By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics
A vacancy committee will meet on Thursday to select a candidate to replace Rep. Jennifer Parenti, D-Erie, in the House District 19 election. Parenti announced she was dropping out of the race last month.
In a letter announcing her departure, Parenti cited the prevalence of “personal agendas and special interests” in the legislature, which she said made it hard for her to maintain her sense of integrity.
Two candidates, Anil Pesaramelli and James Reed, are now vying to represent the Democratic Party in the November election. Pesaramelli, a software engineer at Kaiser Permanente, previously ran for the Boulder Valley School District School Board. Reed, an IT professional, also has experience on the board, having served as vice president and president.