Colorado Senate Republicans on Friday unanimously chose Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer to be the caucus’s representative on the Joint Budget Committee.

Kirkmeyer, a Brighton Republican who is halfway through her first term, replaces Sen. Bob Rankin.

The Carbondale Republican was the committee’s longest-serving member, having been on JBC since 2014. He announced Dec. 1 he would retire from the Senate on Jan. 10; his last day on the JBC was last Monday, Dec. 5.

Kirkmeyer told Colorado Politics last week she would seek the JBC post, pointing to her interest in transportation and human services budgets, as well as her past experience as an executive director and as a Weld County commissioner who worked on county budgets, including eliminating county debt.

Incoming Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen of Monument offered his caucus’s thanks to Rankin for his years of service, both to the people of Colorado and to the caucus as its JBC member.  “We all owe him a debt of gratitude” for his work in both the House and Senate, Lundeen said.

Kirkmeyer told Rankin she has his phone number and means to use it.

Kirkmeyer’s election to JBC meant the caucus needed to find a new minority whip. The caucus then elected Sen. Cleave Simpson of Alamosa, also by acclamation, to fill that slot.

The GOP central committee for Senate District 8, which becomes Senate District 5 on Jan. 9, when the 2023 session begins, will hold a vacancy committee election in Montrose on Saturday, Jan. 7 to pick Rankin’s replacement. A second vacancy committee for the GOP Congressional District 3 will choose a replacement for Rankin’s wife, Joyce, who represents the district on the state board of education. She will step down from that position on Jan. 10.

State Rep. Perry Will of New Castle, who lost a close re-election bid last month, is believed to the leading contender for the Senate seat.