A Republican vacancy committee on Saturday named former Navy fighter pilot Lang Sias to fill the House District 27 seat left open when former Assistant Minority Leader Libby Szabo, R-Arvada, was appointed earlier in January to fill a vacancy on the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners.

Calling himself “very pleased and very humbled” by the appointment, Sias said he planned to carry “a sense of humility and a desire to get smarter” to the Capitol.

“I have a tremendous amount to learn,” he added. “What I have learned is that the more you delve into these issues, the more you find you don’t know.”

Sias, who has run once for Congress and twice for the state Senate, said he plans to approach things with an agenda he described as “pro-growth economics, limited government, keeping taxes low and regulations reasonable, and certainly a strong proponent of accountability and transparency in education.”

The 15-member vacancy committee tapped Sias and mortgage banker Christine Jensen as its two finalists from among 11 candidates who applied for the seat, committee chair Denise Mund said. After interviewing the two in private at an Arvada Police Department substation, panel members held a closed-door discussion for about a half hour and then opened the meeting to the public before the 14 members present cast ballots. Officials didn’t reveal the vote count.

Sias sought the GOP nomination to run against U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter in 2010 but lost in a primary to Ryan Frazier, who lost to the Democrat. In his state Senate runs, Sias lagged by a razor-thin margin in 2012 against state Sen. Evie Hudak, D-Arvada, and lost a 2014 primary to Republican Laura Woods, who went on to unseat state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, the Democrat who was appointed to finish Hudak’s term after she resigned under threat of a recall election.

Colorado Republican Party Chairman Ryan Call was on hand to congratulate Sias and wish Szabo well in her new position.

“I want to compliment the Jefferson County Republican Party and (vacancy committee) chairman Denise Mund on a very thoughtful and deliberative process to select Rep. Libby Szabo’s successor,” Call said. “Rep. Szabo has done a terrific job providing leadership for the state and this district, and I have every confidence that Lang Sias will do an exceptional job representing the good people who live in House District 27.”

Call had high praise for Sias, who has been depicted for years as one of the GOP’s potential rising stars.

“Lang will be a tremendous new addition to the Republican caucus in the House of Representatives,” Call said. “He’s a natural leader, certainly a great campaigner, but, more importantly, I think he’ll be a thoughtful legislator.”

Vacancy committee members released a list of the five questions posed to Sias and Jensen during their interviews: How the candidates would vote on allowing liquor sales in grocery stores, how the state can improve opportunity for students, thoughts on a proposal to permit assisted suicide, whether to repeal the FASTER transportation fees, and how to deal with the construction defects controversy.

Following the committee’s interview, Sias told The Colorado Statesman he had declined to predict how he might vote on liquor sales at grocers — “As in all matters,” he noted, “I’ll let both sides make their case to me” — but added, “As a matter of principle, I am more in favor of the market making choices rather than the government picking winners and losers.”

Sias, a board member of the Excel Academy charter school, said he supports school choice and described himself as a “big proponent of a quality education.”

As far as assisted suicide, he said, “I’m pro-life and would oppose that bill.”

Sias agreed that lawmakers should reconsider the FASTER legislation, which hiked vehicle registration fees to pay for road repairs. “We have TABOR as part of our constitution, and when we have something that is a tax and we call it a fee, simply to get around the constitution of the state, I have a problem with that,” he said.

He also agreed that the state needs to “reform” the laws governing construction defects, which were described as “stifling construction” by the vacancy committee. “We certainly want to protect homeowners, but we want to have an industry that can thrive, and the current situation where a builder can be sued without even having the opportunity to cure a defect — I find that problematic,” Sias said.

Republican officials said they expected Sias would be sworn in on Wednesday at the Capitol.

— Ernest@coloradostatesman.com