Posted at Ballot Access News. The news, but not not the write-up, was also emailed to IPR by Skyler McKinley.
On December 28, Colorado State House of Representatives member Kathleen Curry changed her registration from “Democratic” to “Independent.” See this story. She would like to run for re-election in 2010 as an independent. Under existing Colorado law, she switched too late. She is about to introduce a bill that would ease the prior affiliation restriction for independent candidates, and also there is a lawsuit pending against that law in federal court. Curry also mentioned the possibility that if neither of those plans works, she could be a write-in candidate in November 2010. Thanks to Gene Berkman for the link.
Curry is the first Colorado legislator to be neither a Republican or a Democrat since the legislative session of 1901-1902, when there were 13 Peoples Party members in the House, 8 Silver Republicans in the House, 7 Peoples Party State Senators, 6 Silver Republican Senators, and one Single Tax Party Senator.
What’s particularly important to note regarding Representative Curry is that she was formerly a key member of house leadership.
With this new independent status, she will lose her spot as Speaker Pro Tem of the Colorado State House of Representatives, as well as her chairmanship of the Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee in the House. She also sits on the Appropriations Committee, a committee membership she’ll probably also lose.