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May 03, 2007 07:49 PM UTC

Who's the Next House Speaker?

  • 19 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols


From Colorado Confidential’s “Kernels of Truth”:

If Democrats are able to maintain control of the state House in 2008, they’ll have to elect an entire new slate of officials to lead the way.

House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, Speaker Pro Tempore Cheri Jahn, Majority Leader Alice Madden and Assistant Majority Leader Michael Garcia are all term-limited, so the top job of Speaker will be up for grabs.

One Democratic legislator, who asked to remain anonymous speaking about potential leadership changes, would handicap the potential field in this order:

1. Rep. Bernie Buescher
2. Rep. Jack Pommer
3. Rep. Mike Cerbo
4. Rep. Dorothy Butcher (the current House Majority Whip)

As chair of the Joint Budget Committee and a well-liked member of the legislature, Buescher would seem to be an obvious choice as the next House Speaker. But that’s only if he wins his own bid for re-election in 2008.

“Bernie’s challenge, quite frankly, is that he will always have an incredibly hard time keeping that seat,’ says the source. “In a sense, it means electing a speaker who has a built-in handicap, although you could make the case that being Speaker helps him when he’s running for re-election.”

Leadership positions are often filled by legislators from “safe” districts. None of the current slate of officials – Romanoff, Madden, Jahn or Garcia – have been at risk of losing their bid for re-election for several cycles. Buescher is always a top target of Republicans because of his conservative Grand Junction district, while Cerbo’s seat in Denver will likely never see a serious Republican challenger.

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19 thoughts on “Who’s the Next House Speaker?”

  1. I would think it would likely go to Cerbo or Butrcher because they are both in leadership positions. Cerbo is the Caucus Chair.

    However, they are also both term-limited in 2010 so could only serve one term as Speaker. It would seem more logical to give to someone who can do it for at least two terms.

    1. It would never be Butcher.  She is incredibly unliked in the House Dem Caucus; the only reason she is Whip is because nobody else really wanted the job.  Butcher couldn’t even get a half-dozen votes from the Dem Caucus for Speaker if she ran.

    2. Since term limits were enacted, it’s been very unusual for a Speaker of the House to serve more than one term. Romanoff is the first to do it since Chuck Berry’s 1991-98 term (Berry was term-limited in 1998).

      To look for someone to serve more than one term is nice but difficult…you’d really be looking for someone who is in his/her second term this year.

      That class, in addition to Buescher, Butcher and Terrance Carroll, includes Morgan Carroll, Debbie Benefield, Kathleen Curry, Rafael Gallegos, Gwyn Green, Wes McKinley, Judy Solano,  John Soper, Nancy Todd, and Andy Kerr.

  2. not Cerbo. The guy’s duller than a beach ball. He might get it, but for my money Buescher, Butcher, or Terrance Carroll would be a way better pick, especially Buescher.

    But no matter who you select, Romanoff’s a hard act to follow. What I’m really wondering about is what he’s going to do next. Any thoughts on that one?

    1. I attended law school with Mike, and I was admittedly a lot closer to the top of the class.  Mike’s strengths are that he is a decent, honorable, and exceedingly likable guy, and he’d be good at building coalitions.  Think of what George W. Bush would be like if he weren’t a sociopath.

      I would put the line on Mike at 20-1, because he’s one of the rarest of breeds in politics: an almost accidental legislator. He was essentially drafted to run in a safe district.  I mean, how weird is it for a politician to not crave power?  I doubt strenuously that he will actively seek the position.

  4. Bernie Buescher is amazing, but it would be a loss to the JBC.  Terrance Carroll has spent time building relationships, not tearing people down like Dorothy Butcher.  Mike Cerbo lacks the dicipline.

  6. Buescher is a lawyer

    Cerbo is a lawyer

    Both Morgan and Terrance Carroll are lawyers

    Madden is a lawyer

    Since everyone already knows that all lawyers are crooks and nothing is ever done to police the profession, that only leaves Pommer (TV producer) and Butcher (Financial Analyst), right? 

    Let the flames begin …

     

  8. Josh Penry.  My guess is that there’s a small chance we get back in power in ’08.  Good chance for 2010. 

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