“Statesman and a trailblazer”
Ruben Valdez, state’s first Latino House speaker, dead at 82
Ruben Valdez, Colorado’s first Hispanic House speaker and “the godfather” of west Denver politics, died in his sleep Tuesday night at age 82 after a year of declining health.
Valdez, a Trinidad native who dropped out of high school to support his family, was a major presence in Colorado Democratic politics for decades. He worked either for or with the likes of Jimmy Carter, Dick Lamm, Ken Salazar, Bill Ritter, Michael Bennet and many others.
A strong advocate for workers, consumer protections and equity
in education, Denver Public Schools honored Valdez in 2015 by naming a school off West Evans Avenue after him.
Colorado politicos across party lines and generations on Wednesday mourned the death of a man Denver Mayor Michael Hancock called “a giant.”
“Ruben Valdez wasn’t just an exceptional public servant and advocate,” Hancock said in a statement. “He was a leader and mentor to so many and a tireless champion for what he believed was right and just.”
U.S. Sens. Bennet and Cory Gardner and former and current Govs. John Hickenlooper and Jared Polis all remarked on Valdez’s passing. Said Polis: “Our community has lost a public servant, statesman and trailblazer.”
Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, a longtime colleague and friend of Valdez’s, said he was “truly an inspiration” and a geyser of wisdom and advice who helped pave the way for future leaders — particularly those in the Latino and Westside communities.
“As a first-year lawmaker, I owe so much to his work,” tweeted Denver state Sen. Julie Gonzales. “(H)e leaves behind a rich and deep legacy.”
Former Denver City Council president Rosemary Rodriguez added: “I think he taught me and many other people how to run a meeting, how to use the rules to create an orderly process and how to move your agenda. … He always had insights and guidance, and he didn’t expect anything in return.”
Valdez grew up in Trinidad, the youngest of nine. His father died when he was 9 years old and at 15 he left high school to support his mother — an avid newspaper reader and, family members said, an enormous influence on her youngest son — by taking a job at the Pueblo brickyard.
As a young adult, he joined the United Steelworkers of America and rose through union ranks, eventually becoming president of Steelworkers Local 5099 in Denver. He returned to school and got his high school diploma through a GED program. Later he became the first member of his family to graduate from college.
He was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1970, ascending to become House speaker in 1975, when Democrats, in the wake of Watergate, briefly seized control of that chamber. He stayed on as minority leader for two years following his speakership.
Colorado would not see another Hispanic speaker until Crisanta Duran got the job in 2017. He served for eight years in a pre-term limits era, so it was particularly notable that he broke the barrier so quickly.
“For someone to become speaker in such a short time is really unprecedented,” his granddaughter Amber Valdez said by phone Wednesday. “But one of the things he’d tell anyone is that all that it takes for you to win is to work the hardest. He did that, and he believed that.”
Valdez remained active in politics after his time in office, even working as a lobbyist with his granddaughter. Younger politicians called him “Mr. Speaker” years after he left the role.
“Some people demand respect or impose it on you. He earned respect,” said Rob Witwer, a Republican state lawmaker in the 2000s. “There was no question that he was respected throughout the halls of the Capitol.”
Added Witwer, “I think of him as a throwback to a bygone age, when elected officials were looking to collaborate, to find win-win solutions.”
That attitude was exemplified when Valdez worked on a bill in 1975 to promote bilingual, bicultural education in public schools. The Denver Post ran a story that year about his efforts, headlined “How to pass an education bill.”
His family remembers him as a patriarch and indispensable family adviser who, his daughter Peggy Valdez joked, was always willing to give his opinion whether or not it had been solicited. More often than not, the recipients appreciated it.
“He really did help so many people rise,” Amber Valdez said.
Valdez’s wife, Virginia, died in 1999. He is survived by three children, Peggy, JR and Trish, and seven grandchildren. Valdez outlived his eight siblings.
The family said a public memorial will be held in Denver, but details are still being worked out.
“Ruben Valdez wasn’t just an exceptional public servant and advocate. He was a leader and mentor to so many and a tireless champion for what he believed was right and just.” Michael Hancock, Denver mayor