Oh my, those 20 poor souls who have applied to be Colorado’s next secretary of state don’t know what they’ve gotten themselves into, do they?
This ain’t your average political job.
The secretary of state oversaw the state’s massive elections machinery, managed a database that holds voter registrations for more than 3.2 million people and coordinated with 64 county clerks who, as former Secretary of State Gigi Dennis points out, “are all smart, savvy politicians in their own right.”
And that’s just for the elections part of the job. The secretary of state also oversees business licensing, regulates bingo games and raffles, and keeps tabs on charitable organizations in the state. It’s a management monstrosity.
“One of the things I would tell any applicant,” said former Secretary of State Donetta Davidson, “is they are going to work harder than they have at any point in their lives. It’s going to be from early morning to late at night.”
And for all of that, the secretary of state is rewarded with a less-than-princely sum of $68,500 per year. It’s a wonder there exists 20 people in Colorado who want to succeed current Secretary of State Mike Coffman, who is leaving at the end of the year after having been elected to Congress. A panel appointed by Gov. Bill Ritter will pare the 20 applicants down to three finalists, from which Ritter will pick Coffman’s successor.
Coffman, who has been a frequent punching bag of activists and watchdog groups, says his replacement should come prepared for criticism.
“Inherently when you’re talking about rules or administering elections, it’s always controversial,” he said. “And you’re always going to be challenged no matter what decision you make.”
Coffman, though, said the next secretary of state might have a few reasons to smile. The new statewide voter-registration system is largely completed. And though the next secretary of state will have to come up with a new plan for testing electronic voting machines, that testing plan won’t come by court order, as the most recent one did.
“I think life will be a lot easier for my successor,” Coffman said.
Just try convincing the successor of that.
John Ingold: 303-954-1068 or jingold@denverpost.com
Applicants aplenty
The 20 people who have applied to be Colorado’s next secretary of state:
Bernie Buescher, outgoing state representative
John Hughes Clough, details unavailable
Jay Fawcett, former congressional candidate
Scott Gessler, Republican elections lawyer
Ken Gordon, outgoing state Senate majority leader
Josh Hanfling, small-business owner and one-time state representative candidate
Aaron Harber, television show host
Sherry Jackson, state Democratic Party executive director
Claudia Kuhns, elections activist and yoga instructor
Jessica Lovingier, Gilpin County clerk
Anthony Martinez, two-time candidate for secretary of state
Cary McMinnra, Art Institute of Colorado adjunct professor and a farmer
Joseph Poche, Physicians Management Information Services vice president of operations
Scott Primeau, policy analyst in the secretary of state’s office
Rosemary Rodriguez, chairwoman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission
Andrew Romanoff, outgoing Colorado speaker of the House
Theresa Smith, nurse and financial analyst for Kaiser Permanente
James Tindall, U.S. Interior Department employee
Dan Willis, former corporate travel agent and a temporary worker for state and Denver elections
John Works, founder of oil company Rancher Energy
