Carpenter leaving as Ritter's chief of staff

Posted: 11.29.2010 at 3:52 PM

Gov. Ritter will be without a Chief of Staff once Carpenter leaves in a few weeks / FOX21: file photo

DENVER (AP) -- Jim Carpenter, Gov. Bill Ritter's chief of staff, is leaving the administration Dec. 17.

Ritter said Monday that Carpenter has been central to the administration's successes. He hired Carpenter as chief of staff shortly after winning election four years ago.

John Hickenlooper will succeed fellow Democrat Ritter in January. Ritter didn't seek a second term.

Before joining Ritter's staff, Carpenter headed former U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar's office in Colorado. He managed Salazar's 2004 Senate campaign.

Carpenter was communications director and chief of staff for former Gov. Roy Romer and worked for former U.S. Sen. Tim Wirth.

He's joining public affairs consultant Mike Stratton at Stratton-Carpenter Associates.