Owens Appoints Donetta Davidson as Secretary of State

Denver, July 22, 1999 – Governor Bill Owens today appointed Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder Donetta Davidson of Littleton as Secretary of State. Davidson succeeds the late Vikki Buckley who passed away on July 14.

"Vikki Buckley was elected twice by the people of Colorado to serve as their Secretary of State and she served our state well," Owens said. "Her tragic death leaves a huge void not only in that office but in our state as a whole."

"I believe one of the best ways to honor Vikki’s legacy of service to our state is to appoint someone with the background and credentials of Donetta Davidson to that office," Owens said. "As one of Colorado’s most respected county clerks and as a former elections officer in the Secretary of State’s office, Donetta Davidson will hit the ground running."

Davidson was elected Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder in 1994 and was reelected without opposition in 1998. She was elected Bent County Clerk and Recorder in 1978 and served in that position until 1986 when she was appointed Director of Elections by Secretary of State Natalie Meyer. She served as Director of Elections in the Secretary of State’s office for eight years.

"Donetta is widely recognized by her colleagues around the state and by state legislators as constantly seeking ways to improve the delivery of public services," Owens said. "I have no doubt that she will be enthusiastically confirmed by the state Senate this January."

The Colorado Constitution gives the Governor the authority to appoint a successor in the event of a death or resignation of a statewide elected official such as Secretary of State. The appointee must be approved by the Colorado State Senate when it reconvenes in January. That appointee will serve until the next general election when a new election will be held for the final two years of the term Buckley was elected to in 1998.