Republican lawmakers celebrated along with their supporters and Capitol denizens at a pair of fundraising receptions held at the University of Denver the night before the Legislature was set to convene.

“Eighteen — let’s go!” proclaimed incoming Senate President Bill Cadman, who stood on a balcony above several hundred revelers on Tuesday at DU’s Cable Center. The Colorado Springs Republican was surrounded by a sufficient number of GOP colleagues to deliver him the gavel the next morning, with an 18-17 majority over the Democrats, marking the first time Republicans have presided over the upper chamber in a decade.

Tamra Ward, president and CEO of Colorado Concern, and Erin Silver, a lobbyist and consultant with the business organization, enjoy the pre-session reception and fundraiser for Senate Republicans at DU’s Cable Center.

“We only get to do this for two years, and they said take your time,” deadpanned the famously droll Cadman. “We’re going to make it feel like four.”

Turning more serious, Cadman told the crowd that control of the Senate would yield clear consequences.

Lobbyists John Kunkle and RD Sewald are among those gathered with Senate Republicans to celebrate their impending majority on Tuesday night.

“We are thrilled, we are excited to lead,” he said. “I think we are going to show the difference in the state going forward, the difference between, frankly, a government that’s more of a ruling party and a government that’s of the people and the party of the people. That should sustain us going forward.”

Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mark Scheffel, R-Parker, raised a toast to Cadman, praising him as “a man who’s worked tirelessly for this day, planned for this day, dreamt of this day, and now he’s brought it to fruition. It’ll be official tomorrow, but I’m going to say it tonight: To President Bill Cadman!”

State Board of Education members Debora Scheffel, Steve Durham and Pam Mazanec mingle at the pre-session reception and fundraiser for Senate Republicans.

The party, organized by Monica Owens, with an assist from her mother, former First Lady Frances Owens — her father, former Gov. Bill Owens, mingled in the crowd — raised money for the Senate Majority Fund, a 527 organization devoted to electing Republican senators.

State Republican Party Chairman Ryan Call cheered the GOP’s impending majority.“This is a terrific night for Colorado Republicans,” Call told The Colorado Statesman. “As we put the interests of Colorado ahead of parti-sanship, I’m really excited about what we can accomplish. It’s going to be a challenge working with the Democrat majority in the House and a Democrat governor, but I think that the policies and meaningful reforms that Sen. Bill Cadman and his colleagues will advance really will showcase the priorities and objectives for our Republican Party.”

Monica Owens, incoming Senate President Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, and former Colorado First Lady Frances Owens are all smiles at the start of an event organized by Monica and her company, Owens Public Affairs, a pre-session reception and fundraiser for Senate Republicans on Tuesday night at DU’s Cable Center.

A stone’s throw away at the Ritchie Center, on the club level overlooking DU’s hockey rink, House Republicans held their own reception earlier Tuesday evening. The GOP narrowed the Democrats’ margin by several seats to 34-31 in the November election and had plenty to celebrate, legislative leaders said.

“The mood in the room today from where we were at two years ago is 180 degrees different,” said House Minority Leader Brian DelGrosso, R-Loveland. “I actually see smiles on people’s faces, people aren’t scared that the session is actually going to start tomorrow.”

While Republicans fell short of taking the majority in the House, DelGrosso said, “Our main goal was to put more Republican butts in the seats than there were last year, and we were able to do that.”

Secretary of State Scott Gessler catches up with political consultant Alan Fuller, who recently was named digital director for Colorado Christian University’s Centennial Institute.

Assistant Minority Leader Libby Szabo, R-Arvada, thanked contributors for their help picking up seats and vowed that, “in two years we’ll have the majority again.”

The House reception raised money for the Colorado Leadership Fund, a 527 organization that works to elect House Republicans. Among the dozens of contributors, prime sponsors included the Colorado Association of Home Builders, Colorado Dairy Farmers, Colorado Ski Country USA, Corrections Corporation of America, Intermountain Rural Electric Association, National Federation of Independent Business and Vail Resorts.

A smiling state Rep.-elect Gordon Klingenschmitt, R-Colorado Springs, told The Statesman he was enjoying every minute as the legislative session neared.

“Every day I walk in the Capitol, I’m amazed to be part of the history of Colorado, to be representing the people of my district, and to be part of a collaborative effort,” he said. “I’m noticing how friendly everybody is. Not just the nonpartisan staff — of course, they’re very professional — but the elected officials from both sides of the aisle. Everyone is gregarious, everyone is intelligent, everyone is professional. I won’t say that surprised me, but it was a pleasant awakening for me, that we could all come together and represent the people of our districts, people of diverse political and social values, to have intelligent, adult conversations about the things we may have in common or we may not have in common.”

“We’re definitely ready to go,” state Sen.-elect Tim Neville, R-Littleton, told The Statesman. (Neville is also a former senator — he was appointed to fill a Senate vacancy in late 2011, saw his seat disappear a month later during redistricting, but this year defeated state Sen. Jeanne Nicholson, D-Black Hawk, to reclaim the seat — but said he was “a bit superstitious” about wearing any nametag other than the one designating him as a senator-elect until he was sworn in the following day.)

Neville said that divided control could yield positive results.

“Now we’re in a situation where there might be more of an opportunity, a little give and take,” he said. “Let’s take a look, here are the things we can agree on. The tougher things, we’ll get to them — a yes vote, a no vote, that’s fine — but let’s take a look at the things we can actually move forward on that everyone knows is an issue and a problem.”

Incoming Senate Assistant Majority Leader Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, said he was “looking forward to setting a new tone down at the Capitol, to looking after the interests of the citizen not from bigger government but from better policies that empower people.”

— Ernest@coloradostatesman.com

See the print edition of Jan. 9, 2015 for full photo coverage.