Another Relatively Sane Colorado Republican Calls It Quits

Sen. Bob Rankin (R).

A press release from Colorado Senate Republicans a limited although back announces the imminent resignation of Sen. Bob Rankin, a member of the effective bipartisan Joint Funds Committee and regarded one particular of the last remaining practical members of the shrunken GOP minority:

Senator Rankin was appointed to serve in the State Senate in 2019 and reelected in 2020, getting very first been elected to the Condition Residence in 2012. Given that 2015, Rankin served on the Joint Spending budget Committee.

“I have educated the Secretary of the Senate my intention to resign from the Colorado Condition Senate effective January 10th,” Rankin claimed. “After proudly serving this point out for the earlier 10 several years, I have produced the choice to move forward with the subsequent chapter of my everyday living.”

“We are all very grateful for Senator Rankin’s services to this state,” Minority Chief Cooke remarked. “His grit, integrity, and honesty is one thing each member of the Standard Assembly can aspire to. During his tenure, Bob championed liable conservative fiscal coverage to the advantage of each individual Colorado taxpayer. His motivation to this point out and the persons of Colorado will generally be cherished. We wish Bob all the most effective in the subsequent chapter of his existence.”

Then-Rep. Rankin was appointed to his Senate seat to swap disgraced ex-Sen. Randy “Boob Grabber” Baumgardner, and at minimum in the purpose of not further more scandalizing the Senate minority Rankin was productive. Sen. Rankin’s resignation can pretty be considered bipartisan terrible information, due to the fact he had a popularity for staying a person of the extra affable Republican lawmakers less than the Dome. Very similar to Rep. Colin Larson right before Larson’s unexpected defeat in November, it was assumed that Rankin would have a Senate management part had Republicans correctly flipped the chamber. You cannot phone it a shock that Rankin had significantly a lot less need to provide in a 23-12 GOP minority with colleagues he would frequently want to apologize for.

Had Rankin wished, he could have adopted Sen. Kevin Priola and possibly switched get-togethers, or even taken the Kathleen Curry route and disaffiliated for the remainder of his time period. But at this point, the only paths for the sane Republicans in Colorado pursuing the wholesale destruction of 2022 guide out of the occasion or into retirement. In hindsight, Priola built the smartest bet of any Colorado Republican this year.

We wish Sen. Rankin perfectly, and when he’s so inclined we anticipate he’ll have some great tales.