DENVER - State Rep. Stella Garza Hicks said Friday that she will not seek another term in 2008, creating what could be a competitive race for the open House District 17 seat.

Hicks, a Republican who was appointed in January to replace Mark Cloer after he stepped down due to concerns with a son’s health, said that she needs to devote her time to two health issues within her own family.

Her mother in Texas is suffering from multiple problems and her son in Security recently suffered a stroke after his wife gave birth; Hicks said she needs to spend more time helping both.

“With the election coming in 2008, it wouldn’t be fair to either the Republican Party or my family if I couldn’t give my full attention to them,” Hicks said in an interview. “It’s not an easy decision.”

Hicks, who was not appointed to the seat until after other newly elected freshmen had completed legislative training, was one of the quieter members of the Legislature this year. She sponsored one bill, a successful measure to make Challenger Learning Center workers official state employees under the Public Employees’ Retirement Association.

The 54-year-old said she plans to run a full slate of bills in 2008, however. She is not ruling out running for office in the future, but can’t make politics a priority in 2008, she said.

It is likely that both parties will make her seat a priority, however.

The district, which includes southeast Colorado Springs and Fort Carson, is 32.3 percent Republican, 29.4 percent Democrat, 38.1 percent unaffiliated and 0.2 percent Libertarian. It has the smallest Republican advantage of any of the 26 House seats the GOP won in 2006, House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker, said.

Cloer won the 2006 election 57 percent to 43 percent over Democratic challenger Christine Varney, but he was a popular incumbent who reached across the aisle so much that he even garnered union endorsements. Varney, a 39-year-old bank teller, is running again in 2008, and she said that with no incumbent, she hopes the state Democratic Party will help fund her campaign.

“I thought we could pick it up anyway,” El Paso County Democratic Party Chairman John Morris said Friday. “Obviously, an open seat helps.”

May said he has spoken to two Republicans interested in seeking the seat, although he declined to disclose their names. He predicted the GOP would retain the seat.

Hicks is the third Republican legislator in recent months to announce that they will not seek re-election. Reps. Rob Witwer of Golden and Ray Rose of Montrose also will be giving up their seats. Her announcement also comes one week after state Sen. Ron May, R-Colorado Springs, said that he will step down on Oct. 31, leaving Republicans to fill his seat.

El Paso County Republican Chairman Greg Garcia praised Hicks Friday, noting that she has been a longtime party volunteer who chaired the House District 17 committee before ascending to take the seat.

“She . . . was able to rise to the pinnacle that she helped many other people reach,” Garcia said.

CONTACT THE WRITER: (303) 837-0613 or ed.sealover@gazette.com.