DENVER — Colorado Democrats chose Rep. Dickey Lee Hullinghorst to be the next House speaker Friday, making her only the second woman in state history to hold that position.

The Boulder County representative was the second-ranked Democrat the previous two legislative sessions, serving as the chamber’s party leader.

“I am so deeply honored and humbled by the support of all of you,” Hullinghorst said after her unanimous selection. “My caucus members, my dear friends, my colleagues. I love you dearly.”

Hullinghorst replaces Democrat Speaker Mark Ferrandino, Colorado’s first openly gay speaker. Ferrandino is term-limited.

The first woman to be House speaker was Republican Lola Spradley in 2003.

“I consider it a great honor to be speaker under any circumstances,” Hullinghorst said. “And having been a woman all my life, I support women in office. I think we bring something special to the process.”

House Democrats also selected Rep. Crisanta Duran to replace Hullinghorst as their chamber leader. Duran has served on the budget-writing Joint Budget Committee.

Democrats retained a majority in the House after this month’s elections, and Republicans won control of the Senate for the first time in 10 years.

During the past two years, with Democrats in control of both chambers, they passed gun-control laws, civil unions, an overhaul of state election rules, and lowered college tuition for students in the country illegally. Split control will make it more difficult for either party to pass an ambitious agenda. But Hullinghorst said she sees split control of the Legislature as an opportunity.

“I think it actually forces us into good compromises and building coalitions and really listening to what the people of the state of Colorado want in state legislation,” she said. “I think any time you have different voices working on a particular issue, it enriches the work that happens on that.”

___

Find Ivan Moreno on Twitter: http://twitter.com/IvanJourno

Rep. Dickey Lee Hullinghorst