June 29, 2007 07:47 PM UTC

Weissman Considering Commissioner Run

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• by: Colorado Pols

John Fryar of The Longmont Times Call Gazette Journal News Post reports that Democratic State Rep. Paul Weissmann is considering a run for Boulder County Commissioner:

As many as six other eastern Boulder County Democrats, though, are still courting their county party’s vacancy committee members for support and votes next Monday night, when that panel meets to fill the seat opened by County Commissioner Tom Mayer’s death Friday.

State Rep. Weissmann said in a Tuesday night e-mail that he’d talk with his wife about the possibility of adding his name to that list as he drives back to Louisville from their ninth wedding anniversary vacation to North Dakota and Montana.

“I am very familiar with the area that Tom focused on while a commissioner, human services,” Weissmann wrote. “My legislative experience in that area helps.”

Weissmann said he’ll probably have made a decision by today about whether to seek the Boulder County Democratic Party vacancy committee’s appointment.

While mostly irrelevant to those of you who don’t live in Boulder County, Weissmann’s potential move to the Commissioner’s seat would create a void at the State House. Democrats are losing the bulk of their most experienced lawmakers on the House side in 2008, and Weissmann would be on the short list for leadership were he to remain.

Republican Sen. Steve Johnson has also said that he will run for Larimer County Commissioner next year and give up his Senate seat, which would leave the GOP without one of its most experienced lawmakers.

Johnson has indicated that the chance to earn a decent salary is at least part of the consideration for running for Commissioner (legislators make only $32,000). It’s long past time that we raised salaries for legislators to a decent amount in order to draw from a strong pool of potential leaders, but it may be politically impossible.

Kevin McCasky