State Rep. Jennifer Parenti, a first-term Democrat from Erie, announced on Friday, July 19, that she is not running for reelection, citing the job’s conflicts with her values.
“The way the legislature currently operates is not compatible with my values — not in terms of particular points of policy, which should always be the subject of debate, but rather in the way it operates, particularly in how certain personalities manipulate the system contrary to good policy and then, in turn, are rewarded for those behaviors,” Parenti told Boulder Reporting Lab in a text message.
Parenti is a retired military officer who has served in the Colorado House since 2022. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy and later earned a master’s in software engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School. She served as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force before retiring.
In an emailed statement, Parenti said she is proud of her work on issues such as housing and transportation, consumer and environmental protections, and gun violence prevention.
Parenti is the third first-term Democrat to resign in the past year. In December 2023, Rep. Ruby Dickson resigned, citing the “sensationalistic and vitriolic nature of the current political environment.” Later that month, Rep. Said Sharbini also resigned, citing a “polarized and contentious atmosphere.”
Parenti said in a statement that she had hoped to see a new culture at the state legislature that “supported its new and diverse voices” and “promoted ethical standards of behavior befitting our offices.”
“It’s not my intent to publicly poke anyone in the eye,” Parenti told Boulder Reporting Lab. “I will just say that I hope that the loss of three first-term legislators drives home the message that how we conduct our business is just as, if not more, important than the business itself.”
Parenti was slated to run against Dan Woog, a Republican whom she narrowly unseated in 2022, in the upcoming general election. A Democratic vacancy committee will select a candidate for the November election.
Parenti’s district, which straddles Boulder and Weld counties, is particularly competitive. Her decision to not seek reelection could make it harder for Democrats to maintain their supermajority in the Colorado House, the Colorado Sun reported.