Rose Pugliese Steps Down from Colorado Legislature After Special Session Clash

Colorado House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, a Republican from Colorado Springs, has announced her resignation from the legislature, effective immediately. In a letter to friends and supporters, Pugliese cited her role as a single mother and the need to focus on her two children as the driving force behind her decision, calling it “one of the hardest” choices of her life. Her departure follows a heated clash with Democrats during last month’s special session and comes just days after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which she said also weighed heavily in her decision. Pugliese, once viewed as a rising star in Colorado Republican politics, was first elected in 2022 and became minority leader in 2024. Her resignation makes her the second top GOP leader to step down this year, after Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen resigned in June. A vacancy committee will now select her replacement to represent House District 14, while House Republicans prepare to choose a new leader ahead of the legislature’s January session.