March 31, 2026 02:40 PM UTC

Rose Pugliese's Magic Carpet(bagging) Ride Comes to an End

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• by: Colorado Pols

One of the more notable results from last weekend’s party caucus/assembly process took place in Mesa County, where former State House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese was hoping to continue her magic carpetbagging ride to a new cushy job as Mesa County Treasurer.

Pugliese served two terms as Mesa County Commissioner (2013-21) before trying to get a job as the Mesa County Attorney while simultaneously flirting with a statewide campaign for Secretary of State in 2022. This entire episode was very strange, since Pugliese was the “sole finalist” for the job of Mesa County Attorney despite the fact that she had already moved across the state to Colorado Springs.

When the Mesa County gig fell through and Pugliese realized it was a fool’s errand to run for SOS, she changed course (again) and won a seat in the State House of Representatives representing El Paso County. Pugliese was selected House Minority Leader in 2024, a position she performed (poorly) until she stomped angrily out of the House Chambers in the final hours of the August 2025 special legislative session. A few weeks later, Pugliese announced her resignation from the legislature altogether while complaining about a “toxic” work environment that she played a significant role in allowing to fester.

At some point in the last few months, Pugliese moved back to the Grand Junction area and began campaigning to become the Republican nominee for Mesa County Treasurer. It did not go according to plan, as local Republicans decided they had finally had enough of Pugliese’s seat-hopping:

Pugliese acknowledged her loss over the weekend in a Facebook post about the friends she made along the way:

It’s probably time for Pugliese to take her pained smile and find some other line of work — or at least try running for office in a new place where the locals aren’t already familiar with her carpetbagging routine.

On the other hand, Republicans still need a candidate for Secretary of State in 2026…