Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez (D) resigned from the Colorado House of Representatives on Aug. 4, 2023, to serve as an at-large member of the Denver City Council.
Gonzales-Gutierrez most recently ran for re-election to the District 4 House seat in 2022, winning with 83% of the vote. She was later elected to the Denver City Council on April 4, 2023, with 21% of the vote.
If there is a vacancy in the Colorado House, then the political party that last held the seat is responsible for selecting a replacement. A vacancy committee must conduct an election to appoint a replacement. The person selected to fill the vacant seat must be approved by a majority of the members of the vacancy committee. The person who is selected to fill the vacancy remains in the seat until the next scheduled general election.
As of Aug. 4, there have been 89 state legislative vacancies in 35 states during 2023. Sixty-one of those vacancies have been filled. Of the 89 vacancies, 55 are Democratic and 34 are Republican. Democrats have filled 38 vacancies, while Republicans have filled 23.
Additional reading:
- Colorado House of Representatives
- Colorado House of Representatives District 4
- State legislative vacancies, 2023
