Colorado Democrats Pick Morgan Carroll As Party Chair

<p>(AP Photo/Brennan&nbsp;<span data-scayt-word="Linsley" data-scayt-lang="en_US">Linsley</span>)</p>
<p>Colorado Democratic state Sen. Morgan Carroll speaks at the podium on the closing day of the 2015 Colorado legislative session, Wednesday May 6, 2015, at the Capitol in Denver. </p>

Colorado Democrats have a new leader. Former state Sen. Morgan Carroll was elected party chair Saturday at a gathering of Democrats in downtown Denver.

The race wasn't close. Carroll defeated Clear Creek County Commissioner Tim Mauck by a landslide vote of 401-38.

Carroll takes over a state party that's angry and restless under the new Trump Administration. Following her win today, she urged supporters to continue standing up to he president who won an Electoral College victory last November, but lost Colorado.

“The Democratic Party should be on the front line of the resistance,” she told supporters, according to Colorado Politics. “We must adapt or face extinction.”

The Denver native represented Aurora’s House District 36 for four years beginning in 2004. She then served in the state Senate for two four-year terms, where she eventually rose to a party leadership position as minority leader.

Carroll ran unsuccessfully to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman in November, losing by about 9 percentage points.

Carroll replaces Rick Palacio, who resigned last year. Her work begins immediately ahead of important statewide elections next year, including what should be a high-profile governor’s race.