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Runner-up in northern Colorado council race to take office

GREELEY – The runner up in a Colorado city council race will take office after the winner was forced out because of a felony conviction.

The Greeley City Council voted Tuesday to appoint Stacy Suniga to take over the council seat held by Eddie Mirick for nearly a month.

The Greeley Tribune reported she finished about 300 votes behind Mirick in November’s election.

Mirick was supported by a pro-business and oil and gas development group with Republican ties. Suniga got support from Boulder Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Polis and county Democrats.

A group led by Suniga’s campaign manager petitioned the court to force Mirick from office because of a 1978 forgery conviction. He said it had been reduced to a misdemeanor but a judge found that the felony remained on his record.