At least 6 candidates vying to replace former Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet

Vacancy committee for Senate District 21 will choose successor to Michaelson Jenet, who resigned to take job at Merage Foundation

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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Sometime in the next 24 days, a vacancy committee for Senate District 21 will hold an election to choose a successor to former Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City. Michaelson Jenet resigned on Feb. 13 to take a job as director of the David and Laura Merage Foundation for Combating Antisemitism. The competition for her seat is heating up, with at least six candidates vying for the position.

Why it matters

The vacancy election will determine who will represent Senate District 21, which includes Commerce City, for the remainder of Michaelson Jenet's term. The outcome could shift the balance of power in the state Senate, where Democrats currently hold a narrow majority.

The details

The state Democratic party has so far listed five candidates for the vacancy: former state Rep. Adrienne Benevidez, firefighter Chris VanDijk, X-ray inspector Ben Elwood, former special education teacher Anita Mariotti, and mortgage loan assistant Marc Paga. Michael Scanlon, the founder of ClimateCon!, is also running, initially announcing last year that he would run for the U.S. Senate. Adams County Commissioner Steve O'Dorisio had been rumored to be interested but declined to run, saying 'right now, being a state legislator seems like it's the worst job in the world, second only to Congress.'

  • Michaelson Jenet resigned on Feb. 13, 2026.
  • The vacancy election is slated to take place on Feb. 26, 2026 at 6 p.m.

The players

Dafna Michaelson Jenet

Former state senator for Colorado's Senate District 21, who resigned on Feb. 13, 2026 to take a job as director of the David and Laura Merage Foundation for Combating Antisemitism.

Adrienne Benevidez

Former state representative who has already picked up endorsements from Reps. Manny Rutinel and Lorena Garcia for the Senate District 21 vacancy.

Chris VanDijk

Firefighter who has put his name in for Senate District 21, although he's also running for House District 32.

Ben Elwood

X-ray inspector and chair of the Colorado Nuclear Alliance.

Anita Mariotti

Former special education teacher with the Boulder Valley schools and currently a facilitator & instructional coach.

Marc Paga

Mortgage loan assistant with First Western Trust who is the only candidate to file with TRACER, the state's campaign finance system, for the vacancy.

Michael Scanlon

Founder of ClimateCon! who initially announced last year that he would run for the U.S. Senate.

Steve O'Dorisio

Adams County Commissioner who had been rumored to be interested in the vacancy but declined to run, saying 'right now, being a state legislator seems like it's the worst job in the world, second only to Congress.'

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What’s next

The vacancy election is slated to take place on Feb. 26, 2026 at 6 p.m.

The takeaway

The competition for the Senate District 21 seat is heating up, with at least six candidates vying to replace former Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet. The outcome of the vacancy election could shift the balance of power in the state Senate, where Democrats currently hold a narrow majority.