DENVER—Republicans claimed victory in the Colorado House of Representatives on Wednesday even though Democrats said it was too soon to tell if the balance of power had shifted to the GOP. Democrat John Hickenlooper, meanwhile, promised to work with state lawmakers no matter their party as Colorado’s new governor on the top issues at the Capitol—balancing the budget, improving the economy and redistricting.
“To me, it’s irrelevant whether they are Republicans or Democrats, I want to reach across the aisle and get everyone at the table and I want to give them actionable roles so their contributions matter,” Hickenlooper said.
Lawmakers must redraw the boundaries of congressional districts every 10 years based on population growth and lawmakers usually worry about drawing the lines to include communities that will support their parties’ candidates to ensure safe victories.
Hickenlooper said Wednesday that he didn’t think the process should be a political one.
“The goal is to make more competitive districts. The more competitive a district is, the more meaningful the vote is to voters,” he said.
The process of drawing those lines starts in the Legislature but Hickenlooper can veto any plan he doesn’t like.
Democrats have controlled both the state House and Senate since 2006, when they also took control of the governor’s office.
Following Tuesday’s election, the GOP said it would hold 33 seats in the House starting in January, two more than Democrats. Republican legislative leaders said they would be willing to work with Hickenlooper on redistricting. They also want to reinstate an estimated $140 million in tax credits and exemptions that were cut by Democrats to balance the budget earlier this year. Businesses and industry group protested the tax changes for things including industrial energy bills and online sales.
“Yes, we’re sharing the balance of power,” said state Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, who is running to become the next House speaker when lawmakers meet to elect new leaders on Thursday.
House Majority Leader, Rep. Paul Weissmann, D-Louisville, challenged the GOP victory claim and said all the votes haven’t been counted yet.
Nationally, Republicans made their biggest gains Tuesday in state legislatures since the Great Depression, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The group said the GOP will be in the best position to influence the drawing of congressional boundaries since 1962, when a Supreme Court ruling required lawmakers to redraw the boundaries every 10 years.
Republicans were split between the party’s official nominee, Dan Maes, and former Republican congressman Tom Tancredo, who ran on the American Constitution Party ticket. With 97 percent of the projected vote counted, Maes earned 11 percent of the vote, preventing the Republican Party from slipping into minor party status. Hickenlooper won 51 percent of the vote.
Hickenlooper, who appointed a transition team Wednesday, has promised to root out inefficiencies and “freeloaders” who can poison the atmosphere in government agencies.He’s also promised to work with businesses to grow the economy, and to make government more efficient. However, he has been short on specifics on how he would fix the economy and the state budget, saying he would like to form a coalition and hear ideas from its members first.
