But Dr. Fallon did so with consistent passion and dedication, with grace and courage and common sense. His hard-working grassroots campaign won him no attention at first, but before long he was impressing some of the masters of the talk radio airwaves. Yes, he came up well short of the ultimate goal. And yes, he insisted this was his one moment on the political stage to make a difference. But shrewd Colorado Republicans ought to be clamoring for Dr. Fallon to find some other opportunity to run and serve.

3. Owen Hill: He emerged in 2010 fresh on the scene with a stellar resume and a photogenic young family (that now includes 4 kids). Never backing down from the challenge of taking on the state senate majority leader, hehis future chances. Depending on how redistricting plays out, he might end up inside Senate District 19. Would he be interested in taking on this challenge in 2012?

5. Christine Mastin: Prominently featured among the legislative candidates at the GOP State Assembly and frequently touted by State Party chair Dick Wadhams, Mastin brought a favorable profile as a young, successful Hispanic woman who already earned a spot in Denver Business Journal‘s Forty under 40. Her campaign in House District 3, which mostly includes south Denver along with parts of Englewood and Cherry Hills Village, broadened support. While she ran into the Democratic buzz saw, Mastin did increase party performance by more than 7 points from 2008. I’m sure that any future decision she made to run for office would