State Rep. Brianna Titone, an Arvada Democrat, will face a new challenger in her bid for reelection after a Republican vacancy committee convenes at the end of July to replace a candidate who recently withdrew from the race.

Arvada small business owner Christina Carlino won the Republican nomination in House District 27 without opposition in the June 28 primary but withdrew her candidacy. Titone, who is seeking a third term representing the Jefferson County-based district, also won without opposition. Libertarian Jacob Luria, a Golden resident, is also on the ballot for the seat. 

A vacancy committee made up of GOP officers is scheduled to interview finalists in closed-door sessions starting at 6:30 p.m. on July 29 at an Arvada police substation, the committee said.

Potential candidates who meet legal qualifications have until 1 minute after midnight on July 28 to submit a resume and cover letter to Sarah Jacobs, the GOP’s HD 27 chair, at hd27_co@yahoo.com, she said in a release. In order to run for the two-year term, applicants must be a U.S. citizen, at least 25 years old and must have resided in the district and been registered as a Republican for at least a year. More information about the vacancy process is available on the committee’s Facebook page.

A spokesman for the vacancy committee said a couple people have requested applications since they became available but that none had yet been returned by Wednesday afternoon.

“We have a duty to continue the work that Christina started with driving forward our ‘Commitment to Colorado’ and putting people over politics,” Jacobs said in a statement. “Dedication and hard work go a long way. This is a chance to help your fellow Republicans win this newly drawn district.”

Titone told Colorado Politics in a text message that a new opponent won’t change the campaign she’s running.

“I will continue to campaign as I have in the past: learning about the district’s constituents and creating relationships in the community,” she said.

According to a pre-primary campaign finance report covering fundraising through June 22, Titone had about $6,000 on hand after raising about $30,000, including close to $9,000 left over from her 2020 campaign. Through the same period, Carlino raised about $3,200 and finished with about $500 on hand. Luria, the Libertarian nominee, hasn’t reported any fundraising this cycle.

The district leans toward Democratic candidates, according to an analysis of its electorate’s voting history prepared by the Independent Legislative Redistricting Commission, which drew new legislative boundaries last year. Across eight recent statewide elections, Democratic candidates ran about 12 points ahead of Republicans, the analysis found.