Minority Leader Pugliese resigns from House: “I want more than anything to follow God’s path”

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice

Rocky Mountain Voice received a resignation letter late Sunday night from Rep. Rose Pugliese (El Paso County), announcing she will step down as Colorado House Minority Leader and from her District 14 seat effective Sept. 15.

Pugliese, who rose to the top Republican leadership post in her first term after Mike Lynch’s 2024 resignation, wrote that her faith guided her decision. “If you wanted peace, you had to follow God’s path. I want more than anything to follow God’s path. I needed to understand what that path was for me in this time of my life,” she said. She explained that the message came during a homily after the special session, when she prayed for clarity.

Her letter describes a painful end to that session. “The last day of Special Session was sad and disappointing for me. I had no other choice but to bear witness to the collapse of integrity in the Colorado State House of Representatives. The lies and hypocrisies the Majority spewed were beyond what I had ever expected, even in Colorado politics. It has been degraded, and the one word that is at the top of my mind is toxic,” Pugliese wrote.

She pointed to the events of the past week as overwhelming for lawmakers and Coloradans alike. “The school shooting in Evergreen and the assassination of conservative Charlie Kirk, along with remembering those we have lost on September 11th. The week simply put, overwhelmed us all with emotion,” she said.

Pugliese also emphasized personal reasons for leaving office, focusing on her role as a mother. “I have spent the months reflecting on my life choices, especially in relation to my children. As a single mom, I raise my two children on my own. I am all that they have. There is nothing more important in my life than them… they also need their mom right now, and I need to keep them safe. So, we have made the decision to return to Mesa County. I believe the three of us need some time at ‘home’ right now.”

Calling the resignation “one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make,” she reflected on her sense of duty to public service. “When you are called to service, as I have been, it is difficult to walk away at a time when so many things need attention,” she wrote.

She praised the trust voters placed in her and pointed to legislative accomplishments she said improved lives. “I have worked tirelessly to successfully lower your property taxes, fight for the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) and protect our children and families. There have been so many successful and impactful pieces of legislation, and to have the opportunity to change lives with good policy was and is a dream come true.”

She closed her letter by thanking supporters and offering a prayer for her colleagues. “I cannot express how grateful I am for each one of you. Thank you for your continued support and prayers for me and my family. I am truly blessed to have you in my life. My thoughts and prayers are with the hardworking legislators that I call colleagues, friends, and some, family. I pray they can find a path forward that places policy over personalities, and my hope is that truth and honor prevail for the Institution and those they have been elected to serve.”