Serious insider stuff in Denver

Anne McGihon, a Democratic state representative from Colorado's 3rd statehouse district (here in Denver), has decided to leave the state legislature and return to her law office. (She's termed out this year anyway, and her decision may have been prompted by her failed bid for speaker late last year.) In Colorado, a departure from the statehouse means... no, not a special election. No, not a gubernatorial appointment, either. It means a vacancy committee! The vacancy committee will consist of the Democratic precinct committee members plus the elected officials who reside in HD3. As the Wash Park Prophet writes,

The group of people who serve on the vacancy committee generally heavily overlaps with the people within the Democratic party who nominate candidates during the caucus process in Colorado for general elections.

It's actually a considerable amount of power for a pretty small group of people. It's a solid Dem district, too, meaning that their pick will likely hold this seat through the middle of the next decade.

At least nine candidates have put in their names for the seat, and the committee will meet this Thursday.