Republican women, once a dying breed at the state Capitol, are making a comeback.
With the appointment of Jean White of Hayden to the Senate this week, there will be three Republican women in the Senate GOP caucus this year — triple the number in recent years.
White will join Sen. Nancy Spence of Centennial and Sen.-elect Ellen Roberts of Durango.
“I am just thrilled,” said Spence, the lone Republican woman in the Senate since 2007.
In the House, there were 11 GOP women after the 2000 election but only four by mid-decade. Now there are nine, and three of them hold leadership slots.
House Majority Leader-elect Amy Stephens said GOP women ran for office but lost to Democrats during that party’s sweeps in 2004, 2006 and 2008.
“It was mood and messaging, and now that’s changed,” said Stephens, a Monument Republican.
When the session opens in one week, House Republicans will hold a 33-32 majority, while Senate Democrats will have a 20-15 majority.
Despite the gains, women only make up one-fourth of the Republican caucus.
At the same time Republican numbers were dwindling last decade, the number of female Democratic lawmakers skyrocketed, putting Colorado at near the top of the lists of states with strong female Democratic caucuses.
Women make up 56 percent of the Democratic caucus when accounting for both chambers. In the state Senate alone, women account for 70 percent of the Democratic caucus.
“I think that is remarkable,” said Senate President Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont.
White will succeed her husband, Al White, who has been appointed head of Colorado’s tourism office by Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper.
Jean White on Monday won a vacancy-committee election after five rounds of voting. She will have to run for election in 2012.
