Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Bender swears in the Senate’s newest member, Democrat Rachel Zenzinger of Arvada in 2013. (Provided by Senate Democrats)
A key Colorado Senate district is primed for a must-watch rematch.
Democrat Rachel Zenzinger, a former teacher and Arvada City Council member, announced Monday that she will challenge Republican state Sen. Laura Woods once again in Jefferson County’s District 19.
Woods beat Zenzinger by 663 votes in November 2014, or 1 percent, and is expected to be one of the most competitive in the 2016 election, when Democrats are aiming to recapture the majority they lost a year ago.
Zenzinger held the Senate seat for a year after in December 2013 after the resignation of Evie Hudak, who stepped down amid an effort to recall her for her stance on guns.
Her challenge to Woods will likely focus on the incumbent’s first year in office. Woods emerged as one of the most conservative members of the state Senate, despite representing a district evenly split among Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliated voters.
“We need a senator who will stand on the side of hardworking families, not bow to an extreme party fringe,” Zenzinger said in a statement announcing her candidacy.
She cited Woods’ an for active duty military who changed their residency to Colorado (HB-1181), as well as her Senate Bill 78 that private businesses and lobbying organizations to submit fiscal impact notices for newly filed bills.
Woods did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
