For the second time in just over four months, leaders for Summit County’s Democratic Party will meet to fill an open seat on the Summit Board of County Commissioners. 

On Monday, Dec. 18, the Democrats’ roughly 40-member vacancy committee — which includes precinct organizers, district captains, elected officials who reside in the county and the party’s five officers — is set to vote on a successor to replace former-Commissioner Elisabeth Lawrence. 

Lawrence resigned on Friday, Dec. 8, just months after the resignation of former-Commissioner Josh Blanchard, whose seat was filled by Silverthorne resident Nina Waters in September. Monday’s vote will follow the same structure as that appointment. 

According to Summit County Democratic Party Chair Patti McLaughlin, candidates will need to be residents of the corresponding commissioner district, which in this case is District 1. It includes the towns of Breckenridge and Blue River. Candidates must have lived in the county and be registered Democrats for at least one year. 

Candidates can be nominated by the vacancy committee or self-nominated — though two nominations are required for their candidacy to move forward. Voting will continue until one candidate wins a majority of the votes, McLaughlin said. 

As of Sunday, four candidates have made clear their intent to run for the seat, though the vacancy committee will still accept floor nominations on Monday night before voting begins. Here’s who’s in the running to be Summit County’s next commissioner: 

Eric Mamula

Eric Mamula is the current mayor of the town of Breckenridge. First elected as a council member in 2004, Mamula served through 2012 before returning as mayor in 2016. 

Mamula has also served on the Breckenridge Sanitation Board, the Red, White and Blue Fire Board, the Breckenridge Open Space Advisory Committee and other local bodies. He is the owner of Downstairs at Eric’s, which Mamula opened on Breckenridge Main Street in 1989. 

In his letter of intent to the vacancy committee, Mamula stated, “The overarching theme of my public service has been the desire to keep Summit County as both a flourishing resort as well as a sustainable community.”

Mamula said affordable housing, child care assistance and short-term rental regulations — all of which he oversaw in some capacity as a town council member — are important tools “to help locals feel both vested and appreciated in our community.”

Susan Fairweather

Susan Fairweather is a community relations senior specialist for Kaiser Permanente, a role that saw her work with nonprofits and community safety net providers through grants, sponsorships and general funding. 

Before that, she worked for the town of Avon as the director of economic initiatives from 2014 to 2015 and as the director of economic development, marketing and communications for the town of Dillon from 2007 to 2014. 

She is also a precinct chair for the Democratic Party and stated in her letter of intent: “I have the expertise, background, and professional experience needed to perform this important full-time role and to serve our community.”

Theresa Bucci

Theresa Bucci is the current president of the Summit County Library Board of Trustees. 

During her tenure, Bucci helped lead an initiative to remove library fines and fees for children’s books as well as an effort to create a community-focused strategic plan for the county’s libraries. Bucci also worked with residents in 2021 to provide input on issues of overcrowding at the Quandary Peak Trailhead and become a chief liaison between residents and the county. 

Bucci is the vice president of product for Civitech, which, in her letter of intention, she describes as “a company that works with progressive candidates, organizations, and individuals to ensure more people can vote, more voters turn out, and everyone can have representation that reflects our country’s diversity.”

“I have deep connections with many areas of the community and am deeply committed to the ideals of the strategic plan around diversity, community engagement, affordability, and smart growth within our community,” Bucci stated. 

Mitch Ringquist 

Mitch Ringquist is the current owner of the Bunk House Lodge, an LGBTQ-friendly hotel that for decades has served as a safe space for gay men in Summit County. 

After moving from the West Coast in 1999, Ringquist lived at the lodge for more than 20 years, working for room and board, before taking over as the owner roughly a decade ago. 

The Bunk House has a storied history of being a rare haven for gay men in Breckenridge and beyond. Established as a place for room and board in the early 1970s, it is one of the oldest-running LGBTQ organizations in Colorado. 

Ringquist has stated that while the lodge is gay-owned and operated, it welcomes all patrons from diverse backgrounds. 

Looking to 2024

The next commissioner will be tasked with completing Lawrence’s remaining term, which ends in early 2027. They will have the opportunity to run for election before then in November 2024 along with the two other commissioners.