Gov. Bill Owens made a smart move and probably kicked off a 2006 political fight by appointing Gigi Dennis secretary of state. started Monday when he appointed Gigi Dennis to become interim secretary of state.It was Not only was it a surprise pick and just about guarantees that the usually placid secretary of state race will have a bit of spark.
Dennis was picked by Owens to fill the vacancy created when Secretary of State Donetta Davidson resigned to take a seat on a federal election board. Dennis is a moderate Republican and a former state senator from Pueblo who has served as state director of rural development for the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the last four years. She generally gets high marks from those who’ve worked with her.
Politics aside, she’ll have plenty to do. She will oversee two critical elections in the next 15 months, along with the implementation of new state and federal voting rules. In accepting the appointment, she cited two key goals: to run problem-free elections and to improve the secretary of state’s website.
The politics will heat up next year. It’s no secret to political insiders that there’s no love lost between Owens and the term-limited Republican state Treasurer Mike Coffman, who plans to run for secretary of state. Dennis could be a strong primary candidate to challenge Coffman and could pose formidable competition for any Democrat thinking about getting into the race. For now, Dennis is non-commital about her plans. But some observers note that she agreed to leave a $108,000 job that could run until 2008 for a short-term post that pays $68,500.
Coffman stunned the Capitol and backed the governor into a corner last May when he announced he wanted to take a leave from his post for a second stint with the U.S. Marines in Iraq, withworking on elections and civil affairs. Owens had no choice politically but to save Coffman’s job, and he picked Republican Sen. Mark Hillman (who wants to run for treasurer) to stand in until Coffman returns in March.
Until Owens announced Dennis’ appointment on Monday, many considered Coffman unbeatable in the secretary of state’s race, given his war service. But a day after Owens appointed Dennis, the tune had changed. Many politicians at the Capitol, Republicans and Democrats alike, called it a slap at Coffman that highlighted rifts in the Republican Party. They also called it a smart political move.
Dennis may be holding off on announcing her plans, but friends already are talking her up. Republican state Sen. Norma Anderson said, “She’s an excellent campaigner, and I would assume she will run for the position since she will be an incumbent. I also would assume she will be our next elected secretary of state.”
