Early politics

Hudak ran for a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 29th district with the Democratic nomination in the 1994 election, but lost to Republican nominee Mark Paschall and placed ahead of independent candidate Joanne Conte.^[5][6] She was elected to a seat on the Colorado State Board of Education from the 2nd congressional district with the Democratic nomination in the 2000 election against Republican nominee Ron J. Marquez.^[7][8] She was reelected without opposition in the 2006 election.^[9] Angelika Schroeder was selected to replace her on the Board of Election after Hudak was elected to the Colorado Senate in the 2008 election.^[10][11] Hudak supported Barack Obama during the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries.^[12]

Colorado Senate

Senator Sue Windels, a member of the state senate from the 19th district, was term-limited during the 2008 election.^[13] Hudak won the Democratic nomination without opposition and defeated Republican nominee Libby Szabo in the general election.^[14] She defeated Republican nominee Lang Sias and Libertarian nominee Lloyd A. Sweeny in the 2012 election.^[15][16] Sweeny was considered a spoiler candidate as Hudak won with a plurality of the vote.^[17]

In 2013, Senate President John Morse and Senator Angela Giron were defeated in recall elections organized by gun rights activists. A recall was being organized against Hudak due to her support of gun control legislation. She resigned on November 27, stating that she was doing it to protect the gun control legislation as if she had lost the recall election it would allow the Republicans to gain control of the state senate. She also stated that she resigned in order for $200,000 to not be spent on a recall election.^[18][19] Representative Tracy Kraft-Tharp initially ran to be appointed to replace Hudak, but dropped out and endorsed former Representative Sara Gagliardi.^[20] Rachel Zenzinger was selected by the vacancy committee on December 10 to replace Hudak.^[21]