Colorado State Board of Education member Stephen Varela, a Republican representing 27 counties in western and southern Colorado, resigned from his post Tuesday effective immediately, according to a news release from the Colorado Department of Education.
Varela, who was appointed to represent the 3rd District on the state board in January 2023 following the resignation of Republican Joyce Rankin, plans to accept a job at Pueblo School District 60 educating students with special needs, according to the news release.
State statute does not allow school district employees to be part of the State Board of Education.
“I am proud to be the first Latino to represent my district on the State Board of Education,” Varela, a previous board member of a Pueblo charter school, said in a written statement. “While I enjoyed my time serving on the state board, I am looking forward to supporting students with special needs here in my community.”
A Republican vacancy committee in 3rd District will select someone to serve out the remainder of Varela’s term, which ends in January, when a newly elected member is sworn in.
Democrat Ellen Angeles is running against Republican Sherri Wright this year to represent the 3rd District on the Colorado State Board of Education. The term for that seat runs through January 2027. Four of the nine seats on the State Board of Education are up for election Nov. 5. The 3rd District spans about 50,000 square miles across the Western Slope into Pueblo and southeast Colorado.
“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,” Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova said in a statement.
Varela ran unsuccessfully earlier this year to represent the 3rd District in Congress. He lost in the six-way Republican primary.