William Lindstedt Elected to Fill State Senate District 25 Vacancy

On Tuesday evening, Colorado State Senate District 25 convened a virtual vacancy committee meeting to nominate and select a successor to the late Senator Faith Winter.

Committee Chair Rosanna Reyes accepted two nominations for the open seat: Tom Klenow and William Lindstedt, both of whom had submitted letters of intent ahead of the meeting. The committee allotted five minutes total for intention statements from nominators, seconders, and the candidates themselves.

Klenow spoke first as a self-nominator, outlining his reasons for seeking the position. He emphasized the rapid growth of the district and the pressures facing residents.

“District 25 is changing, and our leadership needs to keep pace,” Klenow said. “People here are doing their best, but too many are being squeezed by rising housing costs, long commutes, healthcare expenses, and a transportation system that has not kept pace with growth.”

Lindstedt followed with remarks alongside statements from his nominator, Congressman Joe Neguse, and his seconder, Representative Jenny Willford. Lindstedt focused on fiscal constraints at the state level.

William Lindstedt speaks at a campaign event. Image courtesy of Lindstedt’s campaign website.

“Colorado is facing real challenges,” Lindstedt said. “We are operating under impossible physical constraints created by TABOR, even as the demand for public services continues to grow.”

Klenow has worked at the University of Colorado Boulder since 2014 and became the law school’s IT director in December 2024. Lindstedt currently serves as a state representative, chairs the House Finance Committee, and sits on the Business Affairs and Labor Committee.

Of the district’s 72 vacancy committee members, 56 were present for the meeting. A majority vote selected Lindstedt to fill the Senate seat.

The vacancy followed the death of Senator Faith Winter, who was killed in a crash on Interstate 25 on Nov. 26 after rear-ending a truck near Dry Creek Road. The Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office determined that Winter died of blunt force injuries and that her blood alcohol level exceeded the legal limit.

Winter had stepped away from legislative work earlier in 2024 to seek treatment for alcoholism. She was serving her 12th term, which was scheduled to conclude in early 2027.

“I know this was really difficult for all of us,” Lindstedt said after the vote. “I sincerely appreciate all of the faith you’ve put in me to step into the legislature under these circumstances.”

Lindstedt will serve the remainder of Winter’s term.

“These are not the circumstances I anticipated when pursuing a seat in the state senate,” he added. “This loss has been devastating for our community and for many of us personally. At the same time, with the legislative session rapidly approaching, the work of serving our community has to continue.”

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