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Boulder County Libertarian Party chairman Ralph Shnelvar wants the Colorado Court of Appeals to consider whether a partial term should count against term limits when it comes to a county commissioner seeking re-election.

At issue is a Boulder District Court ruling that incumbent Commissioner Cindy Domenico can seek another full four-year term in this year's elections.

Shnelvar disagrees with Boulder District Judge Bruce Langer's January decision that the partial term that Domenico served from July 2007 to January 2011 to fill a vacancy on the county board doesn't bar her from seeking re-election this year.

Shnelvar filed notice on Monday that he is seeking the Colorado Court of Appeals' review.

Boulder County commissioners generally can serve two consecutive four-year terms in that office.

In July 2007, a Boulder County Democratic Party vacancy committee appointed Lafayette Democrat Domenico, Boulder County's elected assessor at the time, to fill the county board's District 3 seat after the June 2007 death of then-Commissioner Tom Mayer.

In November 2008, Domenico won election to the final two years of the four-year term to which Mayer was elected in November 2006. She then won re-election to a full four-year term in November 2010. This year, she's running for another four-year term.

Louisville Democrat Alan Rosenfeld challenged Domenico's eligibility to seek re-election; Langer's ruling came from that lawsuit.

Rosenfeld is also seeking the District 3 seat on the Board of County Commissioners. Saturday, delegates to the 2014 Boulder County Democratic Party Assembly will decide whether Domenico, Rosenfeld or both will advance to the party's June primary election ballot.

Domenico said Tuesday that while she's not surprised at Shnelvar's attempt to get the Court of Appeals to consider the case, "I still stand on two attorney general's opinions" issued in past years when similar questions arose about partial terms counting against term limits "and, now, the Boulder District Court decision" that she can legally seek re-election.

Original post:

Boulder County Libertarian chairman appeals term-limit decision in commissioner's race