Interim candidate nominated to replace Congressional District 3 Board of Education member Stephen Varela following his resignation
Courtesy photo
A new candidate has been nominated to replace Pueblo Republican Stephen Varela, who officially resigned on Tuesday as Colorado Congressional District 3 Board of Education representative.
Montezuma County Republican Sherri Wright, who is on the ballot for this November’s CD3 Board of Education special election, has been nominated to replace Verala, according to Pitkin County Republican Party Chair Jon Kelly.
Wright is a farmer and teacher with over three decades of experience in education, according to her campaign page. She is also a former Montezuma Cortez RE-1 school board president, fully serving on the board between 2012 and 2023.
Wright “strategically led the RE-1 school district through COVID with a focus on teaching and returning the students to the classroom,” it states online.
With Varela’s departure, a vacancy committee from the 3rd Congressional District has been convened to select his replacement. This committee, composed of members from the Republican Party, will appoint someone to serve until the November election.
Kelly said he wants to be as transparent as possible with how Republicans proceed with Valera’s interim replacement.
“The CD3 chair has put out a request for nominations, and we have nominated Sherri Wright,” he said. “We will hold a Zoom meeting sometime in mid-October, where the candidates will speak, followed by a discussion and a vote by eligible GOP members.”
He said that if there are several candidates, a screening committee will be formed, and their recommendations will be presented during the mid-October Zoom meeting.
Varela, who did not respond to comment, was appointed in January 2023 to represent the CD3 Board of Education.
In 2019, he lost an election for Pueblo City Council, and in 2022, he lost a campaign for state senator. More recently, he ran for Rep. Lauren Boebert’s old seat in the Republican primary before being appointed to his former seat on the Board of Education.
The Denver Post reported that Varela is currently under federal investigation when a whistleblower claimed that he misused funds from a labor union he led from 2016 to 2020. The allegations state he allegedly spent $100,000 in union funds for unauthorized travel and a beer-making kit.
He has also changed party affiliations 18 times since 2011, where he appeared to switch between unaffiliated, Democrat, and Republican.
Varela’s decision to step down is linked to his acceptance of a position with Pueblo District 60, where he will work with special education students. Under state law, school district employees cannot simultaneously serve on the State Board of Education.
In response to his resignation, Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova acknowledged his contributions in an earlier press release.
“We are grateful to Board member Varela for his service on behalf of educators, children, and families and for bringing the voices of Congressional District 3 to the Board,” she said.
Wright could not be reached for comment.
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