COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—A vacancy committee of the El Paso County GOP on Saturday chose Amy Lathen to take the county commission seat held by newly appointed state Rep. Douglas Bruce, who had urged the committee not to choose Lathen.
Forty-eight committee members voted for Lathen, 23 voted for Michael Burton and 14 for Kenneth Bull.
Bruce’s time as a commissioner had been marked by confrontation with other members, leading to several 4-1 votes.
“There’s still going to be disagreements, but you can disagree without being disagreeable,” Commissioner Sallie Clark said after the vote. “For me, it’s a breath of fresh air, restoring some civility to county government and also being professional in what we do.”
Lathen, a former employee of Focus on the Family, ran Republican John Newsome’s successful 2004 campaign for district attorney in the 4th Judicial District.
“I will reiterate to you that I will never support liberal big-government tax measures,” she said.
Bruce, an anti-tax crusader, had sent the committee a letter this week accusing Lathen of flip-flopping about whether she would vote in favor of a tax increase.
The El Paso County GOP denounced the letter and said it was not accurate.
Bruce defended his letter. “It was more important to disclose that information than curry favor with the probable winner,” he said Saturday.
Bruce already has drawn attention in the state House. On Friday, a panel of legislators recommended he be censured for kicking a newspaper photographer Monday during a prayer on the House floor, hours before he was sworn in.
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Information from: The Gazette,
