Colorado Sen. Chris Hansen plans to resign after landslide reelection win
DENVER (KDVR) — A Denver state senator plans to leave the Colorado legislative body after he was announced as the Chief Executive Officer of the La Plata Electric Association on Tuesday.
Hansen, a Democrat representing Denver's District 31 , has served in the Colorado Senate since 2020. He took office in 2020 after he was named by a vacancy committee to fill Lois Court's seat, and was then elected the following election.
Hansen was also a House representative for Colorado's 6th Congressional District from 2017 to 2020. During his time in the state house, he served as chair of the House Appropriations Committee.
Hansen also ran for Denver mayor in 2023 but lost to former state senator and current Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. He also just ran for reelection in Colorado's 31st Senate District, earning almost 84% of the votes cast as of Tuesday afternoon and beating candidate David Aitken , according to the Denver Elections Division.
Vacancy election committee will name replacementFOX31 reached out to the Colorado Democratic Party and prominent Colorado Senate members to ask about the process for filling the seat and if there's a timeline for that process.
The party said that because the district is entirely within Denver, the Denver Democratic Party will hold a vacancy election within 30 days of Hansen's resignation announcement. According to the party's bylaws, vacancy committee members are invited to participate and vote in a vacancy election, which can happen online or in person.
Registered Democrats in the district are welcomed to candidate forums and vacancy elections, according to the party's website, but voting is only conducted by vacancy committee members .
A Democratic Party spokesperson told FOX31 that some candidates have already announced their intent to run for Senate District 31 and that the party hopes to find ways to open the process and ensure the voices of constituents are heard during the process. The spokesperson did not name candidates who have already thrown their hat in the ring.
La Plata Electric Association celebrates new CEOOn Tuesday, after the La Plata Electric Association announced his position as CEO, Hansen released the following statement.
"I am honored that the La Plata Electric Association has entrusted me to lead their organization and work alongside a dedicated team to deliver clean, affordable energy to the people of Southwest Colorado. Representing Senate District 31 is the privilege of a lifetime, and I am confident that my experience in the Capitol will guide me well in this next chapter in my career. Over the coming weeks, I remain committed to serving my constituents and district, and I will be working through the details of the remainder of my time in the Senate."
Sen. Chris Hansen, D-DenverThe La Plata Electric Association said that his appointment as CEO was effective on Tuesday, Nov. 12, and followed a national search for the organization's next leader.
"Chris' extensive experience and commitment to sustainable energy make him the ideal leader for our cooperative as we navigate the evolving energy landscape," said Ted Compton, LPEA Board president, in the company's announcement . "We were very fortunate to have Chris in our search pool and the board seized the opportunity to bring a leader of Chris' caliber to LPEA. His energy industry background, vision for the future of electric utilities, and understanding of emerging opportunities will serve our members well."
The company noted that Hansen recently served as a state senator and as Executive Director of the Institute for Western Energy, and said he brings over 25 years of environmental and energy sector experience that will help LPEA through the energy transition.
