The top Republican in the Colorado House, Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, has resigned from her position at the statehouse, effective immediately, citing the vitriol at the end of the state’s special legislative session and the fallout with top Democrats over allegations that Pugliese covered up for inappropriate conduct from a GOP colleague.
“The last day of Special Session was sad and disappointing for me,” wrote Pugliese in a letter to friends and supporters on Sunday, Sept. 14.
“I had no other choice but to bear witness to the collapse of integrity in the Colorado State House of Representative. 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,” she wrote.
Pugliese represented northern El Paso County, including much of the city of Colorado Springs, but said she would be taking her two young children and moving back to Mesa County, where she previously served as a county commissioner, and still considers home.
“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 have made so many sacrifices for me to be able to represent you. But they also need their mom right now, and I need to keep them safe.”
Pugliese, who was in her second term, also wrote that the events of last week, from Charlie Kirk’s assassination to the Evergreen High School shooting and the anniversary of 9/11, were heartbreaking and challenging for everyone.
“The week simply put, overwhelmed us all with emotion,” she wrote.
House Republicans are expected to meet in the next few weeks to select a new leader. Pugliese took over leadership of the caucus in 2024, after former Rep. Mike Lynch stepped down from the top spot when news broke that he was on probation for an undisclosed DUI arrest (Lynch remained in the legislature for the rest of his term).
For most of her tenure as minority leader, Pugliese had a close working relationship with the Democratic House Majority Leader Monica Duran. But that friendship broke down in a very public fashion during the special session, as each pointed fingers at the other for the handling of an unprofessional photo and group chat by Republican lawmakers. Democrats expressed their disappointment and anger that Pugliese didn’t step in earlier to address the issue in her caucus.
In a joint statement on her resignation, Duran and House Speaker Julie McCluskie did not address their fallout with Pugliese or the reasons she gave for her departure.
“Stepping up to lead a caucus and represent communities in our state legislature are commendable acts of public service, and we thank Minority Leader Pugliese for her commitment to the people of her district and service in the legislature. We admire her dedication to her children, and we wish her all the best in her move to Mesa County and in the next chapter of her life.”
Pugliese’s resignation is the latest turnover in the legislature’s Republican leadership. The Senate’s top leader also resigned earlier this year. Paul Lundeen left in June to take a new job leading a national nonprofit.
