By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice
As the Colorado State Senate prepares to welcome new leadership, the upper chamber’s storied traditions—from appointing its first chaplain in 1885 to its streamlined legislative process—set the stage for a fresh chapter in state governance. The Colorado Senate GOP elected new leadership this week, and two lawmakers are stepping into new roles with the weight of the session—and its unfinished business—clearly in view.
The shift puts rural concerns and working family issues squarely in focus ahead of the 2026 session.
Sen. Cleave Simpson (Alamosa) was named Minority Leader, taking over for Paul Lundeen. Sen. Lisa Frizell (Castle Rock) was elected Assistant Minority Leader.
“I’m honored by the trust my colleagues have placed in me to lead the Senate Republican Caucus,” Simpson said. “Coloradans are facing real challenges: rising costs, public safety concerns and a growing sense that their voices aren’t being heard at the Capitol.”
Frizell described the moment as a new beginning. “It’s time for our caucus to begin a new chapter, and I believe that by working together and with intention our future is a bright one.”
A rural lawmaker with a policy trail
Simpson’s background makes him a clear signal of the caucus’s rural priorities. Representing the San Luis Valley, he’s helped shape policy rooted in the realities of ag producers and small-town families.
Among the most notable was SB 25‑039, which exempted agricultural buildings from statewide energy use reporting requirements. As summarized in Capitol Watch reports, the bill clarified that structures used to house livestock feed, or equipment should not be subject to urban-style emissions mandates. The measure cleared both chambers unanimously.
Simpson also backed SB24-152, which aimed to offer tax credits for regenerative agriculture. The bill stalled over budget concerns but was widely seen as a forward-thinking push to support local producers and soil health.
In interviews and committee testimony, Simpson has repeatedly spoken to the connection between agriculture, affordability and representation. As quoted in The Monte Vista Journal, he remarked, “Anything we can do to support rural Colorado and access to affordable, quality healthcare, count me in.”
A member of the Rural Caucus, Simpson has advocated for continued livestock grazing amid concerns over Polis’ recent appointment of Nicole Rosmarino as director of the State Land Board due to her support for “re-wilding” the West.
Earlier this month, The Sum & Substance reported that following a meeting with Rosmarino, caucus members sent a letter to Governor Polis stating, “We expect Colorado’s agricultural producers to remain central to the use and stewardship of our state trust lands. Any shift toward ideological land management at the expense of proven partnerships would be a disservice to the land, our rural communities and the school trust itself.”
Frizell’s bridge between policy and families
Frizell, who previously served as Douglas County’s assessor, has zeroed in on policies that matter to working families—education, safety, and stability.
She was the Senate sponsor of HB25-1135, which directs school districts to set local rules around student cellphone use. As reported by Denver7, Frizell defended the bill as a way to support mental health and learning: “We must prioritize our youth and ensure that they are both safe and have a learning environment where they can succeed.”
Frizell also co-sponsored SB25-064, a bipartisan expansion of the Safe2Tell program. The bill requires schools to be notified when students are exposed to domestic violence or trauma. “Sometimes it’s just that one person who sees that you’re having a bad day,” she said in comments captured by Colorado Public Radio. “That is what we need to be doing with our kids.”
She’s also supported innovative solutions to teacher retention, including SB25-167, which creates a state-run investment fund to provide down payment assistance for first-time homebuyer educators. That bill was signed into law this spring, with projections of over $100 million in assistance by 2028.
Continuity in Senate GOP leadership
Alongside Simpson and Frizell, the remainder of the Senate GOP leadership team remains in place: Sen. Byron Pelton (Sterling) continues as Senate Minority Caucus Chair, Sen. Janice Rich (Grand Junction) as Minority Whip, and Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer (Weld County) as the caucus’s representative on the Joint Budget Committee.
Pelton, a cattleman from northeastern Colorado, has fought for stronger oversight of water rights transfers, permitting reform and protections for state ag leases. In legislative coverage published by The Sum & Substance, he called for balanced state land use: “I want to make sure with the working group that they have a discussion about what happens when state land is taken out of production for green energy, because that hurts our economy.”
Rich has championed fiscal responsibility, sponsoring SB25-156 to repeal a wide range of environmental fees and surcharges enacted in recent years. “These regulations translate into higher costs for consumers and less money in Colorado families’ bank accounts,” she stated, as quoted on the Colorado Senate Republicans website.
She also spoke to the value of her leadership role as a voice for western Colorado. “It is an honor to serve as the Minority Whip for the State Republican Senate,” she said. “Being from the Western Slope, this position has given me the opportunity to voice what is important to Mesa and Delta counties.”
Kirkmeyer drew on her years as a Weld County commissioner during this year’s budget process. The Joint Budget Committee, as Denver7 noted, won bipartisan praise for balancing the budget in a tough year.
Praised by conservative coalitions
All five GOP Senate leaders were honored with the 2024 Faith, Family and Freedom Award by the Centennial Institute—recognition tied to their support for conservative values at the Capitol.
“Our caucus will remain committed to standing up for working families and offering real, common-sense solutions. I’m proud to lead this dedicated team as we fight for a stronger, safer, and more affordable Colorado,” Simpson stated.