DENVER — With only a few months until the 2026 Colorado legislative session begins, boxes are being unpacked inside the office of the House minority leader as a new occupant moves into the space.
State Representative Jarvis Caldwell (R - District 20) was selected as the new minority leader after former State Representative Rose Pugliese (R - District 14) resigned last week.
Caldwell, an Air Force veteran and father of two, said his work within the Colorado State Capitol focuses on education and crime.
"My goals are still to continue fighting against bad legislation that we feel is not helping Colorado, but then also working across the aisle to get good legislation passed," Caldwell said. "If legislation is good for the state of Colorado and for our districts and our constituents, then we're always going to come to the table and work across the aisle, and that's what we ask our Democrat counterparts to do."
The door to Caldwell's office is open to both Republicans and Democrats who want to discuss bipartisan legislation, Caldwell said.
"Rose Pugliese was great at giving everyone a seat at the table and making them feel welcomed, and I'll be the same way," Caldwell said, speaking about his predecessor.
A week before interviewing Caldwell, Denver7 met with Pugliese as she moved out of the space.
"It's a lot of different emotions. I think I'm going to miss my caucus. You know, the good, the bad and the ugly — we were all in it together, and in the end, we always ended unified," Pugliese said when asked how it feels to be leaving the State Capitol. "There's a lot of relationships in this building that will be a little bit hard for me to leave, but I'm really excited to see where this caucus goes next."
Pugliese told Denver7 she was resigning for a myriad of reasons, but primarily to spend more time with her children.
"I'm a single mom. I work three jobs outside the legislature, and they really needed my attention," Pugliese said. "I'm not out of the fight in politics, but I really do truly believe in trying to find more of a balance, where I can spend time with my children and be there for them, and then also fight for the cause. I think there's a way to do both, but it's just, it's too difficult to do in the legislature."
Elected to her position as a state representative in 2022, Pugliese spent eight years before that as a Mesa County commissioner.
"I started as a grassroots activist. I worked on campaigns. I did every job you can think of, and then wound up running for office myself and winning," Pugliese said. "It's an interesting contrast at a local government level — everyone wants to work together to solve problems, and it's less partisan. I think here [at the State Capitol], there's definitely a willingness to solve problems, but it becomes a lot more partisan in those conversations. And I think that was kind of a hard transition for me."
During her time as House minority leader, Pugliese said she aimed to unify the Republican Party through common issues such as affordability and public safety.
"They were the things that we could talk about that resonated not just inside the building or inside of our caucus, but also outside, because they directly came from the people," Pugliese explained. "I came into this role with ideas on how to unify the caucus, make it stronger, but also pushing forward bipartisan legislation and developing those relationships that were so important as we try to push forward our policies."
In Pugliese's resignation letter, she described the last day of the special session as "disappointing" and "toxic."
During the final hours of the August special session, the House of Representatives both debated and voted on a resolution condemning the actions of former State Representative Ryan Armagost.
The resolution, which passed, detailed the actions of Armagost from April 11, when he took a picture of Democratic State Representative Yara Zokaie on the House floor and shared it in a group chat with his caucus. Colorado Public Radio first reported the news in early August.
According to the resolution, Republican lawmakers replied with "degrading and sexualizing remarks," which included comparing "their colleague to a prostitute and stripper." The picture ended up being shared on anonymous social media accounts.
Armagost resigned in August after Democrats announced they would move to censure him.
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CO special session comes to dramatic end with tense moments between leaders
Prior to the vote on the resolution, there was a tense moment between Pugliese and Democratic Majority Leader Monica Duran, during which Duran accused Pugliese of refusing to share who took the picture, while Pugliese denied the claim and alleged that Duran withheld information.
“I’m sorry that [Duran] had bills with Representative Armagost that was more important than your safety,” Pugliese told Zokaie on the House floor that day.
Meanwhile, Duran responded by telling Pugliese this was not the time and place for such a conversation. Pugliese ended up storming out of the chamber.
"I think my speech on the floor was very honest and very heartfelt... I was really disappointed in the way that whole event transpired. I think at this point we need to move forward," Pugliese told Denver7. "People think, as the minority leader, I have all this control. And we are all equally elected, on both sides of the aisle. And so, I don't control anybody. The representatives in my caucus, they're answerable to their constituents and to each other."
Duran told Denver7 said she and Pugliese always had a good working relationship, adding she was disappointed by how that ended.
"It wasn't about either one of us. Unfortunately, former Minority Leader Pugliese turned it into something about her when it never was," Duran said. "What is sad here is that it took Democratic leadership to get to the bottom of who took that photo... we did the work on our end that the minority leader should have done on her end to get to the bottom of it."
Duran said she is cautiously optimistic about the 2026 legislative session, which will be her last.
"I look forward to the conversations. I look forward to the debates. I look forward to the disagreements, because that's how we grow, as long as we keep those respectful," said Duran. "I've always led with compassion and transparency and dignity, I want to continue leading that way."
Pugliese has publicly condemned the actions of Armagost and did so again in her interview with Denver7. She hopes both parties are able to commit to having respectful conversations with one another next year.
"I do hope, with recent events, that everybody can come together and agree that nonviolent political discourse is the right path for Colorado," Pugliese said. "I think it's what Coloradans expect from the legislature, and I do hope to see the institution move in that direction."
The General Assembly will convene on Jan. 14, 2026, for the 2026 legislative session, which lasts 120 days.
