Dylan Roberts of Eagle was chosen Saturday to become the next representative for state House District 26. Roberts replaces Rep. Diane Mitsch Bush, a Democrat from Steamboat Springs, who resigned her seat this month to run for the 3rd Congressional District seat against incumbent U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, a Republican from Cortez.

Roberts, a native of Steamboat, was chosen by an HD26 vacancy committee over Eagle County Commissioner Jill Ryan. With his election, Roberts, 28, becomes the youngest member of the General Assembly.

He is running for a full-term in next year’s Democratic primary.

Roberts has been a deputy district attorney for Eagle County for the past 18 months. He is a graduate of CU-Boulder’s law school and holds an undergraduate degree from Boston College in political science and environmental science. He has also served as a legislative policy analyst for Rep. Mike Foote, D-Lafayette.

He told Colorado Politics that he ran for the vacancy because “our party and state are at a turning point, given what’s going on nationally. The state legislature can take the lead on innovative policy solutions, especially for the next generation of people who want to make a life in the mountains,” but struggle to find jobs and affordable housing.

Roberts said he plans to continue Mitsch Bush’s legacy on transportation and lowering the cost of healthcare in the mountain region, as well as other issues important to mountain communities, such as child care, education and 21st century job training.