Sen. James Coleman, a Denver Democrat, will be the next president of the Colorado Senate after his caucus selected him in a virtual meeting Friday, Nov. 8.

Coleman, elected to the Senate in 2020, is one of the more moderate Democrats in the chamber. 

“No one will out serve me serving you,” he said in the Friday meeting. “We’re a family. We will show the country why Colorado is special and continue to be a model.”

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Coleman was unopposed in the election after Julie Gonzales, another Denver Democrat who was vying for the position, didn’t enter the official process during the meeting. Gonzales generally supports more progressive policies. 

Sen. Robert Rodriguez of Denver was re-elected as the Senate Majority Leader, a role which requires making critical decisions regarding who sits on various committees. Bills are required to be approved by committees before being considered by the rest of the chamber. 

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The Senate President has a myriad of official duties, including assigning bills to committees and overseeing debate during bills’ final votes. He will also have the power to set the tone for the chamber and influence which policy ideas are successful. 

Democrats fell one seat short of gaining a supermajority in the chamber after Republican Marc Catlin defeated Democrat Cole Buerger in Senate District 5, located on the Western Slope. Democrats in the House, who have their leadership elections Monday, appear likely to once again have a supermajority in their chamber.

The Senate will be made up of 23 Democrats and 12 Republicans. Coleman replaces Sen. Steve Fenberg, a Boulder Democrat who led the chamber for the past two years. 

Senate Democrats elected several other leadership positions: 

• Senate majority leader: Robert Rodriguez, D-Denver
• President pro tempore: Dafna Michaelson-Jenet, D-Commerce City
• Assistant majority leader: Sen. Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County
• Majority whip: Sen. Nick Hinrichsen, D-Pueblo
• Caucus chair: Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco
• Joint Budget Committee members: Sen. Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village and Sen.-elect Judy Amabile, D-Boulder

Senate Republicans reelected Sen. Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, to lead their caucus on Thursday. Sen. Cleave Simpson, R-Alamosa, will serve as assistant minority leader and Sen. Janice Rich, R-Grand Junction, will be the minority whip. Sen. Byron Pelton of Sterling will be caucus chair, and Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer of Weld County will be on the Joint Budget Committee. 

House Republicans reelected Rose Pugliese of Colorado Springs as their minority leader. They also reelected Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter of Trinidad. Rep. Anthony Hartsook of Parker was elected caucus chair.

Rep. Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat, is running to once again be the Speaker of the House.