Barbara Jones, one of the three candidates for Colorado Democratic Party state chair, withdrew from the race just days before the election and threw her support to Clear Creek County Commissioner Tim Mauck, the dark horse candidate running against former congressional candidate and former Senate President Morgan Carroll.

Jones, the state party’s incumbent 2nd vice chair, said in a Facebook post that she believes Mauck is the best qualified Democratic to lead the party, citing his commitment to grassroots organizing in every county to build an inclusive party that welcomes Democrats with differing views.

A party rule that requires a state’s chair and 1st vice chair be of opposite sexes – if the chair is a man, the 1st vice chair must be a woman, and vice versa – could crimp Mauck’s ability to capitalize on the late endorsement from Jones, however, since the only announced candidates for 1st vice chair are two men.

“Tim didn’t find a woman run for 1st vice chair, so a lot of people who might otherwise like him won’t vote for him because there would have to be nominations from the floor, and it would be a real mess,” a leading Democrat observed after Jones dropped out.

Democrats meet Saturday morning at the Denver Marriott City Center, where the party’s state central committee will elect a party chair, 1st and 2nd vice chairs, secretary and treasurer, all to two-year terms.

Colorado Democratic Party Chairman Rick Palacio announced after the November election that he wouldn’t be seeking a fourth term.

Jones said she decided to run when she learned the chair position would be open because she felt it was important that “a variety of voices and points of view to be at the table to ensure we have an honest discussion about where we are, what we stand for, and where we should go as a party.” If Democrats continued on the same path, she warned, “we would be heading for serious problems in our next election cycles.”

But then Mauck jumped in the race, bringing with him “a fresh voice, a clear vision, and solid ideas about how to build and strengthen the party,” Jones said. After getting better acquainted with him, Jones said, she decided a few things: “We both believe in an inclusive party that reaches out to everyone. We both understand that to win we need to bring together Democrats with different perspectives from across the state. And we both believe that to do that, the party’s leaders must be out there, doing whatever it takes to build a strong local party in every county.”

At county reorganization meetings last month, Mauck pitched his ability to reach out to Democrats of all sorts, particularly rural voters who often feel ignored. Noting that he grew up in Denver before moving to Idaho Springs, he said he understands the “nuances” between Democrats in different parts of the state and can help the party communicate with them all.

Carroll sounds an urgent note in her campaign to lead the state party, maintaining that Donald Trump’s election as president means “everything we’ve fought for for the last 100 years is in deep jeopardy, in trouble.” The Aurora Democrat – last fall she lost a bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman in one of the most hotly contested congressional races in the country – says Democrats have to “becom[e] the party we need – to lead the resistance, to reach out to people who are allied to our progressive values but don’t feel a connection with the Democratic Party.”

A fourth state chair candidate, Telluride pioneer Scott Brown, dropped out of the race in February.

Colorado Young Democrats chair and Denver-based strategist David Sabados and Larimer County organizer Gil Barela are the announced candidates for 1st vice chair. Candidates for 2nd vice chair include former Otero County Chairman Terrance Hestand, former Democratic National Committeeman Mannie Rodriguez and former Arapahoe County Chairwoman Patricia Shaver. The state party’s incumbent secretary, Martelle Daniels is seeking a second term unopposed, while Rita Simas and Dr. Kathleen Ricker are the two candidate for treasurer.

The Democrats’ annual fundraising dinner – it used to be known as the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner – is set for Saturday night after the central committee meeting, also at the Denver Marriott City Center. Former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, who lost a close race challenging the state’s incumbent Republican U.S. senator, Roy Blunt, is the dinner’s keynote speaker.

The party also plans to hand out awards to notable Democrats, including state Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, winner of the party’s Rising Star Award; U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, the Democrat of the Year; Ted Fritschel of Arapahoe County, Volunteer of the Year; and Euell Santistevan, Jr., of Jefferson County and Taryn Sebba of Larimer County, winners of a new award, the Murphy Roberts Young Volunteers of the Year. Palacio is also expected to name the winner of the Chair’s Award for Service.

– ernest@coloradostatesman.com