CU Board of Regents | ELECTION NIGHT 2022

Julia Cardi, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Updated ·3 min read

Nov. 8—The Democratic majority on the University of Colorado's Board of Regents is poised to remain the same, based on Tuesday night's unofficial election results.

Four seats are up for grabs in the regents elections.

Incumbent Jack Kroll from Denver — a Democrat who represents the 1st Congressional District — chose not to seek re-election. The at-large regent seat held by Republican gubernatorial candidate Heidi Ganahl has been reassigned to the 8th District. She did not seek another term to pursue the governorship.

The board has a member representing each of Colorado's congressional districts, and one at-large representative. They can serve two successive six-year terms. The Board of Regents formerly had two at-large members, but one has been converted with the creation of Colorado's new 8th district.

The Board of Regents gained a Democratic majority in 2020 for the first time in more than four decades.

Here are the results so far in the other districts. The results are based on the early, unofficial tally.

Congressional District 1

Democrat Wanda James captured 77% of the vote against her opponent Amy Naes in early returns shortly before 7:30 p.m.

James headed Gov. Jared Polis' first campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives and was a member of the task force that put in place rules for recreational marijuana.

Naes ran on a platform of accessibility and affordability of higher education, and mental health support for students. She's a children's rights lawyer who worked as a law clerk in Denver Juvenile Court and dependency and neglect family court facilitator in the 1st Judicial District.

Congressional District 4

Voters favored Republican Frank McNulty in returns shortly before 7:30 p.m., who has captured 59% of the vote so far against Democrat Jack Barrington.

McNulty's platform for the largely rural district in Colorado's Eastern Plains included a focus on diversity of backgrounds, geography and upbringings. A former Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, McNulty left elected office in 2015 and currently works in political consulting.

Barrington ran on a platform of "people, not politics." He's a veteran of the U.S. Navy and has worked as a public high school teacher, mechanic and truck driver.

Congressional District 5

As of 7:30 p.m., no results have been reported for the race between Republican Ken Montera and Democrat Ron Casados.

Polis appointed Montera to the board in 2021 to fill a vacancy, and currently serves as the vice chair. He said he wants to advocate for teaching students "how to think, not what to think." His campaign advocated for diversity of viewpoints, affordability of higher education and accessibility through increasing availability of earning degrees online.

Casados also ran on a platform of diversity, accessibility and affordability. He said support from the state and federal budgets is key for keeping the CU university system "competitive." Casados is from Colorado Springs and worked in special education for 25 years.

Congressional District 8

For Colorado's newest regent seat, Republican Mark VanDriel captured 61% of the vote around 7:30 p.m against Democrat Yolanda Ortega.

Ortega worked at Metropolitan State University of Denver for much of her career in education. Published reports cited her saying she believes her understanding of the differences between the student makeups at MSU and in CU's system — many non-traditional, commuting college students versus traditional students right out of high school — make her a fit for the board.

VanDriel, a resident from Greeley with a background in education, advocated for resisting "political assimilation" — a call for free speech on campus. He believes policies should focus on student needs rather than faculty interests. VanDriel's issues include accessibility, affordability and accountability.