Updated 2:23 p.m. Nov. 21, 2024
Democratic state Sen. Janet Buckner of Aurora is resigning from the Colorado Senate, after winning reelection to a second and final four-year term in that chamber.
She’s the second state Senator to resign since the November election. Buckner, who represents a heavily Democratic district in southern Aurora, had no opponent.
“This was a tough decision. I didn't take this decision lightly,” she said.
She told CPR News she made the decision after the election, in consultation with her family, to prioritize herself and mentor the next generation, especially other Black women. She said President-elect Donald Trump’s victory also played a factor in her decision.
“As a woman of color I have crossed so many barriers, so the presidential election did make me think deeply about what I’m going to do with the rest of my life,” she said.
Buckner said she’s hoping to lift up those who want to go into public office and spend time with her three children and three granddaughters.
"Being a state legislator is a lot of work and it does consume so much of your time and energy."
State Reps. Tony Exum, at left, and Janet Buckner introduce a resolution recognizing the service of African Americans in the armed forces during Military Awareness Day Friday Feb. 1 2019.
Buckner previously served in the House, where she was first appointed to fill out the remainder of her husband’s term, after Rep. John Buckner passed away in 2015.
Buckner’s resignation will take effect on Jan. 9, the day after the legislature convenes for its new session. Her Senate seat will be filled by a Democratic vacancy committee.
'A servant-leader'
Buckner currently chairs the Senate Education Committee and sits on the Finance Committee, she’s also the Senate caucus chair.
In a statement Thursday, Governor Jared Polis referred to her as a friend and a champion who has focused on issues that put the people of Colorado first, from free preschool to education to “saving people money on health care and so much more.”
Incoming Senate President James Coleman has known Buckner since he was in high school; her late husband was his school principal. He said she’s taught him how to be a good human being and a good legislator, by "being professional and respecting all people's values and lived experiences, and how to be a servant leader.”
He said she’s the type of person everyone goes to for advice, “because she was willing to listen, and she would always say, 'let me think about it and I'll come back to you.' And you knew she cared about the response that she was going to give you.”
Buckner, who co-sponsored the Racial Justice Equity Act to look at the long-term impacts of systemic harm to Black residents in Colorado, is one the legislature's few members of color who lived through the civil rights era. In a poignant moment on the House floor six years ago she described how she never had a chance to learn to swim as a child.
“I can’t swim. I have this fear of water. And the reason I do is because when I was a young girl, I wasn’t allowed to go to the swimming pool with the Caucasian kids,” she said in a video clip that went viral, racking up millions of views.
“She's somebody for me who really grounds me and roots me in my cultural identity, and that I can be unapologetic about who I am as a Black man at the Capitol. She makes me feel confident,” said Coleman.
Buckner currently chairs the Senate Education Committee and sits on the Finance Committee and serves in leadership as the Caucus Chair. She’s worked on a range of policies throughout her time at the Capitol from equal pay for equal work to a safer streets initiative, to bullying prevention policies. She also sponsored the bill that made Juneteenth a state holiday.
Outgoing Democratic Rep. Leslie Herod of Denver said it was an honor to work with Buckner over the years. The two served together in the Democratic Black Legislative Caucus.
“Janet brings a rare level of empathy to her leadership that will be missed. Senator Buckner AKA Momma Buckner has left her mark on the Capitol and the state of Colorado,’ said Herod in a text message to CPR.
Democratic party says the vacancy process needs reform
The departure of Buckner and Sen. Chris Hansen just after each won reelection means Democratic vacancy committees in their respective districts will select replacements to serve for two years until the next general election in 2026.
In reaction to the situation, the Colorado Democratic Party is now calling for reforms in the process for filling vacancies. Party Chair Shad Murib said that while special elections can be slow and cost-prohibitive, it's time for the state to find ways to make the process more transparent and open to the public.
“Vacancy committees are small and don’t provide for the same type of public input and scrutiny as a traditional election,” said Murib in a statement.
He noted that a vacancy appointment gives someone the advantage of incumbency going into what might otherwise be vigorous primary elections, and cited worries that the system can be manipulated.
“Speculation that lawmakers strategize their resignations to hand-pick their replacements, or climb the ladder of elected office, is also a growing sentiment among the public,” he said.
Buckner said she did not have someone in mind for her replacement. Hansen, though, has endorsed Rep.-elect Sean Camacho to take his seat, and has also said he’d like to see Democrat Katie March backfill Camacho’s position.
