BackboneAmerica

Matt Dunn will serve out the final month of a legislative term for Rep. Joe Stengel (R-Littleton), who quit early to avoid the lobbying restrictions that take effect soon under Amendment 41. The past year has been a political roller coaster for Dunn, a former Lincoln Fellow of the Claremont Institute who helped me establish the institute’s Denver office and my radio show. The rookie candidate tied for first at the Republican assembly convened to nominate Stengel’s would-be successor, then won his August primary before losing the November election to Democrat Joe Rice. The local GOP organization honored him with interim duties to fill the vacancy until Rice takes over on the legislature’s opening day, Jan. 20. Note: the Rocky Mountain News story of Matt’s Dec. 28 swearing-in erred in suggesting he and I aren’t acquainted — we’re old friends. It was another new member present that day, Steve King, whose nonrecognition I was referring to.