Lang Sias was sworn in Wednesday as Colorado’s newest state legislator, replacing Libby Szabo, who resigned to take an appointment to the Jefferson County commission. (Photo by Joey Bunch/The Denver Post)
Lang Sias took his oath of office and turned to address his new colleagues in the Colorado House of Representatives Wednesday.
He first thanked his wife, Rene, who missed the big day because two of their three children were sick. Sias thanked his family for supporting him through his unsuccessful run for Congress in 2010 and the state Senate in 2012 and 2014.
“I cannot express how much support she has given me through multiple campaigns that might have ended with a lot of swearing, but not a swearing in,” Sias said as the chamber erupted in laughter.
Sias lost in the Republican state Senate primary last year after a tough contest with Laura Woods, who was backed by the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners group that portrayed Sias as and a liberal Republican. Woods .
Sias said after swearing in that he’s solidly a Republican.
“I’m a conservative, so I think our Constitution is our touchstone, and how we govern should derive from that,” he said. ‘The role of government is limited to what’s necessary.”
Sias said the issues that he’s most passionate about beyond limited government include keeping taxes low, making regulations reasonable, supporting a “pro-growth energy policy,” holding the state’s health care exchange accountable and fostering schools.
He was chosen by a 15-member vacancy committee over Christine Jensen, a branch manager for a mortgage company who chairs the Arvada Chamber of Commerce’s Government Affairs Committee. There were 12 initial candidates for the opening.
The conservative website this way:
Sias is a commercial air pilot with FedEx and a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard. He is a decorated combat veteran of both Gulf Wars. He was a lawyer with Cooley LLP, where he helped entrepreneurs and small business owners commercialize innovation and technology. Upon entering the military in 1986, Sias was a Navy FA-18 pilot and served multiple deployments during Operation Desert Storm. He attended the Navy’s TOPGUN school, where he later served as a training officer. In the second Iraq War, he served as a ground-based forward air controller and commanded a unit of forward air controllers. Sias has guest lectured at West Point. In other words, super impressive.
Lang holds a law degree University of Michigan Law School, an masters degree. from the London School of Economics and a B.A. from Vassar College. Sias and his wife have lived in Arvada for 12 years and have three children aged 10, six, and four.
