Reporting by Nate Trela, Fort Collins Coloradoan
The University of Colorado Board of Regents has three seats on the ballot in the November election, meaning there could potentially be a swing in which party controls the board.
Democrats currently hold a 5-4 edge on the board, which elects members to staggered six-year terms. Eight of the seats represent congressional districts while the other is elected at large.
Nine candidates are vying for the seats. The positions are unpaid.
The regents oversee the university system’s budget and are “charged with the general supervision of the university,” according to CU. Specific duties include hiring the university’s president and other top officials and setting tuition and priorities.
University of Colorado Board of Regents districts on the ballot
2nd Congressional District
This district covering much of north-central Colorado, including Boulder and Fort Collins, does not have an incumbent running, as Callie Rennison choose not to seek reelection.
Republican Marty Neilson has decades of experience as a financial executive, largely in the private sector. She boasts of her experiences leading organizations through both turnaround efforts and growth phases and has lived in the district since 1965.
Democrat Edie Hooton has decades of public service experience, including six years representing the state legislature district that includes Boulder and CU’s flagship campus. She was recognized by the university as state legislator of the year in 2017.
Libertarian Richard Friend has no prior political experience and declined to discuss his professional experience in an email. He described himself in an email as being “for less government and live simply so that others may simply live & get a good education.”
6th Congressional District
This district, which includes southern and eastern Denver suburbs, is currently represented by Democrat Ilana Spiegel. She has spent more than 30 years in public education, serving on “dozens of statewide education boards and committees,” according to her campaign website. She also serves as a K-12 educational consultant to districts around the country.
Republican Veanessa Burbage identifies herself on her campaign website as a businesswoman, saying in a follow-up email she is an aesthetician and has owned a medical spa business for 27 years.
Libertarian Joe Johnson identified himself as among the “last of the ‘Boomer’ generation” on his candidate page on the Colorado Libertarian Party website. He did not respond to a request for information about his experience and does not appear to have an active campaign website.
7th Congressional District
This district, which includes Denver’s western suburbs and stretches along the Front Range, is represented by Democrat Nolbert Chavez. He is the chief of external initiatives and executive director of CityCenter at CU Denver, which “connects university resources to business and community leaders” to work on urban issues. He was also a state legislator from 1995 to 2002.
Republican Paul Mueller is an economist, author and owner of a bed and breakfast in Leadville. He is a senior research fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research and a research fellow and associate director of the Religious Liberty in the States project.
Libertarian BetteRose Ryan said in an email she is a former Army sergeant and former teacher who also has served on several nonprofit boards. She ran unsuccessfully in 2022 for Colorado Senate District 20.
Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network, with an emphasis on consumer finance, legal issues and state laws.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan.
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