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Key Republican giving up seat to tend to business

By Ed Sealover, Rocky Mountain News

Published December 13, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Rep. Mike May, shown in the House, said he wants to open his Douglas County seat up to a "fresh horse." The House minority leader said he must focus on his hotel business.

Photo by Judy Dehaas / The Rocky/2006

Rep. Mike May, shown in the House, said he wants to open his Douglas County seat up to a "fresh horse." The House minority leader said he must focus on his hotel business.

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A top Republican lawmaker says tough economic times are forcing him to give up his seat in the legislature at the end of this year.

House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker, said Friday he can no longer split his attention between his hotel business and the legislature.

"As we began the long, slow march to opening day (on Jan. 7), it became apparent that I can't do both of these jobs," May said. "And I can't do (the minority leader's job) poorly."

Rather than just turn over his leadership position to someone else and stay in the legislature, May said he wanted to open his Douglas County seat up to a "fresh horse."

May is chief financial officer for Mars, a franchisee for Holiday Inns in Colorado and Utah.

May said the company is faring well despite the recession but it is becoming more time- consuming and difficult to negotiate deals for the financing of new hotels.

Legislators were reeling not just from May's surprise announcement but from the notion that he may be just the first casualty of the recession to leave his $30,000-a-year legislative post to concentrate on his full-time job.

While no one else has said they will step aside, the idea of not running for re-election in 2010 already has come up for some whose spouses, siblings and employees are dependent on them, said Rep. Buffie McFadyen, D-Pueblo West.

May's announcement is expected to set off a scramble between several House Republicans, most notably Assistant Minority Leader David Balmer, of Centennial, and Minority Caucus Chairwoman Amy Stephens, of Monument, for the minority leader's job.

Several people also have expressed interest in the appointment to the House District 44 seat that will be made by a GOP vacancy committee, said May, who was elected to a fourth term in November.

May served on the Parker City Council from 1998 to 2002 before being elected to his House seat. He has been minority leader since Joe Stengel gave up the job midway through the 2006 session after admitting he collected per-diem payments while he was not at the Capitol.

After taking over during a time of upheaval in the party, May was credited with uniting GOP factions. And he took steps to ensure the party would not split again, such as rebuking Rep. Douglas Bruce, R-Colorado Springs, over some of Bruce's antics earlier this year.

"We will deeply miss a leader who was able to tone down divisions in our party, and I hope that we will build many more leaders in the House who can bring everyone together," said Balmer.

May also made sure that House Republicans stuck to a message of fiscal conservatism, leading the charge against what he felt was a bloated budget earlier this year, Rep. Rob Witwer, R-Golden, said.

And May was known for his ability to work across the aisle. House Speaker designee Terrance Carroll, D-Denver, said he will miss the "friendly banter (with May) each day before we begin the serious work of the House."

Stephens said she will miss May's sense of humor and recalled his going to the House floor to proclaim the beauty of his wife, Traci. When she showed up in the chambers during a debate on climate change earlier this year, May announced to his colleagues: "Speaking of global warming, here is one of the leading causes of it: My bride, Traci."

May said he is proudest of passing legislation that prohibits teenage drivers from having passengers under 21, who aren't their siblings, for the first six months they have their licenses. Studies showed the bill may have saved as many as 60 lives in the first year it was law, May said.

Who's next?

Though many House Republicans said they weren't ready to speculate about Mike May's replacement as minority leader, three names emerged:

* David Balmer - The assistant minority leader from Centennial is known for his ability to raise money for campaigns.

* Frank McNulty - The 35-year-old Highlands Ranch lawmaker is considered a rising GOP star.

* Amy Stephens - The minority caucus chairwoman from Monument is well-liked and conservative.