Democratic Gov.-elect Weiser names Republican Cleave Simpson Colorado ag commissioner

Democratic Gov.-elect Phil Weiser announced his first round of cabinet appointments Tuesday, led by his pick of a top-ranking Republican at the Capitol to head the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

GOP state Sen. Cleave Simpson, who represents the San Luis Valley and has served as the Republican Senate Minority Leader since June 2025, was named Weiser’s incoming Agriculture Commissioner.

Simpson, a fourth-generation farmer and rancher and general manager of the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, will succeed outgoing Agriculture Commissioner Kate Greenberg, who has served in the role since 2019, when she was named by Gov. Jared Polis and became the first woman to lead the department.

Weiser also named Jeni Arndt, a former Fort Collins mayor and state legislator, as his director of rural advancement, fulfilling a campaign promise to give “rural Colorado a cabinet-level go-to resource.” Scott Steinbrecher, currently deputy attorney general for natural resources and environment, will become Weiser’s senior director of water policy, another new cabinet-level position.

Weiser said in a press release that the appointments “demonstrate my commitment to building a collaborative administration that’s inclusive of voices from across Colorado and the political spectrum.”

“As governor, I will ensure that Coloradans from all walks of life have a seat at the table — because that’s the only way we will be ready on day one to make state government work better and build a brighter future for all Coloradans,” Weiser said.

Weiser’s transition team, led by a handful of veteran Colorado Democratic operatives including Alan Salazar and Pat Meyers, is inviting Coloradans to submit their ideas for his administration and to apply for key roles in the executive branch, at his website, WeiserTogether.org.

Ferrandino to become deputy treasurer

Weiser also announced that Dominick Moreno, a former state Senate majority leader and deputy chief of staff to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, will serve as director of the Office of State Planning and Budgeting.

The office’s current director, former state House Speaker Mark Ferrandino, was named deputy treasurer of Colorado on Tuesday by Democratic Treasurer-elect Jeff Bridges, who will succeed two-term Treasurer Dave Young in January.

“I’ve spent the last three years leading the state’s budget through tough decisions without cutting what Coloradans count on most,” Ferrandino said in a press release. “The Treasury is where the state’s money can start working harder, not just stretching further. I’m grateful to Treasurer-elect Bridges for the chance to help do that, and to Gov. Polis for his trust in me to help lead our state’s budget.”