Colorado's Undemocratic Shame
It seems that the process of appointing Colorado legislators, rather than electing them, has become all too common in the state. In fact, a staggering 1 in 4 state lawmakers have taken office through this undemocratic method. And the latest addition to this dubious club is Manny Rutinel, handpicked by a Colorado Democratic Party committee to fill a vacancy in House District 32.
Newly appointed Colorado state representative Manny Rutine.
But before you applaud Mr. Rutinel on his new gig, let's look at the facts. He was chosen by a mere 24 people out of a district with a population of nearly 90,000 and 47,000 active voters. That's less than 0.03% of the population making a decision for the entire district.
How can we call this a fair representation of the people?
Colorado prides itself on being a progressive state, but when it comes to filling legislative vacancies, we seem to be stuck in the past. The process is shrouded in secrecy, with party insiders making decisions behind closed doors. And let's not forget that this entire process completely disregards the votes of the largest voting bloc in Colorado - THE UNAFFILIATED VOTERS.
But what's even more concerning is that this undemocratic process has become a trend.
The 2023 legislative session saw 24 out of 100 lawmakers being appointed through a vacancy committee, and the number has only grown since then. So much for giving power to the people.
Meanwhile, other states have found an efficient and fair way to fill these vacancies - through special elections. But here in Colorado, we seem to prefer sticking to outdated and flawed methods. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, only 25 states use the vacancy committee process, and it's time for Colorado to join the other 25 in prioritizing democracy over convenience.
Recently appointed and sworn-in Colorado state Rep. Tim Hernández.
Talks of reform are being thrown around, but who knows if anything will actually change. And in the meantime, we'll continue seeing politicians like Rep. Tim Hernández, who won a vacancy election with just 39 votes. Let’s repeat that -- 39 votes! That's all it took to put a radical anti-police Marxist into the Colorado House these days.
So, congratulations Mr. Rutinel on your new position. But don't think for a second that the people of House District 32 truly chose you. You were handpicked by a select elitist few, leaving the rest of the district voiceless and unrepresented.
This charade of democracy needs to end, and it needs to end now in Colorado.