STORY

Three regents races on November ballot

Board will welcome at least two new members in January
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Voters in next month’s general election will decide who wins three of the nine seats on the University of Colorado Board of Regents.

Because incumbents James Geddes, R-Sedalia, and Joe Neguse, D-Broomfield, are not running for re-election, the board will welcome at least two new members in January. Irene Griego, D-Lakewood, is running for re-election.

Regents are elected to six-year terms. Geddes and Neguse were elected in 2008. Griego came to the board in 2011 as an appointment of Gov. John Hickenlooper after the resignation of Regent Monisha Merchant. Griego then won the 2012 election that determined who would serve the remaining two years of Merchant’s term.

The state begins ballot counting next week, as mail ballots already have been arriving in the mailboxes of registered voters. Election Day is Nov. 4.

A look at the candidates in the three regents races:

2nd Congressional District:

Three challengers are vying for the seat currently held by Neguse.

Republican Kim McGahey of Breckenridge is founder of the Summit Strikers Youth Soccer Club and the Breckenridge Soccer Club adult soccer team and currently referees high school soccer across Colorado. He has served on the Summit School District School Board and as president of the Breckenridge
Elementary School PTA. Source: Summit County Colorado Republicans.

Libertarian Daniel Ong. No website available.

Democrat Linda Shoemaker of Boulder is a former journalist and attorney who has devoted the past 20 years to advancing quality public education in Colorado. A CU-Boulder alumna, she was elected and served as president of the Boulder Valley School District Board of Education, was founding board chair of the Bell Policy Center, and currently serves as president of the Brett Family Foundation, which she co-founded in 2000 with her husband, Steve Brett. Source: shoemakerforcu.com

6th Congressional District:

One of the two major-party candidates on the ballot will take the seat now held by Geddes.

Republican John Carson of Highlands Ranch was president of the Douglas County Board of Education from 2009 to 2013, and served on the board beginning with his election in 2005. He earned bachelor’s and law degrees at CU-Boulder and a tax law degree from Georgetown. The Greenwood Village attorney also served in the Marines and has extensive experience working on Washington’s Capitol Hill. Source: carsonforcuregent.com

Democrat Naquetta Ricks of Aurora has over 18 years of experience working in complex industries in the transportation, defense, information technology and real estate sectors. As the founder of her own small business, the Ricks Group, she brings her business expertise to help clients increase their capacity through her contract compliance, auditing and financial management skills. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Metropolitan State University and a master’s from CU Denver. Source: ricksforregent.com

7th Congressional District:

Libertarian Steve Golter. No website available.

Democrat Irene Griego of Lakewood has 38 years of experience in education, from pre-K to university level, as a teacher, principal, administrator and university instructor. She earned her bachelor’s degree at CU-Boulder and doctorate at CU Denver, with a master’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado in between. She is the recipient of numerous school and community awards. Source: griegoforcu.com