Colorado Senate

{{Short description|Upper house of Colorado General Assembly}} {{Use American English|date=April 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2012}} {{Infobox legislature | background_color = {{party color|Democratic Party (US)}} | name = Colorado State Senate | legislature = ''75th Colorado General Assembly'' | coa_pic = Seal of Colorado.svg | session_room = ColoradoStateCapitolSenateChamber gobeirne.jpg | house_type = Upper house | term_limits = 2 consecutive terms (8 years) | new_session = January 8, 2025 | leader1_type = President | leader1 = James Coleman (D) | election1 = January 8, 2025 | leader2_type = President pro tempore | leader2 = Cathy Kipp (D) | election2 = February 23, 2026 | leader3_type = Majority Leader | leader3 = Robert Rodriguez (D) | election3 = September 8, 2023 | leader4_type = Minority Leader | leader4 = Cleave Simpson (R) | election4 = June 12, 2025 | term_length = 4 years | authority = Article V, Colorado Constitution | salary = $43,977/year + per diem<ref>{{cite web|url=https://leg.colorado.gov/agencies/legislative-council-staff/salaries-legislators-statewide-elected-officials-and-county|title=Salaries for Legislators, Statewide Elected Officials, and County Officers|website=Colorado General Assembly|access-date=7 July 2023}}</ref> | members = 35 | structure1 = {{switcher |250px |Seat display|250px |Map display|default=1}} | political_groups1 = '''Majority''' * {{legend|#0000EE|Democratic (23)}} '''Minority''' * {{legend|#EE0000|Republican (12)}}  | voting_system1 = First-past-the-post | last_election1 = November 5, 2024<br/>(17 seats) | next_election1 = November 3, 2026<br/>(18 seats) | redistricting = Colorado Independent Legislative Redistricting Commission | meeting_place = State Senate Chamber<br/>Colorado State Capitol, Denver | website = [https://leg.colorado.gov/ Colorado General Assembly] |rules=[https://www2.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/cslFrontPages.nsf/FileAttachVw/2023Rules/$File/2023%20LEGISLATOR%20HANDBOOK.pdf Colorado Legislative Rules]}}

The '''Colorado State Senate''' is the upper house of the Colorado General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Colorado. It is composed of 35 members elected from single-member districts, with each district having a population of about 123,000 as of the 2000 census. Senators are elected to four-year terms, and are limited to two consecutive terms in office. Senators who are term-limited become eligible to run again after a one-term (four year) respite.

The Colorado Senate convenes at the State Capitol in Denver.

==History== The first meeting of the Colorado General Assembly took place from November 1, 1876, through March 20, 1877.<ref name="cohistory">[http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1251852515742&ssbinary=true Presidents and Speakers of the Colorado General Assembly: A Biographical Portrait from 1876] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150115013255/http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1251852515742&ssbinary=true |date=January 15, 2015 }}, Colorado.gov, 2013 Revised Edition. (accessed May 27, 2013)</ref> Lafayette Head was the first state senate president.<ref name="cohistory"/>

In 1885, the Colorado Senate appointed its first chaplain, Methodist circuit riding missionary, Father John Lewis Dyer.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 23, 2012 |title=Verifiable Oddities in Colorado's History-The Snowshoe Chaplain of the State Senate |url=http://legisource.net/2012/02/23/verifiable-oddities-in-colorados-history-the-snowshoe-chaplain-of-the-state-senate/ |access-date=January 19, 2014 |publisher=legisource.net}}</ref>

The lieutenant governor served as Senate President until 1974 when Article V, Section 10 of the state constitution was amended, granting the Colorado Senate the right to elect one of its own members as president.<ref name="cohistory"/> Fred Anderson was the first state senate president elected after the amendment.<ref name="cohistory"/> Ruth Stockton was the first woman to become Senate's president pro tempore, serving from 1979 to 1980.<ref>{{cite web|title=Colorado legislators past and present|url=http://www.leg.state.co.us/lcs/leghist.nsf/DocView.xsp?docId=643214870A4D826B872578E2006320D6|website=Colorado State Legislature|access-date=18 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Ruth Stockton|url=http://www.cogreatwomen.org/project/ruth-stockton/|website=Colorado Women's Hall of Fame|access-date=16 April 2018}}</ref>

==Terms and qualifications== The Colorado Senate has 35 members elected to staggered four-year terms. Half the chamber is elected in the same year as gubernatorial elections, with the other half elected in the same year as presidential elections.

State senators are term-limited to two consecutive terms, equivalent to eight years. Term-limited former members can run again after a four-year break. Vacancies in legislative offices are generally filled by political party vacancy committees, rather than special elections. Vacancy appointees who fill the first half of a state senator's term must stand for election at the next even year November election for the remainder of the state senate term for the seat to which the state senator was appointed.

==Procedure and powers== With the notable exceptions listed below, the Colorado Senate operates in a manner quite similar to the United States Senate.<ref name="billprocess">[http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1224913761903&ssbinary=true How a Bill Becomes Colorado Law] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151010202547/http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1224913761903&ssbinary=true |date=October 10, 2015 }}, Office of Legislative Legal Services, October 2001 (accessed May 27, 2013)</ref>

Regular sessions are held annually and begin no later than the second Wednesday in January. Regular sessions last no more than 120 days. Special sessions may be called at any time by the governor of Colorado or upon written request of two-thirds of the members of each house, but are infrequent. Some committees of the General Assembly work between sessions and have limited power to take action without General Assembly approval between legislative sessions.

Joint procedural rules of the two chambers require most legislation to be introduced very early in the legislative session each year, and to meet strict deadlines for completion of each step of the legislative process. Joint procedural rules also limit each legislator to introducing five bills per year, subject to certain exceptions for non-binding resolutions, uniform acts, interim committee bills and appropriations bills. Most members of the General Assembly decide which bills they will introduce during the legislative session (or most of them) prior to its commencement, limiting the ability of members to introduce new bills at constituent request once the legislative session has begun.

Most bills adopted by the General Assembly include a "safety clause" (i.e. a legislative declaration that the bill concerns an urgent matter) and take effect on July 1 following the legislative session unless otherwise provided. Some bills are enacted without a "safety clause" which makes it possible to petition to subject those bills to a referendum before they take effect, and have an effective date in August following the legislative session unless otherwise provided.<ref name="billprocess"/>

Colorado's legislature does not have an analog to the filibuster in the United States Senate requiring a supermajority for approval of any matter. The state lieutenant governor does not have the power to preside or break tie votes in either house of the General Assembly.<ref name="cohistory"/> New executive branch rules are reviewed annually by the legislature and the legislature routinely invalidates some of them each year.

The General Assembly does not have a role in the appointment or retention of state judges, although it must authorize the creation of each judgeship.

Many state agencies and programs are subject to "sunset review" and are automatically abolished if the General Assembly does not reauthorize them.

===The state budget process=== The governor submits a proposed budget to the Joint Budget Committee each year in advance of the year's legislative session. Colorado's fiscal year is from July 1 to June 30.

Bills introduced in the General Assembly are evaluated by the non-partisan state legislative services body for their fiscal impact and must be provided for in appropriations legislation if there is a fiscal impact.

A state budget, called the "LONG Bill" (Legislation on Operations and Normal Governance) is prepared each year by the Joint Budget Committee of the General Assembly. The House and the Senate alternate the job of introducing the long bill and making a first committee review of it. Colorado's state legislature is required to obtain voter approval in order to incur significant debt, to raise taxes, or to increase state constitutional spending limitations. It is also required to comply with a state constitutional spending mandate for K-12 education. The governor has line item veto power over appropriations.

==Current makeup== Based on the 2010 census, each state senator represents 143,691 constituents. The 2024 Colorado Elections resulted in the Democratic Party maintaining a majority of seats in the senate. Democrats currently hold a majority in the Senate in the 75th General Assembly: 23 Democrats and 12 Republicans.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/122598/web.345435/#/summary?category=C_5| title=Official Results |access-date = February 21, 2025 | publisher= Colorado Secretary of State}}</ref>

At the 2024 elections 18 senate seats came up for re-election. As a result, the composition of the State Senate at the beginning of the 75th General Assembly is 23 Democrats and 12 Republicans.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-11-08 |title=Colorado Election Results |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/11/08/us/elections/results-colorado.html |access-date=2023-02-03 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

With the Democratic majority in the current 75th General Assembly, James Coleman serves as President of the Senate and Robert Rodriguez serves as the Majority Leader.

==Composition== {| style="width:50%" |- | scope="row" colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | {{Down-arrow|alt=Midpoint}} |- | scope="row" style="background:#33F; width:54.28%; text-align:center; color:white" | '''23''' | style="background:#F33; width:45.72%; text-align:center; color:white" | '''12''' |- | scope="row" style="text-align:center; color:#33F" | '''Democratic''' | style="text-align:center; color:#F33" | '''Republican''' |}

{|class=wikitable style="text-align:center" |- style="vertical-align:bottom;" !rowspan=3|Affiliation !colspan=3|Party <div style="font-size:80%">(Shading indicates majority caucus)</div> !rowspan=3|Total ! |-style="height:5px" | style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | | style="background-color:{{party color|Independent}}" | | style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" | |style="background: black"| |- !Democratic !Ind !Republican !Vacant |- !nowrap style="font-size:80%" |70th General Assembly |17 |0 |{{party shading/Republican}}|18 !35 |0 |- |colspan=6| |- !nowrap style="font-size:80%" |Beginning of 71st Assembly |17 |0 |{{party shading/Republican}} rowspan=2| 18 !rowspan=2| 35 |rowspan=2| 0 |- !nowrap style="font-size:80%" |December 29, 2017{{efn|Cheri Jahn left the Democratic Party and registered as an Independent.}} | 16 | 1 |- |colspan=6| |- !nowrap style="font-size:80%"| 72nd General Assembly |{{party shading/Democratic}}| 19 |0 |16 !35 |0 |- |colspan=6| |- !nowrap style="font-size:80%"| Beginning of 73rd Assembly |{{party shading/Democratic}}| 20 |0 |15 !rowspan=2|35 |rowspan=2| 0 |- !nowrap style="font-size:80%"| August 22, 2022{{efn|Kevin Priola switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party.}} |{{party shading/Democratic}}| 21 |0 |14 |- |colspan=6| |- !nowrap style="font-size:80%"| 74th General Assembly |{{party shading/Democratic}}| 23 |0 |12 !35 |0 |- |colspan=6| |- !nowrap style="font-size:80%"| Beginning of 75th Assembly |{{party shading/Democratic}}| 23 |rowspan=3|0 |rowspan=3|12 !35 |0 |- !nowrap style="font-size:80%"| November 26, 2025{{efn|Democrat Faith Winter (District 25) died.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://coloradosun.com/2025/11/26/faith-winter-killed-colorado-car-crash/|last1=Paul|first1=Jesse|last2=Doven|first2=Taylor|title= Colorado state senator killed in multi-vehicle crash south of Denver|date=2025-11-26|access-date=2026-02-12|publisher=The Colorado Sun}}</ref>}} |{{party shading/Democratic}}| 22 !34 |1 |- !nowrap style="font-size:80%"| December 30, 2025{{efn|Democrat William Lindstedt was appointed to District 25.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Governor Polis Appoints William Lindstedt to Represent Senate District 25 |url=https://governorsoffice.colorado.gov/governor/news/governor-polis-appoints-william-lindstedt-represent-senate-district-25|access-date=2026-01-02 |website=Colorado Governor Website }}</ref>}} |{{party shading/Democratic}}| 23 !34 |0 |- !Latest voting share !{{party shading/Democratic}}|{{percentage|23|34|1}} !colspan=2| {{percentage|12|34|1}} !colspan=2| |-

==Leadership== {| class="wikitable sortable" ! style="text-align:center;" | Position !Senator !Party !District |- |President |James Coleman |{{Party shading/Democratic}}|Democratic |33 |- |President pro Tempore |Cathy Kipp |{{Party shading/Democratic}}|Democratic |14 |- |Majority Leader |Robert Rodriguez |{{Party shading/Democratic}}|Democratic |32 |- |Assistant Majority Leader |Lisa Cutter |{{Party shading/Democratic}}|Democratic |20 |- |Majority Whip |Nick Hinrichsen |{{Party shading/Democratic}}|Democratic |3 |- |Majority Caucus Chair |Dylan Roberts |{{Party shading/Democratic}}|Democratic |8 |- |Minority Leader |Cleave Simpson |{{Party shading/Republican}}|Republican |6 |- |Assistant Minority Leader |Lisa Frizell |{{Party shading/Republican}}|Republican |2 |- |Minority Caucus Chair |Byron Pelton |{{Party shading/Republican}}|Republican |1 |- |Minority Whip |Janice Rich |{{Party shading/Republican}}|Republican |7 |}

==Members of the Colorado Senate== {|class="wikitable sortable" !District !colspan=2 |Name !Party !Residence !Start !Next election |- |1 |85x85px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Byron|Pelton}} |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |Sterling |2022 |2026 |- |2 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Lisa|Frizell}} |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |Castle Rock |2024 |2028 |- |3 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Nick|Hinrichsen}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Pueblo |2022{{efn |name=Appointed |Originally appointed.}} |2026 |- |4 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Mark|Baisley}} |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |Sedalia |2022 |2026 |- |5 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Marc|Catlin}} |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |Montrose |2024 |2028 |- |6 |80x80px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Cleave|Simpson}} |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |Alamosa |2020 |2028 (term limited) |- |7 |95x95px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Janice|Rich}} |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |Grand Junction |2022 |2026 |- |8 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Dylan|Roberts}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Eagle |2022 |2026 |- |9 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Lynda Zamora|Wilson}} |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |Air Force Academy |2025{{efn |name=Appointed}} |2026 |- |10 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Larry|Liston}} |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |Colorado Springs |2020 |2028 (term limited) |- |11 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Tony|Exum}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Colorado Springs |2022 |2026 |- |12 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Marc|Snyder}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Manitou Springs |2024 |2028 |- |13 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Scott|Bright}} |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |Platteville |2024 |2028 |- |14 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Cathy|Kipp}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Fort Collins |2024 |2028 |- |15 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Janice|Marchman}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Loveland |2022 |2026 |- |16 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Chris|Kolker}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Centennial |2020 |2028 (term limited) |- |17 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Katie|Wallace}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Longmont |2025{{efn |name=Appointed}} |2026 (special) |- |18 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Judy|Amabile}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Boulder |2024 |2028 |- |19 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Lindsey|Daugherty}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Arvada |2024 |2028 |- |20 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Lisa|Cutter}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Evergreen |2022 |2026 |- |21 | |{{#invoke:sort|name|Adrienne|Benavidez}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Denver |2026{{efn |name=Appointed}} |2026 (special) |- |22 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Jessie|Danielson}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Wheat Ridge |2018 |2026 (term limited) |- |23 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Barbara|Kirkmeyer}} |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |Brighton |2020 |2028 (term limited) |- |24 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Kyle|Mullica}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Northglenn |2022 |2026 |- |25 | |{{#invoke:sort|name|William|Lindstedt}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Broomfield |2025{{efn |name=Appointed}} |2026 |- |26 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Jeff|Bridges|dab=politician}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Greenwood Village |2019{{efn |name=Appointed}} |2028 (term limited) |- |27 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Tom|Sullivan|dab=Colorado politician}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Centennial |2022 |2026 |- |28 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Mike|Weissman}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Aurora |2024 |2028 |- |29 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Iman|Jodeh}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Aurora |2025{{efn |name=Appointed}} |2026 (special) |- |30 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|John|Carson|dab=Colorado politician}} |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |Highlands Ranch |2025{{efn |name=Appointed}} |2026 |- |31 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Matthew|Ball|dab=politician}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Denver |2025{{efn |name=Appointed}} |2026 (special) |- |32 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Robert|Rodriguez|dab=politician}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Denver |2018 |2026 (term limited) |- |33 |100x100px |{{#invoke:sort|name|James|Coleman|dab=politician}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Denver |2020 |2028 (term limited) |- |34 |75px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Julie|Gonzales}} |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democratic |Denver |2018 |2026 (term limited) |- |35 |80x80px |{{#invoke:sort|name|Rod|Pelton}} |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |Cheyenne Wells |2022 |2026 |}

== Past composition of the Senate == {{Main|Political party strength in Colorado}}

==References== <templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" /><div class="reflist reflist-lower-alpha"><references group="lower-alpha" /></div> <references />

==External links== {{#invoke:Sister project links|main|Colorado|auto=yes}} *[https://www.colorado.gov/ State of Colorado] **[https://leg.colorado.gov/ Colorado General Assembly] ***[https://ballotpedia.org/Colorado_State_Senate Colorado State Senate] at Ballotpedia

{{Colorado Senate}} {{COSenDist}} {{Colorado|expanded}} {{United States legislatures}} {{#invoke:Authority control|authorityControl}} {{#invoke:Coordinates|coord|39.7392|N|104.9848|W|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colorado Senate}} Category:Colorado Senate Senate, Colorado Category:State upper houses in the United States Category:1876 establishments in Colorado