Colorado General Assembly

Legal basis

• Colo. Const. art. V · creates · Colorado Constitution, Article V (Legislative Department) source
• Colo. Const. art. V, § 45 · governs · Number of senators and representatives source source
• C.R.S. 2-2-501 · governs source
• Colo. Const. art. V, § 3 · governs · Terms and term limits source
• 2021 Final Approved House and Senate Plans (Colorado Independent Legislative Redistricting Commission) (2021) · governs · The district maps that place the City of Boulder in Senate District 18 and House Districts 10 and 49 source source

Appointed by

electorate. Elected, not appointed: each senator and representative is elected by the voters of a single district. The City of Boulder's voters elect the senator for Senate District 18 and, depending on where they live in the city, the representative for House District 10 or House District 49. source source

How

General election on the first Tuesday in November of even years: all 65 representatives every two years, half of the 35 senators every two years. One General Assembly sits for two regular sessions of up to 120 days. · every two years (even-numbered years) source source

Seats

100 source source as of 2026-10-30

Seat types

• Senator (one per Senate district; four-year term) ×35 elected
• Representative (one per House district; two-year term) ×65 elected

source source

Term

Senators 4 years; Representatives 2 years source

Term limit

Senators: two consecutive terms; Representatives: four consecutive terms (8 years either way). Terms are consecutive unless at least four years apart; filling a vacancy for at least half a term counts as a term. source

Staggering

Senate staggered: half of the senators are elected every two years. The whole House is elected every two years. source

Powers

legislative. Decides: state law and the state budget (lawmaking power of the state). To council: state law binds the city where the state has authority; council adopts a yearly Policy Statement on Regional, State and Federal Issues to guide its advocacy at the legislature source source

Council liaison

not applicable: The state legislature is not a city body; council sends it no liaison. The city's advocacy at the legislature runs through council's Intergovernmental Affairs Committee and the City Manager's Office.

Staff liaison

not applicable: A state body with its own nonpartisan staff (Legislative Council Staff, Office of Legislative Legal Services); no city department staffs it.

Relations

• electorate appoints Colorado General Assembly · elects: the voters of each Senate and House district; Boulder's voters elect Senate District 18 and House Districts 10 and 49 source