Citing a desire to affect change at the local level, Sen. Dan Gibbs, D-Breckenridge, announced today that he’s making a 2010 bid for Summit County Commissioner instead of running for re-election to the upper chamber.
Gibbs – a champion of forest health issues and the car registration fee hike dubbed FASTER – said he will serve the rest of his term in Senate District 16, which runs out in 2010.
“My heart is in the mountains where I live, in Summit County,” Gibbs, 33, said. “If I can work to solve problems for my neighbors, that’s what I want to do.”
He announced his departure early to allow potential candidates to plan their campaigns for the open seat, he said.
Gibbs won election to the House in 2006, and was appointed to the Senate shortly after when former President of the Senate Joan Fitz-Gerald left Senate District 16 in 2008.
The six-county district is fairly evenly split among parties, with unaffiliated voters leading both Democrats and Republicans.
Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter released a statement this afternoon praising Gibbs for his service.
“As chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, Sen. Gibbs has been a key ally in my administration’s efforts to repair and keep Colorado’s roads and bridges safe,” he said. “Dan has also worked tirelessly with my administration and the federal government to address the bark beetle infestation in Colorado’s forests.”
Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry said his party would come after the seat “aggressively.”
“We are absolutely going to compete in this seat. A combination of Bill Ritter’s mismanaged economy, a good Republican year and the Democrats brain-dead I-70 tolling plan puts this seat squarely in play.
Rep. Christine Scanlan, D-Dillon, who’s made a mark on education issues in her short time in office said she’s considering running for the senate seat.
“Honestly, I’m still processing the fact that I’m losing a partner in the Senate,” Scanlan said. “People (in the House and Senate) are asking me to talk with them before I make any decision.”
Scanlan was appointed to Gibbs’s empty House seat in 2007.
