. It’s a team effort in the Senate Republican caucus. And I don’t see that changing,” she said in a recent interview.
“He’s been prepping for this moment for a while. He’s honest, he’s thoughtful, he’s fair.”
Simpson, like his predecessor, has a strong working relationship with Democratic Sen. President James Coleman. In an earlier interview with CPR News, Coleman referred to Simpson as one of his best friends; Simpson recently hosted Coleman’s family for a visit at his home in Alamosa.
“We stayed with him for a whole week and really got to understand his district and why he ran for office and what issues mattered most to him in the district he represents,” Coleman said. He described Simpson as level-headed, very professional, with good communication skills and a lot of patience.
“A lot of wisdom. He takes his time,” said Coleman.
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