Senator Chaps? Gordon Klingenschmitt, Colorado’s Premier Demon-Hunting Legislator, Announces Bid For State Senate

Just two days ago, Colorado’s demon-hunting gay-exorcising state Rep. Gordon “Dr. Chaps” Klingenschmitt had his seat on House Health, Insurance and Environment Committee restored after having been stripped of it last month amid the controversy stemming from his statement that a brutal attack on a pregnant woman in the state was due to the “curse of God upon America” for legal abortion.

Klingenschmitt eventually apologized for his remarks, suspended his daily television program, played the victim by lashing out at the media, and then generally kept his head down in the ensuing weeks in an effort to simply wait out the controversy. And now that it seems to have passed, Klingenschmitt held a town hall meeting last night to triumphantly announce that he is now running for a seat in the state Senate:

What was billed as a town hall meeting turned into a half-hour tease for Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt’s announcement that he plans to run for a state Senate seat.

Klingenschmitt, R-Colorado Springs, went through a list of his accomplishments in the state Legislature Wednesday at the Airplane Restaurant. He also discussed his attempts to “fight for Republican principles” that didn’t make it through the Democrat-controlled House. He took a small handful of questions limited to constituents in House District 15, teasing his “plans for 2016” along the way, before announcing he plans to run for Senate District 12.

The seat is held by Senate President Bill Cadman, who will reach his term limit in 2016.

KRDO NewsChannel 13 captured video of Klingenschmitt’s announcement: