Sen. Paul Lundeen of Monument, who led the Senate Majority Fund that was intended to build up on the GOP’s numbers in Tuesday’s election, was elected minority leader by his caucus on Thursday.

Traditionally, a loss of seats means a shake-up of leadership after the election. However, the two top posts in the GOP leadership – then-Sen. Chris Holbert of Douglas County and Sen. John Cooke of Greeley- were both term-limited in 2022. Holbert resigned his seat shortly after the end of the 2022 session, and Cooke moved into the top leadership job. 

Lundeen was nominated by Sen. Bob Gardner of Colorado Springs. Lundeen has dedicated eight days a week, 26 hours a day, to promote the caucus and the Republican brand, Gardner said. 

“The results were not as we wish but it was not a lack of his leadership, greater than any I’ve seen in my 14 sessions,” Gardner said.

Lundeen was elected by acclamation. It falls to us “to develop a new perspective for the Republican brand,” Lundeen told the caucus, which includes what it means to be a Republican in Colorado and with a positive influence on the issues.  

Gardner, known as one of the most knowledgeable on Senate rules as well as an effusive speaker, was elected assistant minority leader by acclimation. He was nominated by Lundeen. “I won’t live up to my name this morning, there’ll be time for that” when the session starts,” Gardner quipped.

Attending Thursday’s election, Sens. Rob Woodward of Loveland, who is behind in his race against Janice Marchman, and Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer of Brighton, who lost her bid for Congressional District 8 on Tuesday. Kirkmeyer was elected minority whip, and joked she looked forward “to whipping you all into shape.”

Sen. Jim Smallwood of Parker, who has been the caucus chair for the past two years, was elected by acclamation as well.

The caucus had no trouble with picking a Joint Budget Committee representative: Sen. Bob Rankin of Carbondale, who is the senior member on the committee, will return to that position.

The caucus of 12 is made up of 10 men and two women and has a handful of new members. Those include Janice Rich of Grand Junction; Rod Pelton of Cheyenne Wells and his cousin Bryon Pelton of Sterling; and Mark Baisley of Woodland Park. Sen. Kevin Van Winkle of Highlands Ranch also is new to the caucus; he was chosen by a vacancy committee to finish out the remainder of Holbert’s and was elected to his first Senate term on Tuesday.