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2mo ago

Secretary of State Invalidates El Paso County GOP Pick for House District 14 Over Notice Violation

A new Oct. 11 meeting will re-do the selection under the state’s vacancy rules.

Firearms instructor Ava Flanell, left, testifies before the state Senate's State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee as its members consider Senate Bill 3, a gun regulation bill, in the Old Supreme Court in the Colorado State Capitol in Denver on Jan. 28, 2025. The committee held a first vote on SB25-003, which would effectively enact a ban on a wide swap of weapons considered assault weapons. The bill is up for its first committee vote in the Capitol. The committee lasted well into the evening with proponents and opponents of the bill allowed to give their testimony to the members of the committee. SB3 is a new approach to limiting the sale of high-powered, semiautomatic firearms -- instead of outright banning specific types of weapons, it would ban weapons that accept a detachable magazine. That would cover many of the weapons we consider assault weapons. Given that the bill is sponsored by state Sen. Tom Sullivan, whose opposition to similar legislation in the past has sunk it, it's also very likely to pass the chamber and the legislature this year. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
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Overview

  • The Colorado Department of State rejected the nomination after the vacancy committee gave only seven days’ notice between Sept. 15 and a Sept. 22 vote, short of the 10 days required by law.
  • Officials deemed the paperwork insufficient and told the committee to resubmit after following proper procedures, prompting a redo set for Oct. 11.
  • Ava Flanell, a firearms instructor and influencer who initially won 28-26, said she will seek the nomination again at the re-run meeting.
  • Republican applicant Joshua Griffin filed a complaint citing inadequate notice and no livestream, and reporters note the new transparency requirements took effect in August.
  • This appears to be the first time a Colorado secretary of state has rejected a vacancy committee’s pick, leaving the seat unfilled until a valid appointment is certified.