Senate accepts vacancy committee pick and swears in Mary Kate Elizabeth Wallace for District 17

The Colorado State Senate on March 20, 2025 accepted a certificate from the Secretary of State and administered the oath of office to Mary Kate Elizabeth Wallace, who was appointed by the Democratic seventeenth-senate-district vacancy committee to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of Senator Sonia Hawkes Lewis.

The certification, dated March 19, 2025 and read into the record, was signed by Secretary of State Jenna Griswold and states that the committee's nomination and Wallace's acceptance were filed with the Department of State. Majority Leader Rodriguez moved that a three-member committee on credentials be appointed; the motion was adopted without objection and the credentials committee then reported that the certification matched the records on file.

The chamber adopted the committee on credentials report without objection, and Chief Justice administered the oath of office at the Senate well. Chief Sergeant at Arms Frank Lombardi escorted Senator-elect Wallace to the floor; she repeated the oath and was congratulated on assuming the duties of state senator for District 17.

The action restored the Senate roll call; senators later confirmed the roll as 34 present, 0 absent, 1 excused and 0 vacant after Wallace was added. The Senate recessed briefly to allow the credentials committee to meet and prepare its report before returning to formal business.

Senate leaders on the floor identified Majority Leader Rodriguez as chair of the credentials committee and named Assistant Majority Leader Cutter and Minority Leader Lundin as members. The certification and the committee's recommendation are part of the official record of the Senate.

Wallace's seating concluded the vacancy-appointment process recorded in the Secretary of State's March 19 filings; no additional action or challenge to the appointment was recorded during the session.