Nov 18, 2024 Story by: Editor
As Democrats gear up to choose their 2025 House leadership on Monday, the most intense competition appears to be for the position of assistant majority leader. Current seat holder Rep. Jennifer Bacon of Denver is anticipated to face a challenge from Rep. Andrew Boesenecker of Fort Collins, who serves as a co-whip for the House Democrats.
A coalition of more than 200 members of the Black community has voiced strong support for Bacon, submitting a letter to back her candidacy. A statement accompanying the letter highlighted, “This challenge underscores deeper systemic issues that Black women leaders confront in politics today. In response, this coalition urges the Democratic caucus to stand with Representative Bacon, emphasizing the vital importance of supporting Black women in leadership roles.”
Interestingly, none of the other five Black Caucus members in the House signed the letter. Auon’tai M. Anderson, a former Denver Public School Board member and one of the letter’s authors, clarified that their exclusion was intentional.
Among the signatories is Sen. Rhonda Fields of Aurora, recently elected to the Arapahoe County Board of County Commissioners, and former House Speaker Terrance Carroll of Denver, the only Black member of the Colorado House to ever serve as Speaker.
“We are asking otherwise good people to recognize that supporting Black women in leadership, especially in times like these, is a deliberate act that requires courage and commitment,” the letter emphasized. “Supporting Representative Jennifer Bacon is not just about backing a qualified leader; it’s about lifting up a voice that represents communities historically excluded from these roles.”
Drawing a parallel to Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 election, the letter noted, “Both leaders have faced scrutiny that often transcends policy or qualifications and delves into issues of race and gender. These challenges reflect a broader societal pattern where Black women in leadership must frequently contend with heightened expectations and undue scrutiny.”
Bacon is the first Black legislator to occupy a significant leadership position in the Colorado House Democratic caucus since the 2019-20 session when then-Rep. Janet Buckner of Aurora served as caucus chair. She is joined in leadership by Majority Leader Monica Duran, who is Hispanic; Rep. Iman Jodeh of Aurora, a Palestinian-American who caucuses with the Black Caucus and serves as the other co-whip; and Rep. Mandy Lindsay of Aurora, a Latina who is the caucus co-chair. Source: Colorado Politics
