House Speaker endorses Hagan

MONTROSE �” House Speaker Andrew Romanoff announced his endorsement of Noelle Hagan for the Colorado House District 58 seat to the Daily Press Tuesday.

“I’m proud to support Noelle,” Romanoff said. “You spend too much time at the capitol, you lose sight of your district and the people who sent you there. That’s not going to happen to Noelle.”

Romanoff said he first met Hagan several years ago at the capitol when she was “sticking up for her constituents on a matter of local control” versus state control.

“She’ll stick up for her constituents,” he said. “She was doing it the first time I met her and has been doing it ever since.”

May 3, Democratic district delegates unanimously nominated Hagan as the party’s candidate. Hagan has a history of community involvement including mayor of Montrose, chairwoman of the Montrose County Housing Authority and executive board member of the Colorado Municipal League.

“I’m honored to have (the endorsement),” Hagan said. She said it was not something she takes for granted or thought would be automatic. She believes Romanoff knows her work as a council person and advocate for her city and local control and that is why he chose to support her.

Romanoff said he has also visited Montrose’s Passage Charter School, which Hagan helped established in 1998.

At the time, Hagan was working with an agency whose mission was to prevent teen pregnancy, she said. The group found that the community had a lot of young women who were already teen parents.

Passage is now a school for pregnant and teen mothers, providing an education, life skills and daycare services.

“It seemed like a way to solve the root of the problem and not just put a Band-Aid over it,” Hagan said.

Romanoff said Hagan has demonstrated a commitment to kids and believes she can continue to be an advocate for them at the capitol.

“I admire that,” Romanoff said about Hagan’s involvement in Passage.

Hagan said Romanoff has been a large supporter for kids and education, and it is this issue which they share a common interest.

“The kids don’t have many lobbyists,” Romanoff said. “They have no expense account to wine and dine legislators. They need someone like Noelle.”

Romanoff will be on the Western Slope this weekend for several events. He will meet with the Delta Democrats Saturday morning and then speak Saturday night at Montrose County Democratic Party’s annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner. The dinner will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Montrose Pavilion.

Contact Kati O’Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com