A Boulder County Democratic Party vacancy committee has selected Kyle Brown as representative-elect for House District 12 after Rep. Tracy Bernett resigned from the seat Jan. 8.
The district includes Louisville, Lafayette, Niwot and Superior.
Candidates Kyle Brown, David Skaggs, Jennifer Kaaoush, Cynthia Martinez and Alfredo Alvarado competed for the seat, with Brown securing 80.39% of the committee’s votes.
Bernett was accused of falsifying her home address so she could run for reelection in November 2022 after redistricting. She was charged with forgery, residence-false information and attempting to influence a public servant — all felonies, in addition to misdemeanor perjury and procuring false registration. Despite her charges, she won reelection against Republican Anya Kirvan.
Boulder County Democrats hosted a candidate forum Wednesday and its House District 12 Vacancy in Office Committee accepted public feedback on candidates via email. The committee then convened online Saturday afternoon to select a representative-elect for the open seat. The 53-person group, which was formed as part of the party’s biannual reorganization process, includes county precinct party volunteers, House District 12 officers and elected members of the Colorado General Assembly.
A minimum of 27 members are required for a quorum, and 51 members attended the vote on Saturday. Each member was only allowed one vote to choose who would become representative-elect.
Brown won with 41 votes.
“I just am incredibly, incredibly honored and moved to be your representative,” he told the committee on Saturday. “I will work every day to make good on the faith that you have put on me … I can’t thank you enough.”
Brown is a member of Louisville City Council and works for the Colorado Division of Insurance as a deputy commissioner. He has a PhD in genetics from Harvard University.
Some of Brown’s top priorities include helping the communities impacted by the Marshall fire, creating more affordable housing, battling climate change and improving health care access.
Bernett was nearing the end of her first term in House District 12 when the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office began investigating a complaint — from Boulder County Republicans Chairwoman Theresa Watson — that accused Bernett of a false Louisville home address. Her longtime Longmont home address was in District 12 in 2020, but that address was no longer in the district boundaries after redistricting, so she filed paperwork with the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office in 2021 that attested she had a new Louisville address.
Bernett turned herself into the Boulder County Jail on Nov. 3 and was released on a personal recognizance bond of $10,000.
Her arraignment hearing is scheduled for Feb. 10.
Reporter Amy Golden contributed to this article.
