Democratic-controlled CU regents elect Republican chair
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University of Colorado regents Callie Rennison and Ken Montera. Photos: University of Colorado
The Democratic-controlled University of Colorado Board of Regents elected a Republican chair this week — with decisive help from a Democratic regent.
Why it matters: The unusual outcome in an increasingly blue state highlights growing tensions over partisanship on the board, as higher education becomes an increasingly politicized battleground.
The latest: At a special meeting Thursday, Republican Regent Ken Montera was elected board chair, while Democrat Callie Rennison was chosen as vice chair.
- In both votes, Democratic Regent Elliot Hood was the losing nominee.
- While ballots were secret, Rennison nominated Montera, and other regents publicly disclosed ahead of time that she intended to vote for him.
- Board rules require that the chair and vice chair be from different parties.
The friction point: Democrats secured a majority on the historically Republican-controlled board of regents in 2020 — making the elevation of a GOP chair especially jarring for some members.
- Democratic Regent Ilana Spiegel said electing a Republican chair "effectively silences the democratic will of voters."
- Regent Wanda James went further, calling Rennison a "Trojan horse" for a far-right agenda.
- The Colorado Democratic Party said in a statement that Rennison's vote "puts politics ahead of students, faculty and crucial research at a time when Trump is attacking universities and forcing them to bend to his political agenda."
The other side: Republicans and some Democrats argue the chairmanship is largely symbolic.
- Republican Regent Mark VanDriel said the role involves "an enormous amount of work," but does not grant Republicans additional power.
- Regents also noted that a Democrat served as chair on a conservative-controlled board as recently as 2016.
- GOP CU Regent Ray Scott framed the vote as an opportunity: "Let's truly show bipartisanship."
Behind the scenes: Rennison, who previously served as chair, said the outcome honored a prior agreement among regents to elevate Montera.
- She said the deal was struck last year and was widely understood.
- Rennison added she was burned out and wanted to step aside, but that fellow Democrats became more concerned about "the optics" than keeping their word.
- "This was no secret, and everyone on this board was enthusiastic about electing him," she said.
What they're saying: Montera pledged to continue the board's bipartisan approach.
- "Our challenges are too many and our opportunities are too great to allow politics to limit our work," Montera said.