The pendulum, it seems, has moved a click in the other direction at the state Capitol.
With a handful of ballots to count Wednesday, it appeared Colorado voters elected a more closely divided state legislature, with Republicans poised to crack the lock Democrats have had on state power.
Republicans very well may have taken control of the state House, which the Democrats have held since 2004. Democrats seem to have retained a majority in the Senate, but with their majority cushion narrowed.
If the results hold, the change would mean Republicans have a more meaningful say in how state government operates and the important matter of congressional redistricting.
Without either party having a strong mandate from voters, we hope Republicans use that power to work collaboratively on issues, notably the state budget, and not merely be an obstructionist force making unrealistic suggestions.
Democrats, on the other hand, are going to have to learn how to share. They must not reflexively dismiss suggestions their GOP counterparts have to offer.
They may control the governor’s mansion and may keep the Senate, but they’ll still have to get legislation through the House.
The landscape also will pose challenges for Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper, who is moving from a city political scene dominated by Democrats to a state legislature that is far more diverse.
To be clear, the state legislature has not been hyper-partisan in the way that Washington has, but party- line votes have not been a rarity, either. The election means everyone involved is going to have to recalibrate to get the people’s work done.
At the moment, everyone is saying the right things about cooperation.
On election night, Hickenlooper talked about building coalitions and coming to consensus on solutions to the state’s money troubles.
“The problems we face are too big for partisan politics,” Hickenlooper told supporters at his victory party. “We’re facing a budget shortfall that threatens to hurt our schools and reduce opportunities for our kids to go to college.”
On Wednesday morning, Rep. Frank McNulty, a Highlands Ranch Republican in line to be House speaker, relayed a conversation he had with Hickenlooper. “We both agreed that now is the time for us to work together,” McNulty said.
And we would expect no less. Coloradans deserve leaders who find answers to the state’s financial problems without getting wrapped up in the games of which party is beating up the other.
They must take on the higher education funding problem and come up with a way to maintain a viable and affordable system for educating our young people.
They’ll have to balance business interests with the preservation of the state’s environment.
The years ahead will pose challenges for a state trying to recover from a difficult recession. Colorado will be stronger if its elected officials work together instead of fighting partisan battles.
