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Commerce City Today
By the People, for the People
Top Colorado Democrat in State Senate Resigns for New Job
Dafna Michaelson Jenet, Senate President Pro Tem, will leave her seat on Friday to lead an Englewood-based foundation.
Published on Feb. 10, 2026
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State Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, one of the top Democrats in the Colorado legislature and the Senate's president pro tem, announced that she will resign her seat on Friday to serve as director of the David and Laura Merage Foundation for Confronting Antisemitism in Englewood.
Why it matters
Michaelson Jenet's resignation will create a vacancy in the Colorado Senate, where Democrats hold a nearly 2-to-1 majority. Her departure marks the loss of a prominent Democratic voice and leader in the state legislature.
The details
In her announcement, Michaelson Jenet highlighted her work creating the I Matter program that provides youth mental health support and the Healthy School Meals for All program, which voters approved in 2022. She also noted that she helped pass legislation guaranteeing that Holocaust studies are part of Colorado's public school curriculum.
- Michaelson Jenet will resign her seat on Friday, February 14, 2026.
- She was first elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 2016.
- Michaelson Jenet was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Senate in 2023 and won election to the seat the following year.
The players
Dafna Michaelson Jenet
A top Democratic state senator in Colorado and the Senate's president pro tem, who is resigning her seat to lead an Englewood-based foundation.
James Coleman
The president of the Colorado Senate, who praised Michaelson Jenet's work and leadership.
David and Laura Merage Foundation for Confronting Antisemitism
An Englewood-based organization that Michaelson Jenet will be leading after resigning from the state Senate.
What they’re saying
“I always aspire to serve with joy, humility, and guided by the will of my constituents. I am so thankful to the people of Senate District 21 for their trust, to my colleagues in the House and Senate for their partnership on legislation both big and small, and to my family for their perseverance and grace at every step of this journey.”
— Dafna Michaelson Jenet (The Denver Post)
“Senator Michaelson Jenet has been a valued member and leader of the Senate Democrats. She has been a steadfast champion for Colorado's youth, survivors of abuse and violence, and an important voice for Colorado's Jewish community. I will miss her partnership and friendship in the Senate, but I know that she will continue to do great things for the state of Colorado beyond the Capitol.”
— James Coleman, President of the Colorado Senate (The Denver Post)
What’s next
Michaelson Jenet's replacement will be appointed via a vacancy committee in the coming weeks.
The takeaway
Michaelson Jenet's resignation marks the loss of a prominent Democratic voice and leader in the Colorado legislature, as her departure creates a vacancy in a Senate where Democrats hold a nearly 2-to-1 majority.
