Colorado Republicans have selected Lynda Zamora Wilson to represent state Senate District 9, filling the seat left vacant after Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen stepped down last month.

Wilson, who served 25 years in the U.S. Air Force, was selected Monday evening by a Republican vacancy committee, the Senate caucus announced. Political parties appoint committees to fill vacated seats under Colorado law.

Lundeen, who served in the legislature since 2015, resigned June 9 to take a job with a national conservative nonprofit group. The Senate seat that covers the northern suburbs of Colorado Springs in El Paso County has been vacant since then.

Wilson lost to Lundeen in the 2022 primary for Senate District 9. She requested a recount in the race, receiving 10,378 total votes to Lundeen’s 20,471.

Senator Cleave Simpson, R-Alamosa, was elected by the Republican caucus last month to succeed Lundeen as minority leader.

“I am thrilled to welcome Senator-Elect Wilson as she joins the Colorado State Senate,” Simpson said in a statement Tuesday. “I know Senator-Elect Wilson will play a vital role in our effort to make Colorado a better place for everyone, from addressing rising costs and public safety concerns, to ensuring that all Coloradans feel their voices are truly being heard in the Capitol.”

“Her passion and commitment to serving her constituents will be invaluable as we work together to address the challenges facing our state and build a brighter future for all,” he added.

Wilson was endorsed by Colorado Right to Life and Rocky Mountain Gun Owners.